Why read Constantine the Emperor?

Book cover of Constantine the Emperor

Book description

No Roman emperor had a greater impact on the modern world than did Constantine. The reason is not simply that he converted to Christianity, but that he did so in a way that brought his subjects along after him. Indeed, this major new biography argues that Constantine's conversion is but…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Constantine the Emperor as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Phillip Barlag

Author

Constantine has come to be synonymous with the conversion of Rome to Christianity, and in the popular imagination the image often goes no further. I certainly always linked the man with this outcome in my mind. But he was so much more. He was ambitious to the point of revolutionary. He was ruthless to the point of megalomaniacal. He both stabilized the Empire and contributed to the factors that led to its fall. This book helped me understand the whole figure of Constantine, contradictions and all.

From Phillip's list on The best books to challenge your thinking about the Titans of Roman history.