The Thirteenth Apostle: Constantine the Great

A highly readable account of the life and career of Constantine the Great—one of the most influential Roman Emperors.
The book traces the emperor's political career as well as his religious development from a worshipper of Sol Invictus-Apollo to an avid Christian. It does so against a rich tapestry of the economic realities and intellectual trends of the age. Full of lively quotations—sometimes very moving—from ancient authors [see emperor Maximinus Daza's pean in praise of the pagan gods], inscriptions, imperial edicts that let you hear the voices of the emperors and laudatory speeches, the story debunks many myths concerning the time of the emperor's conversion, the supposed Edict of Milan, and the relationship between the emperor and the early Christian Church; and it traces the roots of Middle Ages feudalism.