Constantine the Great and St. Helena

Constantine I, (Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus), surnamed “the Great” the first Christian emperor of Rome, was born in Naisaus, Upper Moesia (now Serbia) between 274-280 A.D. He was the son of Constantius I and Flavia Helena.

In 312 A.D., on the eve of the battle of the Melvian Bridge,near Rome, Constantine is said to have had the vision to which he attributed his conversion to Christianity. According to the historian, Eusebius, Constantine beheld a fiery cross in the heavens beneath which was written in Greek, “By this sign, thou shalt conquer”. According to Lactantius, however, Constantine had a dream telling him to place the Greek monogram representing Christ (a combination of letter X and P) upon the shields of his soldiers. Whatever the inspiration for the legend, the fact remains that on the following day, Constantine was victorious and as a symbol of victory, he adopted the monogram for his labarum (imperial standard). In 313 A.D., Constantine published the Edict of Milan,granting freedom of religion in the Empire and establishing Sunday as a day of worship. Starting that same year,and for ten years, Constantine governed the Empire together with his brother -in -law, Licinius, but in 323 A.D.,however,Constantine attacked Licinius,allegedly because of the latter’s persecution of the Christians. Licinius was put to death. Constantine became the sole emperor of Eastern and Western Europe and his reign was largely a period of peace.

Constantine’s reign marks a turning point in European history, for he is in a large measure responsible for the fact that Christianity became the dominant religion in the western world. He encouraged the growth of the Christian Church and took an active interest in its development. He convened the Council of Nicaea to formulate Christian doctrine and personally directed much of its work. He consolidated the Roman Empire and his decrees were based on the moral tenets of Christianity.

Seven years after the death of Helena, Constantine died at the age of 57. he died in Achyrona, a suburb of Nicomedea, on May 21,337 A.D. while preparing for a war against the Persians. He was baptized on his deathbed.

St. Helena (250-330)_mother of Constantine. Constantius abandoned her , but Constantine remained loyal to her. When Constantius died in 306, Constantine who succeeded him,summoned Helena to the imperial court,conferred on her the title of Augusta and had coins minted which bore her effigy. After the victory of Constantine in 312, Helena followed her son’s example and became converted to Christianity.Her influence and piety did much to spread the faith,and she built many churches in the West. In spite of her advanced age,she then traveled to Palestine and founded churches near the place of the nativity of Jesus at Bethlehem and on the Mount of the Ascension near Jerusalem. These activities gave rise to the tradition that she discovered the true Cross buried under the hill of Calvary. She was also widely revered for her munificent gifts to the individuals and communities alike.

In 327, Constantine decreed that his mother’s birthplace, Drepanum, be called Helenapolis, and it was about this time that Helena returned from Palestine to join her son who was then living in the eastern part of the empire. She died about 330 A D. at the age of 80 years old and was buried in the imperial vault of the Church of the Apostles at Constantinople (Istanbul). Her remains were presumably transferred to the Abby of Hauterilliers, near Rheims in 849. From the moment of her death, she was venerated as a saint, and devotion to her spread to the western parts Her feast day falls on August 18.

The life of Constantine the Great and St. Helena shows to us the example of how a child treasures and honors the person called MOTHER.

References: One World : Old and New _by Teodoro Agoncillo : and _ Colliers Encyclopedia