Constantine was the first Christian Roman emperor. It is said that the night before a battle, he had a dream in which a cross appeared in the sky, and a voice proclaimed ‘Under this sign you will win’. So, he converted to Christianity and his rule saw many changes in the Roman Empire.
Constantine lived in the Eastern Empire, and chose Byzantium as his capital, which he renamed Constantinople. Byzantium was located in a perfect position to trade with the east and the west. Rather than send traded goods onto to Rome, Constantine kept most of the goods in his own half of the empire. Moreover, he built Constantinople with the money that he got from Rome. As a result, the western side of the empire became less and less important to the Eastern Roman Empire with its capital in Constantinople. Constantine’s conversion to Christianity also increased the Christian influence among the Romans.