Parents, place and time
He was the son of a brilliant Roman general named Constans Chlorus and his mother, Saint Helena. He was born around the year 280 AD. His headquarter is not clearly defined. There are those who say that it is in Tarsus or Naesus, near the Dardanelles, or Athens or York in the English country, or elsewhere there. It seems that he grew up on the battlefields and learned from his father not only the art of war, but also the wisdom of ruling those subject to him and being compassionate toward Christians. What is reported from his father is that when he was governor of the English countries and Gaul (France), he received instructions to attack the Christians.
As for him, he did not sentence a single person to death because he was a Christian, even though he himself was not a Christian. The rulers subject to him, who attacked some Christians on their own, were soon stopped by a number of them. If a number of his officers and servants were Christians, he gave them a choice between sacrificing to idols and losing their jobs and favor with him. Some of them chose their interests over their faith and sacrificed. From that moment on, he despised them and exempted them from his service because he said that those who prefer their own interests and betray their God cannot remain faithful to Him. Accordingly, he kept those who held on to their faith and Christ. These, and no others, he trusted himself and his rule. Ambassadors also came from Emperor Theoculsian accusing him of saying that his state treasury was empty and that he did not care about public money. He gave them some time, then spread the news among his friends and the people that he needed to borrow sums of money to return to them after a few days. Immediately his house was filled with gold, silver, and precious gems. When he sent for the ambassadors, they were astonished, so he asked them to bear witness to what they had seen, and that the love and wealth of the people for the prince was the best treasure. It was also reported that Constans, Constantine's father, had great compassion for the poor Christians. There are those who say that before he took his last breath, he believed in one God.
هذا عن أبيه، أما عن أمه هيلانة فالأقوال عن نشأتها عديدة لعل أبرزها أنها الابنة الوحيدة ل”كول” الملك الإنجليزي الذي إليه يُعزى بناء أسوار مدينة كولشستر وتجميلها. منه، كما قيل، استعارت هذه المدينة أسمها. وهي الزوجة الأولى لقسطانس كلور وقسطنطين هو ابنها البكر. ويبدو من أفسافيوس القيصري صاحب “تاريخ الكنيسة”، أنها لم تصر مسيحية إلا بعد أن حقق قسطنطين، ابنها النصرة العجائبية على أعدائه. ويبدو انه سلكت في الكمال المسيحي بجد كبير، لا سيما في التقوى وعمل الإحسان. وروفيينوس المؤرخ يقول عن إيمانها وغيرتها المقدسة أنهما لا مثيل لهما. كذلك أكد القديس غريغوريوس الكبير، في القرن السادس الميلادي، أنها أشعلت النار عينها التي اشتعلت فيها، وذلك في قلوب الروم. كانت تتناسى قدرها كإمبراطورة فتبادر إلى مؤازرة الكنائس وتسلك بين الناس بلباس عادي متواضع. صارت أماً للمحتاجين والمضنوكين. بنت الكنائس وأغنتها بالزينة والآنية الثمينة.
Under the care of these two virtuous parents, Constantine grew up with noble qualities, noble conduct, generosity in dealing with others, fairness in justice, and compassion for those in need. He was ready to forgive those who were prejudiced against him after he broke their burden, unless they went too far. These advantages, in addition to his compassion for Christians, were characteristic of him before he knew Christ, and when he knew him, they took from him and increased.
Constantine spent most of his life in Nicomedia, the eastern capital of the Roman Empire, as a prisoner. The reason for this is that Emperor Diocletian appointed his father, Constans Chlorus, as Caesar in the West, over Britain, Gaul, and Spain. In order to ensure his safety, he kept his son Constantine - perhaps as was the custom at that time - as an honorable prisoner in Nicomedia, but under supervision. Constantine's youth was spent in a pagan environment in the palace of Diocletian and then Galerius after him.
