Episodi

  • Constantine's Coinage: Propaganda in Bronze and Silver — Fexingo History

    Constantine's Coinage: Propaganda in Bronze and Silver — Fexingo History
    Apr 26 2026
    Episode 7 of Constantine the Great turns to a silent but powerful witness to his reign: coinage. From the chaotic Tetrarchy to the unified empire under one emperor, Constantine used coins not just as currency but as a mass medium for propaganda. We examine the shift from the Tetrarchic iconography of shared rule to Constantine's solo portraits, the introduction of Christian symbols like the Chi-Rho on coins after 312 CE, and the controversial depiction of Sol Invictus alongside Christian imagery. The episode also covers the gold solidus, which stabilized the Roman economy for centuries, and the famous 'VRBS ROMA' and 'CONSTANTINOPOLIS' issues that advertised his new capital. Coins from Lugdunum, Ticinum, and Nicomedia reveal mint-by-mint variations in religious messaging. We explore how Constantine balanced pagan and Christian imagery for different audiences, and how numismatic evidence challenges the idea of a sudden, wholesale conversion. Featuring insights from numismatists like Andreas Alföldi and Patrick Bruun, this episode shows how small, everyday objects shaped the emperor's legacy.

    #ConstantineTheGreat #RomanCoinage #Numismatics #SolInvictus #ChiRho #Solidus #LateRomanEmpire #Tetrarchy #Propaganda #ChristianSymbols #AncientCurrency #MintMarks #Lugdunum #Ticinum #Nicomedia #VRBSROMA #Constantinopolis #History #RomanEmpire #LateAntiquity

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    5 min
  • Constantine's Pagan Afterlife: The Emperor Nobody Remembers — Fexingo History

    Constantine's Pagan Afterlife: The Emperor Nobody Remembers — Fexingo History
    Apr 26 2026
    We all know Constantine as the first Christian emperor, but what happened to his legacy in the centuries that followed? In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Constantine was remembered—and forgotten—in the Christian East and the pagan West. They look at the curious case of the 'Donation of Constantine,' a forged document that granted the papacy vast temporal power, and the Byzantine tradition that turned Constantine into a saint. They also discuss the forgotten pagan resistance to his reign, including the emperor Julian's attempt to undo Constantine's Christianization. Along the way, they touch on Eusebius of Caesarea's biography, the later legend of Constantine's leprosy, and the strange medieval cult that venerated him alongside his mother Helena. This is a story about how history rewrites its heroes—and how even the most famous emperors can be reinvented after death.

    #Constantine #LateAntiquity #Forgery #DonationOfConstantine #Paganism #JulianTheApostate #Eusebius #Byzantine #Medieval #History #FexingoHistory #RomanEmpire #Christianity #Helena #LeprosyLegend #Silvester #Propaganda #Legacy #ConstantineTheGreat #ChiRho

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    4 min
  • Constantine's Mausoleum: The Church of the Holy Apostles — Fexingo History

    Constantine's Mausoleum: The Church of the Holy Apostles — Fexingo History
    Apr 25 2026
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore one of Constantine the Great's most ambitious and mysterious building projects: the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople. Completed around 337 AD, it was designed as both a grand church and Constantine's own mausoleum, with his sarcophagus at the center, surrounded by cenotaphs of the twelve apostles. Lucas explains how Constantine saw himself as the 'Thirteenth Apostle' — a title later controversial among orthodox Christians. They discuss the architectural innovations, including a central dome and cruciform plan that influenced later Byzantine churches, and the relic of the True Cross kept there by his mother Helena. The conversation also covers the fate of the church after Constantine: the shifting of his relics under Constantius II, the emperor Julian's brief pagan revival, and the eventual destruction of the church in 1461 after the Ottoman conquest. Luna probes the political and theological motivations behind Constantine's self-identification with the apostles, and what this reveals about his Christian vision. The episode ends with reflections on how Constantine's burial site became a pilgrimage destination and a symbol of his unique blend of imperial power and Christian devotion.

    #ConstantineTheGreat #ChurchOfTheHolyApostles #Constantinople #Apostle #Mausoleum #ByzantineArchitecture #Cruciform #Helena #TrueCross #JulianTheApostate #ConstantiusII #FourthCentury #RomanEmpire #ChristianHistory #Relics #Sarcophagus #ThirteenthApostle #FexingoHistory #LateAntiquity #ChiRho

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    5 min
  • The Death of Constantine and the Empire's Aftermath — Fexingo History

    The Death of Constantine and the Empire's Aftermath — Fexingo History
    Apr 25 2026
    Constantine the Great died in 337 AD, leaving behind a transformed Roman Empire. But what happened next? This episode explores the emperor's final days, his baptism by Eusebius of Nicomedia, and the bloody succession crisis that followed. Learn how Constantine's sons — Constantine II, Constans, and Constantius II — carved up the empire and immediately turned on each other, culminating in the massacre of most of their male relatives. We also examine the survival of Julian, the future emperor who would earn the nickname 'the Apostate' for attempting to reverse Constantine's Christian revolution. Discover how the seeds of division sown in Constantine's reign would shape the empire for generations to come.

