An Analytical Essay: Constantine's Conversion To Christianity

In The life of the Blessed Emperor Constantine, Eusebius of Caesarea interprets Rome’s past, more specifically, Constantine’s conversion to Christianity. Although it is commonly believed that Constantine’s conversion to Christianity was due to his belief in the religion, his “conversion” may have been merely an act, laying the groundwork for the use of religion as a political asset, rather than a faith. Through Eusebius’ retelling of Emperor Constantine, we see the possibility of a more political drive given the context for Constantine’s conversion, his interpretation and use of the religion, and the way he is being portrayed in this retelling. Rome, which Constantine claims was “the head” of the world, was under tyrannous oppression by Emperor Maxentius. Constantine left the task of liberation to others who governed different divisions of the empire, but when none of them provided a means of relief, he took matters into his own hands and prepared himself for the overthrowal of the tyranny. According to
Being a Christian, this text is written with a biased view of Constantine and these events. For example, Eusebius uses harsh diction like “wrath” and “deceived” when describing the consequences of those who believed in many gods (Book I, Chapter XXVII). This makes it seem as if he is trying to make Christianity more favorable, and in doing so, makes it seem more plausible that Constantine, and those after him, converted to Christianity for religious reasons. But with a closer look at the text, we see that Constantine was not seeking religious freedom per se, he was seeking religious power to aid him in overthrowing the tyrant Maxentius; a more political objective than a religious