On the 27th October 312 AD the battle of Milvian Bridge was fought near Rome. The two men contending for control of Rome and the Empire were Constantine, who controlled Gaul, England and parts of Germany and Maxentius, who controlled Italy, Spain and Africa.
It happens the two were brothers in law.
The day before the monumental and pivotal battle, Constantine saw a flaming cross in the sky, taking I as an omen, he had his men put a cross on their shields and banners.
Full of strength at what their commander had seen, Constantine’s men won the battle. Maxentius drowned crossing a bridge over the Tiber.
Rome would soon be unified under one ruler (only Licentius remained in Constantine’s way.)
Constantine would spend the ret of his reign Christianising his subjects.
He converted on his deathbed, becoming the first Christian Emperor, in 337 AD.
Henry VIII died today in 1547
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Henry VIII of England died today, the 28th January, in 1547. He is probably one of history’s most infamous monarchs and he was only narrowly king as he succeeded his brother Arthur, who died aged 15.
His reign was long, at 35 years and he is most notorious for his six wifes( a fact known to all schoolchildren) and for his breaking from his beloved Catholic Church. He inherited much wealth from his mean father, but squandered it all on magnificent building projects, very few of which survive today. He lived in a time of great men: the king of France was Francis I and Spain’s was Charles V.The three were rivals for power and the others’ attentions. He was a very fit man as a youth, enjoying many sports, including jousting. It is possible jousting wounds brought on complications which may have brought on health problems, some mental, leading to his massive weight gain in later years.
He was a tyrant and had many men executed for civil unrest.
His legacy was at least a hundred years of religious unrest and foreign wars, only made worse by his siblings differing religious beliefs. Despite a few military victories, a minor one against France the other against Scotland, I do not believe he brought much to his Kingdom and is one of my least favourite monarchs. He is buried in Windsor and was succeeded by his nine year old son, Edward. -
@wittmann:
He was a tyrant and had many men executed for civil unrest.
He’d make any Cardassian proud!
Don’t forget his legacy in the Tudors! While not a very historically accurate show, the girls were hot! Especially Ann Boleyn (Natalie Dormer).
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I am not a Star Trek fan(forgive me!).
I did watch and enjoy The Tudors series.On Henry: I cannot remember the number of nobles and high Clergy members, but when I saw them written down in list form on a big board in London in 2009, commemorating the 500th anniversary of his birth, I was astonished.
He was a bastard! -
Thanks for yet another interesting kernel of history!
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