abstract
| - Flavius Valerius Constantinus (Constantine) inherited the empire on the death of Heracleitus in 314. Since a grand ceremony had been held for the people of Rome earlier that year, his popularity was high when the titles passed to him. This situation was a blessing for the emperor, maintaining his authority even though he was the first princeps civitatis granted powers in absentia. Rome would experience great change during his short reign. While he was not inept at statecraft, Constantine was most comfortable and capable at the head of his legions, living among the soldiers in their forts and camps. Indeed, his first years as emperor would be spent on campaign rather than in Rome. Upon his return, Constantine would run his regime as he ran his armies: centralizing authority but decentralizing control over how to exercise that power. This broad class of policies has become famous in studies of Roman political history and compares well with the ideas of Augustus and Sulla in their reforms of provincial administration. As a leader, Constantine had benefited from the tutelage of some of the greatest military minds of the time, Georgius of Lydda and Lucius Calpurnius Piso Saxonicus. These men and their ideals were persistent influences throughout his life, even after the former was dishonored for sacrilege toward the state religion.
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