4th century
Saint Constantine the Great
Roman emperor who granted Christians freedom of worship and founded Constantinople.
Biography
Constantine (c. 272–337) was the first Roman emperor to embrace Christianity. Through the Edict of Milan (313), issued with Licinius, he granted freedom of religion.
He convened the First Ecumenical Council at Nicaea (325) and founded Constantinople, inaugurated in 330. The Church honours him as Equal-to-the-Apostles together with his mother, Saint Helen.