Constantine the Great

c. 272–337 · Roman emperor (lay Christian) · Rome; Constantinople

Flavius Valerius Constantinus (c. 272–337), emperor from 306 and sole ruler from 324, ended the persecution of Christians and convened the Council of Nicaea. The Oration to the Assembly of the Saints, preserved by Eusebius as an appendix to the Life of Constantine, presents itself as a Good Friday address by the emperor; its authenticity has been debated, but it is now generally accepted as substantially his.