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Why was Constantine I called "the Great"?

Roman emperor Constantine I (c. 275–337) is credited with beginning a new era in history. During a battle near Rome in 312, Constantine, who was one of the few Roman emperors to be sympathetic toward Christians, attributed his military success to his Christian faith. For the next twelve years, he ruled the Western Roman Empire while Licinius (?–325) ruled the Eastern Roman Empire. After a struggle between the two emperors ended in Licinius's death, Constantine ruled a united Roman Empire as sole emperor. During his reign, Constantine legalized Christianity (the religion founded by Jesus of Nazareth, also called the Christ). Previous rulers had outlawed the religion and harshly persecuted its adherents. In fact, due to Constantine's pro-Christian stance, the religion grew rapidly. As well as spending vast sums of money on building new churches, over the years Constantine...

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