330 CEReputable sourceWell documented
The Founding of Constantinople
On the timeline · around 330 CE ·
What happened
In 330 CE the Roman emperor Constantine the Great dedicated a magnificent new capital on the site of the old Greek city of Byzantium, at the strategic crossing between Europe and Asia. He called it 'New Rome,' but it became known as Constantinople — the city of Constantine. Christian from its foundation, it was built to be the greatest city in the world.
Why it matters
Constantinople would be the capital of the Roman and then Byzantine Empire for over a thousand years — the richest, largest, and best-defended city in Christendom, and the bridge between antiquity and the medieval world.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Constantinople · Reputable source
Related timelines
- Ancient Rome → — The 'New Rome' of the later Roman Empire