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    You are at:Home»Society»Military»The Day God was Involved in a War
    Military

    The Day God was Involved in a War

    Theodoros IIBy Theodoros IIOctober 27, 2013Updated:June 4, 202079 Comments4 Mins Read
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    A Brief History

    According to Orthodox Christian tradition, on October 27, 312 A.D., the night before the Battle of Milvian Bridge against the Roman Emperor Maxentius, the Emperor Constantine the Great adopted as his motto the Greek phrase “ἐν τούτῳ νίκα” after having a vision of a Christogram in the sky.

    Digging Deeper

    This episode is one of the most unusual and controversial stories in the history of Christianity, and probably the only time the Christian religion was involved so energetically in the military battlefield.  Of course, nothing can be officially proved, and this story is a matter of faith most of all, but the life of Constantine the Great and the story of this incident can be examined a little more closely.

    Map of Constantine’s empire

    Constantine was the emperor who transferred the capital of the Byzantine Empire from Rome to Constantinople, laying the foundation for the transformation of the Empire from a Roman state to a Greek one.  He was the first Christian emperor, the first ruler to adopt the religion that would go on to dominate the entire Byzantine Empire – Orthodox Christianity.  In most Orthodox Christian countries such as Greece, Russia, and Romania, he is considered a saint equal to the twelve Apostles.

    One of the keys to achieving all this was the Battle of the Milvian Bridge against the Roman Emperor Maxentius on 28 October 312 A.D., a victory for Constantine forever linked with his famous vision – a luminous cross in the sky that took the form ☧, from the Greek letters Chi and Rho (X and P), the first two letters of the name “Christ” in Greek.  The Christogram in the sky bore the inscription «᾿Εν Τούτῳ Νίκα» [Latin: In hoc signo vinces; English: In this sign you will conquer].

    Detail from The Vision of the Cross by assistants of Raphael, depicting the vision of the cross and the Greek writing “Ἐν τούτῳ νίκα” in the sky, before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge.

    Over the years, many historians have tried to provide a scientific account of the vision of Constantine, but without any significant success.  According to psychological interpretations of this event, Constantine, while he could not know that the outcome of the battle would determine the future of Europe as a whole, certainly did realize how decisive was the upcoming clash for his Byzantine Empire.  Therefore, many historians try to explain his vision from a psychological point of view, claiming that the vision was nothing more than an illusion caused by his excessive anxiety and stress about the outcome of the battle.  Other historians, appealing to the findings of astronomy, note that the positions of the planets on that day formed an X and a P cruciform alignment.  So, they suggest that the vision Constantine saw that evening was nothing more than an astronomical phenomenon.  Of course, the Orthodox Church, which honors the great Constantine as a saint equal to the Apostles, insists that the vision was a miracle, a divine sign from God.

    Whatever the truth, the historical fact remains that Constantine experienced something significant enough to lead him to a historic decision shocking for its time. To insure the victory foretold in his vision – “In this sign you will conquer,” he had the Roman legions replace the pagan gods on their shields with standards bearing red banners with the Chi (χ)-Rho (ρ) monogram ☧.  This banner, called a labarum, was hung suspended from the crossbar, making it an excellent symbol for the crucified Christ.

    Because it was too difficult and too costly, the coins of the time did not bear the new symbol.  But a new era had begun, and Constantine adopted the monogram as his own, eventually even topping his Byzantine crown with the Christogram whose appearance in the sky led him to victory.

    Question for students (and subscribers): Does Constantine deserve to be known as “the Great”?  Please let us know in the comments section below this article.

    If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!

    Your readership is much appreciated!

    Historical Evidence

    For more information about Constantine and a deeper look at this particular incident, you can read The Life and Times of Constantine the Great by D. G. Kousoulas.

    If you fancy a more religious view of the topic, you should check out Constantine the Great: And the Christian Revolution by G. P. Baker.

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    Theodoros II

      Theodoros II graduated with a degree in Law from the historic University of Athens in Greece, and holds a Master’s in Legal History from the Law University of Pisa, Italy.

