Constantine the Great

Constantine the Great lived from 272 to 337, and served as Roman Emperor from 306 to 337. He is famous for permanently legalizing Christianity, presiding over the Council of Nicaea, and building the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. He is also considered to be the founder of the Byzantine Empire (even though this term is applied anachronistically and was not used during the time), as he established Byzantium as his new capital. Byzantium was renamed “Constantinople” and remained the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire (retroactively known as the Byzantine Empire) up until it’s destruction by the Turks.