“Constantine the Great” is remembered not only because of his military conquests as emperor of the Roman Empire, but also because he is sainted by the Orthodox Church. Constantine was born around AD 280 and was son to one of the emperors of the Western Roman Empire. In 306, his father died, so Constantine became king in his father’s place. Soon after, a man named Maxentius declared himself emperor and seized control of Rome. In 312, Constantine and his army marched out to meet his well-equipped adversary. Before the battle, Constantine had a dream, which would change the world forever. In it, there was a cross and a message in the sky that read, “In this sign, you will conquer.” Faithfully, he then had his soldiers paint crosses on their shields. Even though the false emperor’s army was twice the size of Constantine’s, his troops won back the crown. In celebration, a massive memorial to the battle called “The Arch of Constantine” was proudly constructed in Rome’s Forum. In 313, Constantine signed a paper called “The Edict of Milan” which stated that Christians could no longer be persecuted. A crusader for Christ, Constantine is great because he utilized his power to further the Church.