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      <span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="438 http://www.crackedhistory.com/?p=438">79 Comments

      1. Avatar
        Ann on October 27, 2013 2:26 am

        Hey, that was a pretty good anecdote.
        I never knew all that stuff about Constantine before.

        Good article.

        ~ Ann

        Reply
      2. Avatar
        Penelope Kara on October 27, 2013 5:59 am

        Nice article and very informative, thank you!

        Reply
      3. Avatar
        Kate Eustace on October 27, 2013 1:22 pm

        Made for interesting reading! Nicely done.

        Reply
      4. Avatar
        Logan Rieck on October 27, 2013 6:18 pm

        I can’t really believe that the Orthodox Church equalizes Constantine with the Apostles themselves, that seems a bit exaggerated.

        Reply
        • Avatar
          Baby Socrates on October 28, 2013 2:19 am

          I am afraid the big majority of them does. You can do your own research if you don’t believe me, but it does. They actually say “If there was no Constantine, there would be no Christianity today”

          Reply
      5. Avatar
        Lia Hart on October 28, 2013 12:28 pm

        Constantine being the first ruler to dominate the Byzantine Empire with the orthodox christianity religion was a great accomplishment. I believe that Constantine deserved to be called “the great” because that is a great accomplishment.

        Reply
      6. Avatar
        BD on October 28, 2013 12:33 pm

        The biggest accomplishment would have to be spreading the religion and expanding the empire. I think he deserves to be called a great just as much as the other guys do because he lead them through a victory and helped on expanding the empire and religions to go with it.

        Reply
      7. Avatar
        Abigail Allison on October 28, 2013 1:50 pm

        The biggest accomplishment is that he expanded the empire and spread Christianity. His influence on the spread of Christianity was great and continues to be celebrated. Modern Christianity would be very different without his influence.

        Reply
      8. Avatar
        Garrett Marino on October 28, 2013 7:40 pm

        Constantine’s biggest achievement by far was his spreading of Christianity. The fact that he is considered a saint equal to the twelve apostles in some countries is enough for me to believe he is deserving of being called “the Great”.

        Reply
      9. Avatar
        Ty Rodgers on October 28, 2013 8:32 pm

        I think Constantine’s greatest achievement was being the first Christian emperor. It is not easy to set a precedent that is remembered for so long. Because of this achievement he does deserve the title “Constantine the Great”

        Reply
      10. Avatar
        krt on October 28, 2013 9:39 pm

        Constantine’s greatest achievement was the fact that he helped spread christianity throughout the bzyantine empire and he was the first emperor to adapt the religion but i dont think this would constitute him being “the great”.

        Reply
      11. Avatar
        Angela Reed on October 28, 2013 11:33 pm

        His greatest accomplishment was the spread of Christianity. It’s still a common religion so many years after his death, that I do believe he deserved his ‘great’ title.

        Reply
      12. Avatar
        Justin D on October 31, 2013 9:20 am

        Good article he was a great ruler I think he did a lot of good in Rome by converting there religion.

        Reply
      13. Avatar
        merl1 on October 31, 2013 12:04 pm

        I think that he just lied.

        Reply
      14. Avatar
        JLS on November 3, 2013 12:38 am

        His greatest accomplishment was converting so many people to Christianity because even today millions of people still practice this religion. I do not think that he really needed to be called “The Great” though. It was probably his ego that landed him that name. After all, how great can someone be who forces people to convert their religion or die?

        Reply
      15. Avatar
        TMK on November 4, 2013 3:43 pm

        TMK
        I don’t know if anyone really deserves the title “The Great”. Especially when you name yourself that. He did spread Christianity which was a good thing, maybe a large ego here!