Some of its advantages:
قالوا عنه إنه كان مهيباً، صنديداً في المعارك. أخلاقه القويمة وجودته حببا به كل الذين عرفوه. وقد سما على سيرة المؤامرات والخسّة المعتادة في قصور الملوك. لكن مزاياه الطيبة حركت المحاسد، لا سيما غاليريوس قيصر الذي خشي جانبه وود لو يتمكن من التخلص منه بطريقة “بطولية” نظيفة. لذا كثيراً ما كان يُقحمه في معارك خطرة. لكن بتدبير الله، كان كل مرة يخرج منتصراً ويسمو رفعة في عيون الناس.
Time of conflicts:
Finally, Constantine was able to evade Galerius's restrictions on him, and quickly turned to the West. His father was about to die. But he was assigned the throne of power in the West, and the military declared him emperor on July 25, 306 AD. As a result, his father died in York, and Constantine entered into a conflict with the emperors and Caesars who were ambitious to rule both the East and the West. The most important of these conflicts was his confrontation with Maxentius, who took over from his father Maximian in Rome, and who was an oppressor and an insolent man. The people of Rome sought refuge from Constantine, whose capital at that time was French Arles. He climbed the Alps and easily invaded the cities of Italy from the north, and continued his march until he reached the outskirts of Rome, where Maxentius gathered forces that outnumbered Constantine.
وقيل إن قسطنطين صعد إلى مكان عال وعاين أعداءه وعرف تفوقهم فارتبك. فإذا بصليب هائل يظهر في السماء عند الظهيرة، قوامه نجوم وحوله استبانت الكلمات التالية باللغة اليونانية: “بهذه العلامة تغلب”. ثم في الليلة التالية ظهر له الرب يسوع بنفسه وأوصاه بإعداد صليب ماثل للصليب الذي عاينه في الرؤيا وأن يرفعه بمثابة راية على راس جيشه. إذ ذاك تلألأت علامة الغلبة من جديد في السماء. فآمن قسطنطين من كل قلبه أن يسوع المسيح هو الإله الأوحد، خالق السماء والأرض، الذي يعطي النصرة للملوك ويرشد الكل إلى النهاية التي سبق فرآها من قبل كون العالم.
وهكذا ما أن طلع النهار حتى شرع قسطنطين في إعداد صليب كبير من الفضة وأعطى الأمر أن يُضع على رأس العسكر عوض النسور الملكية. وكعلامة للنصرة على الموت ونصباً للخلود. مذ ذاك أخذ قسطنطين يتعلم المسيحية وينكب باجتهاد على قراءة الكتب المقدسة. فلما دارت رُحى المعركة المصيرية عند جسر ملفيوس، المعروف اليوم ب”Ponte Mole” على بعد ميلين من رومية، في 28 تشرين الأول سنة 312م، حقق قسطنطين بنعمة الله وقوة الصليب، نصراً كاسحاً وغرق مكسنتيوس وضباطه في نهر التير.
دخل قسطنطين رومية دخولاً مظفراً فحيته الجموع بمثابة محرر ومنقذ ومحسن. وقد رفع راية الصليب فوق النُصب الرئيسية في المدينة، كما أقيم تمثال للإمبراطور حاملاً في يده الصليب بدل الرمح، علامة نصرة وشعار سلطان اقتبله من المسيح. وعند قاعدة التمثال جُعلت هذه الكتابة: “بهذه العلامة الخلاصية التي هي علامة الشجاعة الحق، أنقذت مدينتكم من نير الطاغي وأعدت للمشيخة وشعب رومية مجده السالف.
Constantine returned to the Christians all the property that Maxentius had previously confiscated from them. He also returned the exiles and freed the prisoners. He instructed the search for the remains of the martyrs who fell during the great persecution. Christians, after this victory, and after long-term humiliation and persecution, were able to emerge from the shadows and enjoy the protection of the ruler. Months later, Constantine met Emperor Licinius, Emperor of the East, in Milan (313 AD). The two signed a decree that put an end to the persecution of Christians and allowed them to practice their faith freely throughout the empire. What was stated in that decree:
“إذ أدركنا منذ زمن بعيد، أن الحرية الدينية يجب أن لا يُحرم منها أحد، بل يجب أن يُترك لحكم كل فرد ورغبته أن يتمم واجباته الدينية وفق اختياره، أصدرنا الأوامر بان كل إنسان من المسيحيين وغيرهم، يجب أن يحتفظ بعقيدته وديانته.. لذلك قررنا بقصد سليم مستقيم، أن لا يُحرم أحد من الحرية لاختيار واتباع ديانة المسيحيين، وأن تعطى الحرية لكل واحد لاعتناق الديانة التي يراها ملائمة لنفسه، لكي يُظهر لنا الله في كل شيء لطفه المعهود وعنايته المعتادة.
