Battle of Milvian Bridge
The Battle of Milvian Bridge, fought on October 28, 312 CE, was a pivotal conflict during the tumultuous period of Roman history marked by power struggles among competing emperors. At this time, Constantine the Great, who ruled over Britain, Gaul, and Spain, sought to confront Maxentius, the usurper of Italy and Africa. Despite commanding a smaller force of approximately 40,000 troops, Constantine's strategic acumen and a significant divine vision inspired him to confront Maxentius's larger army of around 100,000 near Rome.
As the battle unfolded at the Milvian Bridge, Constantine's forces achieved a decisive victory, leading to Maxentius's drowning in the Tiber River. This victory was not only a military triumph but also a significant turning point for Christianity in the Roman Empire. Believing that his success was aided by divine intervention, Constantine became a patron of the Christian faith, promoting it throughout his reign. The Battle of Milvian Bridge thus stands as a crucial moment in both Roman and Christian history, marking the beginning of a new era of religious tolerance and the eventual establishment of Christianity as a major influence within the empire.
Battle of Milvian Bridge
Related civilization: Imperial Rome.
Also known as: Pons Mulvius (Latin).
Date: October 28, 312 c.e.
Locale: North of Rome on a plain above the Milvian Bridge
Background
Between 306 and 312 c.e., the tetrarchic system of cooperating emperors failed as the successors of Diocletian (r. 284-305 c.e.) competed among themselves for domination of the Roman Empire. Constantine the Great (r. 306-337 c.e.) received power as the legitimate emperor over Britain, Gaul, and Spain, and Maxentius (306-312 c.e.) usurped rule in Italy and Africa. After a temporary alliance between them broke down, they went to war in early 312 c.e.
Action
Constantine marched with fewer than 40,000 troops from Gaul to challenge Maxentius, who had 100,000 troops in Italy. After winning several hard battles in the north of the peninsula, Constantine crossed through the Apennines to face Maxentius near Rome. Worried that his enemy had larger forces and that earlier emperors has failed to dislodge him from the capital, Constantine appealed to the Deus Summus (“highest god”) for help in his time of trial. A vision of a cross of light above the Sun and a dream of Christ carrying Christian symbols inspired Constantine to put the cross and Christogram on his military standards and shields. Jeered by the Roman populace and cheered by a Sibylline oracle, Maxentius left the safety of Rome to fight Constantine on a plain above the Tiber River next to the Milvian Bridge (MIHL-vee-uhn; Pons Mulvius in ancient Latin, Ponte Milvio in modern Italian) on October 28, 312 c.e. Several charges by Constantine and his cavalry won the battle and drove the enemy forces into the river, where the usurper drowned.
Consequences
Constantine believed that the Christian deity had expelled his enemy from the capital and that Christian signs had empowered his army to gain the victory. Therefore, he spent the remaining twenty-five years of his reign patronizing the Catholic Church and promoting the Christian religion in the Roman Empire.
Bibliography
Barnes, T. D. Athanasius and Constantius: Theology and Politics in the Constantinian Empire. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1993.
Odahl, Charles M. Constantine and the Christian Empire. London: Routledge, 2001.