On the evening of this day 1,696 years ago, as he prepared for a battle which would ultimately determine the fate of the Roman Empire, Constantine had a vision. According to the historian Eusebius, Constantine had earlier been marching with his army when he looked up to the sun and saw a cross of light above it and the words, “In this sign you shall conquer.” Then, on the night before the Battle of Milvian Bridge, Christ appeared to him in a dream.
On the day of the battle, Constantine fought under the protection of the Christian God. The Milvian Bridge provided access across the Tiber River into Rome, and the army of Maxentius arrayed themselves in front of the bridge to prevent access by Constantine’s forces. Constantine’s army prevailed, and the narrow bridge restricted the retreat of Maxentius’s army. Maxentius himself drowned in the river while attempting to escape.
Constantine entered Rome on 28 October in the year 312AD, becoming the undisputed leader of the western half of the Roman Empire. After various further battles, Constantine became the sole leader of the entire Roman Empire in 324AD. He is well known as the first Christian emperor, but the earliest historical documents are divided as to how much like a follower of Jesus he actually behaved. He was certainly a great military leader.