        Reply
      16. Avatar
        Jake Woolf on November 12, 2013 2:35 pm

        Whether it was calculated insight or just a lucky toss, moving the Capital from Rome to Byzantium would be, in my opinion, his greatest success. Having the seat of Imperial power in a centralized, incredibly defensible location allowed for the empire (and the imperial city itself) to withstand centuries of attacks while also allowing for use of the secret fire (Greek Fire) in siege events (as Constantinople’s location sprawled over a waterway), something that would have been nigh impossible in landlocked Rome. Couple this with having readily identifiable enemies near Byzantium as opposed to the constant political flip-flops of European factions adds to the move’s success.

        Reply
      17. Avatar
        Ashley Arthur on November 15, 2013 10:06 am

        I feel that because Constantine was the first ruler to rule the Emperor Byzantine and because his greatest accomplishment was the spread of Christianity, Constantine should of been know as Great, in my opinion. So many people were converted to Christianity and because of that he is Great.

        Reply
      18. Avatar
        Titus Rice on November 15, 2013 7:43 pm

        First off, to know God, is to know that God would never give
        a sign to go to war (love not war). Constantine knew of the Christian faith
        from his mother who was a secret Christian. That being said, Constantine was
        more than likely a secret Christian himself. Constantine knew by making up a
        story that Joshua Ben Joseph (Jesus) had sent him a sign to win the war, he
        could legalize Christianity.

        I have much respect for Constantine, even though he lied, he
        lied for the greater good to legalize Christianity.

        Reply
      19. Avatar
        Joe Roskos on November 22, 2013 12:42 am

        For the rise of Byzantium (later Constantinople) and taking the major step of recognizing Christianity, yes, Constantine earns the title of Great. However, I think that Byzantium’s rise came at the cost of Rome’s decline as the center of imperial authority. Strategically, it makes sense for Constantine to build up the eastern frontier, for the rise of the Sasanid Dynasty was a greater threat than the barbarians in Europe

        Reply
      20. Avatar
        Vanzetti on November 22, 2013 3:51 pm

        I think Constantine was great, however, he did strengthen the East relative to the West, and he did give legitimacy to Christianity, which Gibbon claims destroyed the empire.

        Reply
      21. Avatar
        Michael Pukay on November 25, 2013 11:47 am

        Constantine should be considered “the Great,” because of the mere fact that he essentially changed the formation of modern Europe. By accepting Christianity, a pathway for expansion would be created.

        Reply
      22. Avatar
        Rf on November 26, 2013 10:36 pm

        I mean come on he had to be great in order to name Jesus’ birthday as the 25th of December and most of the world celebrates his birthday in one way or another….as well as many historical events have taken place on Christmas day like coronations and crownings.

        Reply
      23. Avatar
        Brandon Yurick on December 4, 2013 3:37 pm

        It is so interesting to see how someone from so many years ago was so influential in how the world operates and works today. I wonder if Constantine had any idea that his ideas and decisions would have such long term effects.

        Reply
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      26. Avatar
        Lucy Lin on October 9, 2014 4:07 pm

        Interesting article! Who knew that these kind of things happened to him?!

        Reply
      27. Avatar
        Cody on October 10, 2014 2:45 pm

        Pretty cool to see someone from that time period can influence us still today.

        Reply
      28. Avatar
        Alex Colucy on October 11, 2014 10:49 am

        Crazy how much these things influence us today.

        Reply
      29. Avatar
        LS on October 12, 2014 12:21 pm

        Very cool that someone from such a long time ago still influences us today!

        Reply
      30. Avatar
        DAVID WARDLE on October 13, 2014 6:21 pm

        Whatever he saw… miracle or not… turned out to be a blessing! — DAVID WARDLE

        Reply
      31. Avatar
        Michelle tuck on October 13, 2014 7:18 pm

        It is a shame that Constantine was most likely so anxious and exhausted that he was seeing things, but seems very plausible.

        Reply
      32. Avatar
        Daryl Walsh on October 14, 2014 11:17 am

        I found it interesting that individuals are still trying to figure out Constantine’s vision. Could he have made it up?

        Reply
      33. Avatar
        BM on October 19, 2014 1:59 am

        Because Christianity is such a dominant religion, and being a Christian myself I believe he did a great thing and help people become they are today in a religious matter.

