7 June 2025

In 306 AD, Constantine’s dad died. He was one of four emperors in the Roman Empire. He had responsibility for the West and, in particular, Britannia. He died in York and Constantine was proclaimed emperor.

This statue of Constantine, which is located on the South side of York Minster, celebrates this. On the bottom of the statue, there is an inscription which reads, ‘By this sign conquer.’

It refers to the battle of the Milvian Bridge in Rome where Constantine was fighting to become the sole emperor. A cross of light appeared in the sky bearing the legend. He won the battle in 312 AD.

The following night, Constantine had a dream in which Christ appeared with the same heavenly sign and told him to make an army standard in the form of the chi-rho, the first two letters of Christ in Greek.

Constantine began to favour Christianity. In 313, he  passed the Edict of Milan which declared tolerance for Christians and other religious bodies. Christians  had been persecuted for almost three hundred years.  

He built churches, declared Sunday to be a day of rest and called all the bishops together in a General Council in 325. They drew up the Nicene Creed which has remained a remarkable measure of orthodox Christian faith for the past 1700 years!.

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