October 28, AD 312 ~ Constantine defeats Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Gloria Romanorum ^ | October 28, 2016 | Florentius

[Antoninus]

October 28 marks the anniversary of the Battle of the Milvian Bridge (AD 312) at which Constantine the Great defeated the usurper Maxentius who had set himself up as emperor in Rome. Son of the emperor Maximian Herculius, Maxentius claimed the same right to the throne that Constantine had claimed from his own father, the emperor Constantius I Chlorus. The difference was that Constantius conferred the imperial power upon his son Constantine on his deathbed, whereas Maxentius took his father's authority by force and drove the old man from Rome.

After several failed attempts of the eastern emperors to end the usurpation of Maxentius by military force, it was left to Constantine to settle the affair from his base in Britain. Here is the contemporary account of Lactantius, written less than 10 years after the battle:

And now a civil war broke out between Constantine and Maxentius. Although Maxentius kept himself within Rome, because the soothsayers had foretold that if he went out of it he should perish, yet he conducted the military operations by able generals. In forces he exceeded his adversary; for he had not only his father's army, which deserted from Severus, but also his own, which he had lately drawn together out of Mauritania and Italy. They fought, and the troops of Maxentius prevailed.

At length Constantine, with steady courage and a mind prepared for every event, led his whole forces to the neighborhood of Rome, and encamped them opposite to the Milvian bridge. The anniversary of the reign of Maxentius approached, that is, the sixth of the kalends of November, and the fifth year of his reign was drawing to an end. Constantine was directed in a dream to cause the heavenly sign to be delineated on the shields of his soldiers, and so to proceed to battle. He did as he had been commanded, and he marked on their shields the letter X, with a perpendicular line drawn through it and turned round thus at the top, being the cipher of CHRIST (XP). Having this sign, his troops stood to arms.

[Triumph of Constantine over Maxentius from a tapestry by Peter Paul Reubens, ca. 1622.]

The enemies advanced, but without their emperor, and they crossed the bridge. The armies met, and fought with the utmost exertions of valor, and firmly maintained their ground. In the meantime a sedition arose at Rome, and Maxentius was reviled as one who had abandoned all concern for the safety of the commonweal; and suddenly, while he exhibited the Circensian games on the anniversary of his reign, the people cried with one voice, "Constantine cannot be overcome!" Dismayed at this, Maxentius burst from the assembly, and having called some senators together, ordered the Sibylline books to be searched. In them it was found that: "On the same day the enemy of the Romans should perish."

Led by this response to the hopes of victory, he went to the field. The bridge in his rear was broken down. At sight of that the battle grew hotter. The hand of the Lord prevailed, and the forces of Maxentius were routed. He fled towards the broken bridge; but the multitude pressing on him, he was driven headlong into the Tiber.

This destructive war being ended, Constantine was acknowledged as emperor, with great rejoicings, by the senate and people of Rome. And now he came to know the perfidy of [Maximinus] Daia; for he found the letters written to Maxentius, and saw the statues and portraits of the two associates which had been set up together. The senate, in reward of the valor of Constantine, decreed to him the title of Maximus (the Greatest), a title which Daia had always arrogated to himself. Daia, when he heard that Constantine was victorious and Rome freed, expressed as much sorrow as if he himself had been vanquished; but afterwards, when he heard of the decree of the senate, he grew outrageous, avowed enmity towards Constantine, and made his title of the Greatest a theme of abuse and raillery.

Read the full account here.

See also the early accounts of Constantine's miraculous vision of a cross in the sky, here.

[Antoninus]

Today is the 1,707th anniversary of an event which changed human history forever ~ Constantine's victory at the Milvian Bridge outside of Rome.

I also posted an article about Constantine's famous vision, complete with primary source quotes, here.

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Bookmark!

And God bless Constantine!!!!!!!!!

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

It was a sad day.

[Antoninus]

It was a sad day.

Unless you're a pagan, it was most definitely not a sad day. Maxentius and his father were both persecutors of Christians.

[teppe]

Yet Constantine remained an unbaptised non-christian until he accepted baptism by Semi-Arian Bishop Eusibius of Nicodemia.

As I understand it, he then banished all Nicene bishops/priests from Rome and brought back the previously banished Arian Bishops/Priests.

And finally committed his son Constantinus(?) to be a Arian-Christian emperor.

Obviously Constantine had regrets about the Nicene Creed which he in-part dictated and coerced through threat of banishment.

[skepsel]

Related, from 2007, story of the finding of Maxentious’ imperial scepter:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1544019/Sceptre-from-Roman-emperor-exhibited.html

[skepsel]

Maxentius not Maxentious!

D’oh!!!

[Antoninus]

Yet Constantine remained an unbaptised non-christian until he accepted baptism by Semi-Arian Bishop Eusibius of Nicodemia.

First, catechumens, which Consantine was, were considered Christians. So to say he was unbaptized is correct. To say he was a non-Christian is not correct.

As I understand it, he then banished all Nicene bishops/priests from Rome and brought back the previously banished Arian Bishops/Priests.

Your understanding is not correct. Constantine presided at the Council of Nicea which condemned Arius. He did banish some bishops -- orthodox and Arians alike -- mainly because he was attempting to quell their constant bickering which he did not fully comprehend.

And finally committed his son Constantinus(?) to be a Arian-Christian emperor.

Constantine had three sons, all of whom inherited the empire from him. Two were more orthodox (Constantine II and Constans), one was more Arian (Constantius II).

This era of history is fascinating and complex. I suggest reading the following which, in my opinion, is the best modern biography of Constantine available:

Constantine and the Christian Empire by Charles Odahl.

[Antoninus]

Related, from 2007, story of the finding of Maxentious’ imperial scepter:

Yup, I've seen that. Not 100% certain that it is Maxentius's scepter, but the evidence is interesting!

[teppe]

Thanks, I’ll look into your recommended book.

However, when, Constantine was baptised he did accept it at the hands of a Semi-Arian correct?

Didn’t Constantine also seek to make the Roman Empire Arian (or Semi-Arian) in his latter years?

Thanks

[Antoninus]

However, when, Constantine was baptised he did accept it at the hands of a Semi-Arian correct?

Eusebius of Nicomedia was more than a semi-Arian. He was a defender of Arianism at the Council of Nicaea, though at the end, he signed the orthodox confession. That said, the Church generally accepted the baptism of Arians as valid, and did not demand that Arians who converted to the orthodox belief be rebaptized.

As for Constantine's intentions, it seems to me that his #1 intention was to put an end to the bickering among Christian groups and as a result, it often seemed like he favored one side or the other.