وعلاوة على ذلك نأمر من جهة أماكن المسيحيين الذين اعتادوا الاجتماع فيها سابقاً … إذا ظهر أن أحداً اشتراها إما من خزانتنا أو من أي شخص أخر وجب ردّها لهؤلاء المسيحيين من دون إبطاء ولا تردد، ومن دون مطالبتهم بتعويض. وإن كان أحد قد قبل تلك الأماكن كهبة وجب ردّها لهم بأسرع ما يمكن…
ولكي يعرف الجميع تفاصيل أوامرنا الرحيمة هذه نرجو أن تنشروا رسالتنا في كل مكان وتعلنوها للجميع…”
Saint Constantine, for his part, not only granted freedom of worship to Christians, but also began to promote Christianity. Granting the church cash assistance to build new churches and decorate the shrines of martyrs. He also returned to the confessors what had previously been confiscated from them. He gave the property of the martyrs who had no heirs to the church. He also restored the respect of the bishops, received them to his table, and supported the local councils to bring about peace and agreement.
But, while the light of truth began to shine in this way, in the West the darkness of paganism and abuse intensified over the Church in the East. Maximius of Daya was one of the fiercest persecutors of Christians. In the context of the struggle for power, he rose up against Licinius, and the latter defeated him and declared himself the undisputed master of the empire in the East. Licinius, who had previously concluded an agreement with Saint Constantine, quickly turned against him. So the persecution of Christians raged again. What he aimed for was to get rid of Constantine so that he would be the sole emperor of the entire empire. Christians, Constantine's allies and courtesans, must therefore be strangled. For this reason, Licinius imposed restrictions on the bishops in the East, closed the churches, exiled the Christians who came into his hands, confiscated their property, and brutally punished all those who dared to extend a helping hand to those arrested. It was also obligatory for senior officials to offer sacrifices to idols. Corruption, injustice and violence in all areas of administration.
When Constantine heard of the changing conditions in the East and the arbitrary measures facing Christians, he gathered a strong army under the banner of the Holy Cross and headed towards the East, defeating Licinius first in Adrianopolis and then in Chrysopolis once and for all. That was on September 18, 324 AD.
Peace of East and West:
In this way, the nightmare was lifted from the shoulders of the Church in the East as well, just as it had previously lifted from Christians in the West. In a decree issued by Constantine and broadcast throughout the empire, he declared that God alone should be considered the author of his victories and that he was chosen by divine providence to be at the service of goodness and truth. He appointed new rulers over the provinces, forbade them from offering pagan sacrifices, and sent to all regions subject to his authority evidence of his accusation of paganism and his incitement to conversion to Christ. He urged all his followers to follow suit, but without forcing anyone to do so.
new city:
This Christian empire, whose rule lasted a thousand years and more, was befitting a new capital that was more compatible, geographically speaking, than Rome and free from memories of paganism and abuse. As Constantine received, as was reported, a divine sign, he chose a small city - at that time - called Byzantine, which occupied a pivotal position between the East and the West. He instructed Ophrata, his chief engineer, to spare no effort or money to equip the city with all the monuments and public roads that he wanted to surpass in grandeur and glory all other cities in the world.
During the laying of the foundation stone for the new city on November 8, 324 AD, it was given the name Constantinople, New Rome, and was later dedicated to the Mother of God. In the center of the royal palace rose a massive cross decorated with precious stones. In the square, a statue of Constantine was placed on top of a porphyry marble column in which sacred remains were claimed. At the foot of the column were also placed the baskets that were said to have been used in the miracle of multiplying bread. The work went very quickly. On the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of Constantine’s accession to power, that is, on August 11, 330 AD, he celebrated with great pomp the inauguration of the new capital.
