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All the United Kingdom England York 'Constantine the Great'

'Constantine the Great'

This sculpture marks the spot where one of the greatest Roman rulers was proclaimed emperor.

York, England

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Fred Cherrygarden
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“Constantine by this sign conquer.”   Smabs Sputzer
Constantine the Great.   Son of Groucho
A detail of the sculpture.   Paul Simpson
The statue of Constantine I, 2011.   Alexander Edward
York Minster and Constantine the Great, 2007.   Jonty Martin
Broken sword.   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  Razer / Atlas Obscura User
Ancient Roman Column   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
“Where Cesear is, there is Rome.”   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Broken sword.   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
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In 306, the Roman Emperor Constantius Chlorus died while campaigning against the Picts beyond Hadrian's Wall. He was succeeded by his son, Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus, known more commonly as Constantine I or Constantine the Great. He was declared emperor in Eboracum, capital of the province of Britannia Secunda, known today as York. Most of the Empire's provinces accepted his rule.

The reign of Constantine I proved to be significant in Roman history. He achieved victories in civil wars against Maxentius and Licinius, became the sole ruler of the reunified Roman Empire, and succeeded in campaigns against enemy tribes such as the Goths, Franks, Alamanni, and the Sarmatians.

The first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, Constantine established a new imperial capital in Byzantium (Istanbul) and renamed it Constantinople, providing the basis for the later Byzantine Empire as well as, indirectly, the Ottomans. The solidus, a new gold coin that he introduced to solve inflation, became the standard for later Western currencies. 

Today, a bronze statue of Constantine I sits outside York Minster, near the spot where he was proclaimed Augustus. Designed by the sculptor Philip Jackson in 1998, it depicts the Roman emperor in military dress holding the pommel of a sword. On its base is a legend that reads "Constantine by this sign conquer," a translation of the Latin phrase in hoc signe vinces. In 2016, the sword was stolen and thrown away into a drain. A few months after its disappearance, it was restored by York Civic Trust, at a cost of roughly £783.

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Statues Sculptures Roman Empire

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Fred Cherrygarden

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SEANETTA, rbenn250, Razer

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  • Razer

Published

April 28, 2020

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  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Constantine_the_Great,_York
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Constantine_the_Great,_York
'Constantine the Great'
6 Minster Yard
York, England, YO1 7HL
United Kingdom
53.961837, -1.081742
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