Constantine I, the Great (307 - 337CE)

Constantine I, the Great (25 July 307 - 22 May 337CE). Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus Augustus, also known as Saint Constantine, was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. In 313, he and his co-emperor, Licinius, issued the Edict of Milan which proclaimed religious tolerance. He was the greatest military leader of his time defeating his rivals in civil wars and fought successfully against others adding territory to the empire. He built an imperial residence in Byzantium, renaming it New Rome. This city, later known as Constantinople in his honor, became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) for over a 1000 years. During his reign, numerous monetary changes took place, among which was the standardization of coinage with the introduction of new denominations.