Constantine and the Christian Turn

313 CE — Roman Empire, Rome

Today: The Roman Empire (new capital at Constantinople, modern Istanbul)

Constantine, the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, legalized the once-persecuted faith, championed it, and moved his capital east to a new city he named after himself — Constantinople. In a few decades a hunted sect became the empire's favored religion, on its way to becoming its official one.

Worth knowing: Constantine claimed he won a decisive battle after seeing a cross in the sky reading 'by this, conquer' — then made a Christian symbol his army's banner and moved the empire's center to the city we now call Istanbul.

Pattern: Ideological movement — A belief system rises, spreads, institutionalizes, and then schisms — changing the rules people accept as legitimate.

Entry 83 of 240 in Precedent, a walk through the whole human story in order.