Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Sunday, 28 October 2012

Battle of the Milvian Bridge


Today is the 1700th anniversary of the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, one of the key events in the process whereby the Emperor Constantine the Great between 306 and 324 became master of the Roman Empire and established the Peace of the Church. As a result of his defeat of his rival Emperor Maxentius, and the latter's death in the battle, Constantine secured control of Rome and the Western Empire. The next year was to see the issue of the Edict of Milan which granted toleration to Christianity.

There is an illustrated account, with appropriate links, of the background and preliminaries - not least Constantine's vision of the Chi -Rho and the message In Hoc Signo Vinces - which can be read online here. An online illustrated biography of Constantine I can be read here and one of Maxentius here.  


Bust of Constantine the Great.
It is part of the remains of a statue of the Emperor from the Capitol in Rome

Image: famousdeadmormons.com

The blog Rorate Caeli marks this important  anniversary with a quotation from Eusebius Bk IX about the battle which can be read at  1700 years of the Battle of the Milvian Bridge.

Posted by at
Labels: , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)