Crispus

Lactantius wrote his treatise on the deaths of the persecutors very shortly after the battle of the Milvian Bridge, and it has a special value, therefore, as containing the earliest account of the vision.

The author, who was the tutor of the emperor's son, Crispus, must have known all there was to be known of the incident, for he lived in the closest intimacy with the court circle.

We should confidently expect, therefore, that the author who retains verbatim the conversation of Diocletian and Galerius in the penetralia of the palace of Nicomedia would be fully aware of what took place in full view of Constantine's army.

What, then, is the version of Lactantius? It is that just before the battle of the Milvian Bridge, Constantine was warned in a dream to have the divine sign of the cross, celesti signum, inscribed on the shields of his soldiers before leading them to the attack.

The only foothold left him on the continent of Europe out of all that had previously been included in the eastern half of the empire was the province of Thrace.

At the same time, the two emperors agreed to elevate their sons to the rank of Caesar.

Constantine bestowed the dignity upon Crispus, the son of his first marriage with Minervina.

Crispus was now in the promise of early manhood, and had proved his valor, and had won his spurs in the recent campaign.

An infidel is one who has found a new fact, who has an idea of his own, and who in the mental sky has seen another star.

He is an intellectual capitalist and for that reason excites the envy and hatred of the theological pauper.

End of introduction.

the origin of God and heaven, of the

The more frightful the curses, the more extravagant the promises, the more sacred the books were considered.

All of the gods were cruel and vindictive, unforgiving and relentless, and the devils were substantially the same.

It was also believed that certain things must be accepted as true, no matter whether they were reasonable or not.

That it was pleasing to God to believe a certain creed, especially if it happened to be the creed of the majority.

[Instrumental music plays] It's July 324 CE off the coast of Asia Minor, now known as Turkey.

Wind whips through the air as Flavius Julius Crispus grips the rail of his ship.

Waves thump against the hull, but there's no turning back.

Crispus knows that he must ignore the risk of capsizing and advance into the choppy waters if he is to have any chance at victory over the enemy.

The Roman Empire has slipped into civil war, with rival leaders vying for power.

Crispus fights for his father, Constantine, and today he's facing the navy of Constantine's adversary, Licinius.

Crispus must break through if his father is going to conquer Licinius's stronghold in the eastern provinces.

But as Crispus pushes his ship on, an enemy vessel suddenly emerges through the spray.