    #Constantine #RomanEmpire #Constantinople #DeathOfConstantine #Eusebius #ConstantiusII #JulianApostate #Succession #FourthCentury #LateAntiquity #Christianity #RomanHistory #ImperialSuccession #Massacre #Baptism #Arianism #History #FexingoHistory #ConstantineTheGreat #ChiRho

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    8 min
  • Constantine's New Rome: Building Constantinople — Fexingo History

    Constantine's New Rome: Building Constantinople — Fexingo History
    Apr 24 2026
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Constantine's audacious project to build a new imperial capital on the site of ancient Byzantium. They trace the strategic reasons behind choosing the Greek city on the Bosporus, the massive construction effort that transformed it into Constantinople, and the ways Constantine deliberately wove Christian and pagan elements into the city's fabric. Lucas describes the defensive walls, the imperial palace, the hippodrome, and the Church of the Holy Apostles, where Constantine planned his own tomb. They discuss the spoliation of pagan temples across the empire to adorn the new capital, the population transfer that filled the city with artisans and aristocrats, and the food dole that kept the populace loyal. The conversation also touches on the paradox of Constantine's vision: a Christian city built with the spoils of pagan shrines, dedicated to the Virgin Mary yet still home to temples of Tyche and Rhea. Finally, they consider how Constantinople outlasted the western empire and became the center of Byzantine civilization for over a millennium.

    #ConstantineTheGreat #Constantinople #Byzantium #ByzantineEmpire #NewRome #LateRomanEmpire #ChurchOfTheHolyApostles #Hippodrome #Bosporus #RomanArchitecture #ChristianHistory #UrbanPlanning #Spolia #330AD #FourthCentury #RomanEmpire #History #FexingoHistory #LateAntiquity #ChiRho

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    11 min
  • Constantine's Christian Empire: From Persecution to Power — Fexingo History

    Constantine's Christian Empire: From Persecution to Power — Fexingo History
    Apr 24 2026
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the seismic shift in Christianity's status under Constantine—from a persecuted sect to a state-sanctioned faith. They discuss the Edict of Milan (313 AD), which granted tolerance, and the Council of Nicaea (325 AD), where Constantine presided over bishops to resolve the Arian controversy. The conversation delves into Constantine's role in church politics, the construction of grand basilicas like Old St. Peter's, and the blending of imperial and Christian symbolism. They touch on the Donatist schism, the development of the canon, and the lingering tensions between orthodoxy and heresy. Lucas explains how Constantine's patronage transformed Christian worship, architecture, and doctrine, setting precedents for centuries to come. The episode also examines the limits of Constantine's conversion—his delayed baptism, continued veneration of Sol Invictus, and the ruthless pragmatism behind his policies. A nuanced portrait emerges of an emperor who both served and reshaped the church.

    #Constantine #Christianity #EdictOfMilan #CouncilOfNicaea #ArianControversy #DonatistSchism #OldStPeters #SolInvictus #RomanEmpire #LateAntiquity #ChurchHistory #Byzantium #Nicaea325 #EmperorConstantine #Orthodoxy #Heresy #History #FexingoHistory #ConstantineTheGreat #ChiRho

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    8 min
  • Constantine and the Vision That Changed History — Fexingo History

    Constantine and the Vision That Changed History — Fexingo History
    Apr 23 2026
    Step into the year 312 CE, on the eve of the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, where the Roman emperor Constantine reported a vision of a cross of light and the words 'In this sign, conquer.' In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the pivotal moment that set Christianity on a path from persecuted sect to imperial religion. They examine Constantine's background—born in Naissus (modern-day Serbia) to a soldier and an innkeeper's daughter—and the political chaos of the Tetrarchy, when six men claimed the purple. They discuss the Chi-Rho symbol, the Edict of Milan of 313, and the legendary story of his mother Helena discovering the True Cross. The conversation also touches on the contested nature of Constantine's conversion, from Eusebius's account to modern scholarly skepticism. Future episodes will delve into the Council of Nicaea, the foundation of Constantinople, and the blending of Roman and Christian iconography that reshaped the ancient world.

    #Constantine #MilvianBridge #ChiRho #EdictOfMilan #Helena #TrueCross #RomanEmpire #Tetrarchy #Eusebius #Lactantius #312CE #Christianity #LateAntiquity #RomanHistory #Emperor #Conversion #FexingoHistory #History #ConstantineTheGreat #CouncilOfNicaea

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    8 min