        Reply
      34. Avatar
        LS on December 10, 2014 4:57 pm

        Very interesting and informative!

        Reply
      35. Avatar
        Rachael Petrime on December 11, 2014 11:07 am

        Good article!

        Reply
      36. Avatar
        Lauren Mangan on October 1, 2015 5:21 pm

        This was an interesting article I did not know about the formation in the sky that inspired christianity!

        Reply
      37. Avatar
        Sammi DiGeronimo on October 1, 2015 6:54 pm

        Very interesting! I don’t know why Constantine would make up “the Christogram” so I believe him if that’s what he saw, even if it had to do with his stress about the battle!

        Reply
      38. Avatar
        N Sword on October 2, 2015 2:18 am

        It is interesting that this is such a hotly debated topic within Christianity and among historians. I think even if Constantine did not have his vision, the importance of his actions lied in the fact that with his decision, Christianity could really find its footing and become what it is today.

        Reply
      39. Avatar
        Olivia on October 4, 2015 3:02 pm

        I had never heard this story before and found it interesting. You are always told God will be there in times of trouble, when you need him.

        Reply
      40. Avatar
        Sydney Kotoch on October 4, 2015 8:21 pm

        This article was very informing and well written. I was not aware of all of this going on at that time.

        Reply
      41. Avatar
        Alex Guthrie on October 6, 2015 7:35 pm

        I am guessing this was either an astronomical phenomenon or it was made up (or hallucinated).

        Reply
      42. Avatar
        Alexa V on October 11, 2015 6:42 pm

        I am not sure that I entirely agree with the Orthodox view of the P and X, rather than it was just a cluster of stars, but this is an extremely interesting story about Constantine!

        Reply
      43. Avatar
        KR on November 9, 2015 1:20 am

        I had heard the majority of the story before but never knew about the names of the different banners. It was interesting to learn that putting the symbol on coins was also considered.

        Reply
      44. Avatar
        Matt Chojnacki on November 15, 2015 4:28 pm

        I guess this is one of those historical events that nobody will know if it is really true or not

        Reply
      45. Avatar
        Anthony Jones on November 18, 2015 5:19 pm

        It’s interesting how just a simple sign was enough to lead an army to victory as well as basically convert an entire nation.

        Reply
      46. Avatar
        John Liber on November 20, 2015 10:25 am

        I find it very interesting that Constantine saw something in the sky. But this article also does say that historians have tried to come up with scientific justification and could not do it. So this story does not appeal to me as much as it did before I read that.

        Reply
      47. Avatar
        rhammel on December 1, 2015 10:35 am

        I’ve always heard of Constantine and I know the sign, but I didn’t realize they were together.

        Reply
      48. Avatar
        Madison Ertle on December 6, 2015 4:06 pm

        Religion gives people faith and hope which I believed helped him rally up his men!

        Reply
      49. Avatar
        nate haller on December 16, 2015 10:35 am

        religion gives people faith and hope when there is none to be found. so I wanna believe he did he something in the sky that gave him the courgage to led his men to victory

        Reply
      50. Avatar
        Thomas Robinson on December 16, 2015 3:53 pm

        Science can never just accept that somethings in the world are impossible to fully understand.

        Reply
      51. Avatar
        EP on December 16, 2015 3:54 pm

        I am more inclined to believe the astrological sign version rather than the divine sign version. Either way, it was a big win for Constantine and Christians, so i’m sure the divine sign version makes a better story.

        Reply
      52. Avatar
        Salih Saritoprak on December 16, 2015 5:07 pm

        Plenty of information and an easy read

        Reply
      53. Avatar
        Sadie Aman on December 16, 2015 9:07 pm

        seems like a great sign of hope for those in battle.

