Flavius Valerius Constantinus was the son Constantius I and Helena. He was born in Naissus in Moesia Superior (modern Serbia) on 27 February 271/2/3, and would have been about 20 when his father was given the rank of Caesar (junior emperor) under the first Tetrarchy. Constantine claimed descent from Claudius II Gothicus, though there seems to be no actual family connection. This claim may have resulted from the Battle of Naissus, where Claudius' army defeated and killed some 50,000 Goths. The leader of the victors, Claudius, would have been remembered by the locals and was perhaps later claimed as an ancestor of some families as a status symbol.

Constantine first served in the military under Diocletian and Galerius. Later he was assisting his father in the campaign in Britain against the Picts. When Constantius died at York on 25 July 306 the legions immediately declared his son as Augustus, even though this went against the Tetrarchy system of succession. To avoid civil wars, the senior Augustus Galerius granted Constantine the rank of Caesar. The following year Constantine joins the revolt against the eastern rulers and takes the rank of Augustus again. It is at this time that he puts aside his mistress Minervina (mother of his son Crispus) and married Maximianus' daughter Fausta, who later bore him three sons. In disgust at this breakdown of the Tetrarchy system, Diocletian chaired the Conference of Carnuntum in 308 to help reestablish order. Constantine is again reduced to the rank of Caesar, but is elevated again by 310. This same year Maximianus stages a revolt against Constantine, but is quickly captured and executed.

In 312 Maxentius, who had been a rebel holding portions of the western Empire, and Constantine met in battle outside of Rome. The Battle of Milvian bridge is regarded as a turning point in European history. The night before the battle Constantine is commanded in a dream to put the sign of Christ on his soldier's shields, and saw the words "Hoc Signo Victor Eris" (By this sign you shall conquer.) Constantine declared his victory to be due to the power of the Christian God and ostensibly dedicated himself to the Christian faith. In 313 Constantine and his imperial collegue in the east, Licinius, met and agreed upon a common religious policy. Licinius and Constantine later released the Edict of Milan, granting tolerance to Christians. Prior to this Constantine seems to have especially favored Sol Invictus, whose cult was very popular within the military. He also has some coins especially dedicated to Mars.

After a series of Battles, in 324 Constantine defeated Licinius and became the sole master of the Roman Empire, with his two oldest sons (Crispus and Constantine II) as Caesars. In 326 Constantine had the popular Crispus executed, though the reasons are not entirely clear. Some stories tell that Constantine had heard rumors that Crispus was plotting treason against him. This same year Constantine had his wife Fausta killed by boiling her to death. These same stories claim that she had been spreading the rumors about Crispus, in order that her own sons would gain preference.

Many laws were passed enforcing the toleration of Christianity and even giving preference to Christianity in some cases. For example, a law of 318 gives Christian bishops precedence over civil courts - any rulings could be appealed to a bishop, or cases transferred to them if one of the parties involved wished. Another law in 333 instructed state officials to enforce decisions of bishops, and that a bishop's testimony in court was to be taken as the final word. Another law forbade senators, state officials, and high officials in the pagan priesthoods to marry or have as concubines any women of lower rank. This is ironic, sonsidering he was the result of such a union - his father was high military officer, and his mother a concubine. A law forbade pagans to convert to Judaism, though they could convert to Christianity. He also forbade pagans to perform sacrifices in their homes, a traditional custom. He gave the Christians among his soldiers a day of rest on Sunday, and forced all soldiers (Christian and pagan alike) to recite a monotheistic prayer. Most of these laws were passed after the defeat of Licinius, which gave him a free hand in how to rule.

In 325 Constantine summoned a council of bishops to his palace at Nicaea to resolve the Arian controversy. This council condemmed the teachings of Arius, and their doctrine about the Holy Trinity became known as Nicene Christianity, the proto-Roman Catholic religion. This established the emperor as the arbitrator of church disputes, but it also established the precedent of using state power to exile, and later execute, divisive elements in the church. Constantine gave some government duties to the Christian hierarchy, better serving the welfare of subjects.

During the Tetrarchy period the 4 emperors had ruled from different seats of power, all away from Rome. In 324 Constantine began rebuilding the ancient Greek city of Byzantium, renaming it Constantinople. This became his new capital, with very few traditional Roman or Greek religious elements - it was to be the new seat of the Christian Roman Empire. This laid the foundations of the Byzantine Empire, which would last another thousand years.

When Constantine entered his final illness he had himself baptised in the Christian faith, apparently by the Arian bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia. He died in May 337. Constantine had given offices to his sons and to other male relatives, and all three sons were declared Caesars, along with a nephew. Another nephew had been declared king of Pontus. After Constantine's death there was a purge of his family, with almost all male relatives killed except his three sons, who carried on his rule by dividing the Empire between themselves. Per Constantine's orders he was buried surrounded by memorials of the 12 apostles, thereby inferring his position as the 13th apostle.

The reign of Constantine saw the gradual phasing out of traditional "pagan" Roman types, with the last appearing in the early 320's. Most of the coins focused on the emperor, though Christian symbols such as the cross or the Chi-Rho made rare appearances as field marks. The "Eyes to God" type (see below) is sometimes claimed as a Christian reference, but has precedent among Seleukid issues. With Constantine being based in the east, he might well have seen and admired these types.

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