Council of Nicaea:
After Constantine achieved his victory over Licinus, his first concern was to restore and consolidate the unity of the Church, after it had been threatened by the heresy of Arius, the Egyptian priest. To achieve this goal, he sent, through Hosius, Bishop of Cordoba, letters to Alexandros of Alexandria and Arius in which he expressed his pain over the ongoing division. Then he invited all the bishops of the world to Nicaea for the first holy ecumenical council, in the year 325 AD. This meeting, the first of its kind, which brought bishops from around the world, was a complete expression of the fullness of the Church and the unity of the Christian empire. The Emperor sat in the midst of the bishops, studded with jewels. He opened the sessions by thanking God for this meeting and urging the participants to make peace and resolve the differences that Satan had sown in the house of God. He also participated in the deliberations, and succeeded, with his gentleness and poise, in reconciling the dissenters. Then the council condemned Arius and his followers. It was also decided to celebrate the glorious Easter wherever, on one date, it serves as a sign of the unity of faith. After the sessions were concluded, Constantine invited the holy fathers, on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of his reign, to a great banquet, after which he presented them with generous gifts and returned them safely to their diocese.
Emperor of Christ:
The following year, 326 AD, Empress Helena was baptized. Then she made a pilgrimage to Palestine. After Saint Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem, explained the condition of the holy places and the wood of the cross, which Emperor Adrian covered in 126 AD under dust and rubbish. Constantine ordered the construction of a luxurious basilica (small church) in the place, which he named the Church of the Resurrection. It was inaugurated in the year 337 AD, on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of his accession to power.
In addition, Saint Helena visited other holy places and built churches in Bethlehem and the Mount of Olives. It was also reported that she released the prisoners and squandered the good deeds throughout the East. After she completed her quest, she fell asleep in the Lord at the age of eighty. Her burial ceremony took place in Constantinople and her body was later transferred to Rome, where her sarcophagus is seen today in the Vatican Museum.
From what was said about Saint Helena, she was gentle, good-natured, gentle, and friendly to all groups of people, especially to those who were in a position of church service. To these people, as the historian Rufinus said, she showed such respect that she would sometimes serve them herself while they were at the table, as if she were one of the female slaves. They put down the dishes, pour the drink, and grab the bowl of water to wash their hands. It was said that she built a monastery for the holy virgins in Jerusalem. She also beautified the city of Drepanum in Bithynia, in honor of Saint Lucius, so much so that Saint Constantine the King later named the city after his mother (Helenoplis).
وبالعودة إلى الكلام على قسطنطين الملك نقول إنه بنعمة الله، نجح بحكمة أستمدها من فوق في إشاعة السلام وتوفير الأمن على الحدود حتى أن من سُمّوا “برابرة” حوّلوا سيوفهم إلى أدوات زراعية. وهكذا انصرف رجل الله إلى تثبيت اساسات الإمبراطورية المسيحية ومؤسساتها. وقد شجع بكل الوسائل المتاحة، انتشار المسيحية، كما حوّل في العمق، القوانين الرومانية بحيث أخضعها لروح الرأفة الإنجيلية. ومنذ أن ارتقى سدة العرش، رسم أن يكون يوم الأحد عطلة في كل الإمبراطورية. كما أزال عقوبة الموت صلباً ومنع ألعاب المصارعة وعاقب بشدة على الاغتصاب وقلة الحشمة. بعد ذلك شجع مؤسسة العائلة كأساس للبناء الاجتماعي مُحدّاً من الطلاق ومُديناً للزنى وسن قوانين جديدة بشأن حقوق الإرث. كما ألغى القوانين التي كانت سائدة في حق الذين لا يتركون عقباً مشجعاً بذلك على الرهبانية التي عرفت في أيامه انطلاقة مهمة، وأفرز للعذارى المكرّسات هبات سخية. هؤلاء كان يحترمهن احتراماً كبيراً. وعندما انتقلت الإدارة إلى القسطنطينية سنة 330م، منع قسطنطين الاحتفال بالأعياد الوثنية وحال دون وصول الوثنيين إلى سدة المسؤولية في الدولة.
