the established religion of the empire. Henceforth the
protection of the Christian religion became one of the cherished objects
of his soul, and although his life was stained by superstitions and many
acts of cruelty and wickedness, Constantine stands out in history as the
first Christian emperor. For this chiefly he is famous, and a favorite
with ecclesiastical writers. The edict of Milan is an era in the world's
progress. But he was also a great sovereign, and a great general.

(M1135) The harmony between so ambitious a man and Licinius was not of
long duration. Rival interests and different sympathies soon led to the
breaking out of hostilities, and Licinius was defeated in two great
battles, and resigned to Constantine all his European possessions, except
Thrace. The nine successive years were spent by Licinius in slothful and
vicious pleasures, while Constantine devoted his energies to the
suppression of barbarians, and the enactment of important laws. He
repulsed the Gothic and Sarmatian hordes, who had again crossed the
Danube, and pursued them into Dacia; nor did the Goths secure peace until
they had furnished forty thousand recruits to the Roman armies. This
recruiting of the imperial armies from the barbarians was one of the most
melancholy signs of decaying strength, and indicated approaching ruin.

(M1136) In the year 323 a new civil war broke out between Constantine and
Licinius. The aged and slothful Eastern emperor roused himself to a grand
effort and marshalled an army of one hundred and fifty thousand foot and
fifteen thousand horse on the plains of Hadrianople, while his fleet of
three hundred and fifty triremes commanded the Hellespont. Constantine
collected an army of one hundred and twenty thousand men at Thessalonica,
and advanced to attack his foe, intrenched in a strong position. The
battle was decided in favor of Constantine, who slew thirty-four thousand
of his enemies, and took the fortified camp of Licinius, who fled to
Byzantium, July, A.D. 323.

(M1137) The fleet of Licinius still remained, and with his superior naval
force he might have baffled his rival. But fortune, or valor, again
decided in favor of the Western emperor, and after a fight of two days the
admiral of Licinius retired to Byzantium. The siege of this city was now
pressed with valor by Constantine, and Licinius fled with his treasures to
Chalcedon, and succeeded in raising another army of fifty thousand men.
These raw levi