        Reply
      54. Avatar
        Wadi on December 17, 2015 3:37 am

        I thought this article was very interesting and an excellent read

        Reply
      55. Avatar
        Dan Hennessey on December 18, 2015 10:43 pm

        I have heard this story multiple times. It is crazy to think how this vision and his subsequent believe of faith lead to the widespread success of Christianity.

        Reply
      56. Avatar
        MMA on March 2, 2016 11:43 am

        I feel like religion is a touchy subject for most people, however I do believe most people believe in sometime of God. With that being said I see people coming together through faith as they already do, but more so to stand up for what they truly believe in. I have never heard this story but found it to be very interesting and am glad I read it .

        Reply
      57. Avatar
        Meg Arrendale on April 1, 2016 8:28 pm

        This was an awesome article! Religion is definitely a touchy subject for a lot of individuals.

        Reply
      58. Avatar
        Sarah Shaheen on April 7, 2016 8:20 am

        I found this article to be very interesting

        Reply
      59. Avatar
        Erin R on April 29, 2016 10:22 am

        Whether God really came to him or not, this got the soldiers through the battle, so I wouldn’t question where it came from.

        Reply
      60. Avatar
        SRP on May 4, 2016 10:08 pm

        I think that it is inspiring to see how the soldiers got through the hard times. No matter if it was God or not they got through it.

        Reply
      61. Avatar
        APG on May 9, 2016 1:14 am

        I personally don’t think that God would choose a side in any battle, but it’s an interesting account of that event.

        Reply
      62. Avatar
        Tevin Knerr on May 9, 2016 5:29 pm

        I believe it was the anxiety and stress , showing allusions, very interesting.

        Reply
      63. Avatar
        Kayla Fox on November 14, 2016 5:38 pm

        I’m surprised I haven’t heard this story, being a Christian myself. Very interesting read.

        Reply
      64. Avatar
        Matthew Goss on November 26, 2016 10:37 am

        Great article. Interesting to see the many influences religion has had on the world.

        Reply
      65. Avatar
        Shane Skuhrovec on November 28, 2016 6:58 pm

        This was a very good story! Being a Catholic, I cannot believe that I never heard of this story before today.

        Reply
      66. Avatar
        LF on December 8, 2016 11:16 am

        Very interesting article.

        Reply
      67. Avatar
        KR on December 12, 2016 1:02 pm

        I have heard this a few times before in different classes , but it was interesting to get more information on how exactly the sign was put on the shields.

        Reply
      68. Avatar
        Matthew Olen on December 15, 2016 3:11 pm

        Odd how often religion and war are mixed. Interesting piece.

        Reply
      69. Avatar
        Bryan Mersol on December 15, 2016 8:40 pm

        I’m optimistic that historians will provide a scientific account of the vision of Constantine

        Reply
      70. Avatar
        Tom Kubrak on December 16, 2016 12:27 pm

        I never understood how you can move a capital. Do you just declare that another city is now the new capital? Also, every viewpoint in the past seems to result in some type of war. I just find that to be interesting how that works out.

        Reply
      71. Avatar
        Aurora Umberger on March 18, 2017 3:06 pm

        Very interesting article!

        Reply
      72. Avatar
        kayla connelly on March 20, 2017 11:28 pm

        pretty interesting artice!

        Reply
      73. Avatar
        Mason Nist on March 21, 2017 8:32 am

        This would be a very hard concept to prove, very interesting thought to say the least.

        Reply
      74. Avatar
        Robert Miller on March 26, 2017 4:53 pm

        Constantine is my favorite Roman Emperor. Deus Vult!

        Reply
      75. Avatar
        shane myers on April 27, 2017 9:10 pm

        Great article

        Reply
      76. Avatar
        Sydney P. on April 30, 2017 3:11 pm

        Very interesting indeed.

        Reply
      77. Avatar
        Heather Layton on May 5, 2017 6:17 pm

        Very cool how he had such strong faith in what he saw.

        Reply
      78. Avatar
        Marynette Holmes on May 9, 2017 10:00 pm

        i remember us talking about this in class! sometimes all one needs is a push and then they can accomplish great things!

        Reply

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