He was also generous with his distribution to everyone in need, to Christians and non-Christians alike, supporting widows and offering himself as a father to orphans. He also cared about protecting the poor from blackmail by the powerful, and favored the prosperity of his people, reducing the annual tax by a quarter. He also reconsidered the estimation of property values in order to redistribute the financial burdens.
Personal features:
كان قسطنطين هادئاً، ساكناً، سيّداً على الأهواء التي تضني المقتدرين بعامة. على القطع النقدية ظهر واقفاً ونظره إلى السماء كما ليؤكد بذلك، أن على الحاكم أن يكون رجل صلاة، وسيط سلام واتفاق في مُلكه. في قصره، كما قيل، أفرز صالة كان يعتزل فيها ليصلي ويتأمل في الكتاب المقدس. كما كان يمضي لياليه أحيانا، في كتابة الأحاديث التي كان يحثّ الشعب فيها على محبة الحقيقة والفضيلة. وإذ علم ذات يوم أن أحدا ألقى حجراً على رسم يمثله وطُلب منه أن يكون عقابه للجاني صارماً، مرر يده على وجهه وابتسم قائلاً: “لست أُحسن بأي جرح في وجهي وأنا بصحة جيدة”. ثم ترك المتهم يذهب في سبيله. كل من كان يدنو منه ملتمساً خدمة مباركة كان واثقاً من حصوله عليها. في ذلك الحين كما عبّر العديد من الآباء القديسين، كان بالإمكان القول أن الله كان هو الحاكم بالفعل بين الناس.
His baptism and ascension:
بعد أن احتفل قسطنطين بتبوئه الثلاثين للعرش بقليل سنة 337م، حمل شابور الثاني، ملك الفرس على المسيحيين في مملكته. ثم إذ تنكر لتحالفه مع قسطنطين اجتاح أرمينيا. لذلك أعد الإمبراطور التقي جيشاً قوياً وخرج بنفسه للدفاع عن المسيحيين. لكنه مرض في هيلينوبوليس ونُقل على وجه السرعة إلى ضواحي نيقوميذية حيث جرت عمادته. المعمودية في ذلك الزمان، كان المؤمنون يؤجلونها إلى سن متقدمة، وقليلاً إلى ما قبل رقادهم توقيراً منهم لسر المعمودية وظناً أن المؤمن بعد أن يعتمد لا يجوز له أن يخطئ وإلا لا تكون له مغفرة بعد. وفاته كانت يوم العنصرة المجيدة من العام 337م. كان لا يزال يلبس الأبيض نظير المعتمدين حديثاً. ثمة صلاة تُنسب غليه قبل وفاته جاء فيها: “ألان عرفت أني مغبوط حقاً. ألان عرفت أنى صرت مستحقاً للحياة الأبدية. ألان عرفت أنى اشترك في النور الإلهي”.
Upon his death, the body of Saint Constantine, the Equivalent of the Apostles, was transferred to Constantinople, where prayers were held over him in a large popular presence. Then it was deposited in the Church of Saints Apostles, amid the empty stone shrines of the Twelve Apostles.
سيرة القديسين مأخوذة من كتاب سيرة القديسين”السنكسار” الجزء الثالث
Troparia in the eighth tune
O Lord, when Constantine, who is your messenger among the kings, witnessed the drawing of your cross in the sky with his own eyes and like Paul before the call, he was not a human being, and he entrusted the royal city into your hand, so save it in safety at all times, through the intercessions of the Mother of God, O Lover of humanity alone.
Qandaq with the third tune
Today, Constantine, along with his mother Helena, show us the cross, the most venerable symbol, which is a disgrace to all the Jews, and a weapon for the faithful kings against the enemies, because it appeared for us as a great and terrible sign in wars.