In late October AD 312, the fate of the future of the Roman world was decided near the Pons Milvius, the Milvian Bridge (the modern Ponte Milvio, Italy), crossing the River Tiber some 5 kilometres north of Rome on the via Flaminia. The battle was the culmination of the war between rival Roman emperors, Maxentius and Constantine, to see who would dominate the western Roman Empire. The victory of Constantine at the Milvian Bridge has been presented as a straightforward rout of Maxentius’ numerically superior forces. It has also been presented as a victory of Christianity. Both of these perspectives are flawed; the battle was far more complex than has previously been considered. The Tetrarchy and Its Instability In AD
