Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire: Constantine

The story of how Emperor Constantine brought Christianity to the western world is one of war, love, treachery and murder. In AD 312, Rome was in crisis. The empire had been divided into four parts, each with its own emperor. Like rats in a sack, they fought one another until Constantine intervened. He united Rome, using military might and a new religion - Christianity. Constantine is an enigma and his legacy is, perhaps, the greatest of any Roman emperor. The western world is Christian because of him. He even gave us the Nicene creed - but he was also murderous and cruel. It explores how his adoption of Christianity put him on a collision course with the forces of tradition, leading to a savage civil war. It also shows how he ultimately used Christianity to unite people across the empire - but also how Christianity used him to establish itself. Part 5 of 6.