Battle of Milvian Bridge and Constantine the Great's vision

On October 28, 312, the Battle of the Milvian Bridge took place near Rome between the Roman emperors Constantine I and Maxentius. According to historical accounts by Eusebius of Caesarea and Lactantius, Constantine experienced a celestial vision prior to the conflict.

During his march toward Rome, Constantine reportedly saw a luminous cross in the sky above the sun, accompanied by the Greek words ‘En toutō nika’ or the Latin ‘In hoc signo vinces’, meaning ‘Under this sign you shall conquer’. Accounts suggest that Christ appeared to him in a dream the following night, instructing him to use the sign on his soldiers' banners as a protective symbol.

Constantine emerged victorious from the battle, while Maxentius drowned in the Tiber River. This event marked the end of the Tetrarchy, established Constantine as the sole ruler of the Roman Empire, and served as a pivotal moment in his conversion to Christianity.