Chapter 28: The Battle of
Milvian Bridge

"Bishops! Christians," Constantine frantically called out in
the middle of the night.

The Christians from his entourage came to his aid as he
requested. They were puzzled at the expression on his face. He
appeared like a man humbled and not as an emperor.

The bishop Ossius was brave enough to question him.
"What is it?"

"For the second time, he appeared to me in a dream."

"Who?"

"Christ!"

The Christians gazed at one another in awe.

"What happened? Did he say anything?"

"He said, 'Conquer through this,' and a second sign came
from the sky similar to yesterday's." Constantine took a stick and
drew it on the soil. It was a large "A"' with a "P" in the middle.

"Ah, the first two letters of his name, XPIZTOZ," said
Ossius. He and the others made the sign of the cross and prayed
humbly for their holy master.

"Summon the finest goldsmiths from these parts and bring
them to me at once. Take my best horses and some of my
soldiers for protection, if it seems necessary."

They did as was asked, leaving Ossius alone with
Constantine. "The Lord God has appealed to you."

"Am I correct in my actions?"

"Yes. He has chosen you emperor, to change the world for
salvation."

Jewelers were the first to arrive. Along with them was one
goldsmith, but Constantine rushed them to begin the divine
work, regardless. By daybreak, a mass of goldsmiths had arrived
to participate in the construction of the sign that was to be on the
soldier's shields and standards. Especially careful attention was
given to the standards. The jewelers placed precious stones
around the sign and created a gold wreath above it on the top of
the pole. On the crossbars was a square banner with the sign
outlining Constantine's portrait.

The Gallic troops were handed their shields decorated with
the sign and ordered by Constantine not to so much as face the
shields in their direction, so that the divine power vested in them
did not take their lives. Crocus entrusted Constantine with his
decision and requested a name for the sign that accompanied his
emperor's portrait. Constantine had no name, so it was left to
Crocus to answer the question of his troops.

"The Labarum," he said, raising his shield in the air. His
troops cheered and repeated the word.

The rays of light crept over the hills to the camp where the
shadow of a messenger could be seen approaching at a full
gallop. Strapped to his back was an object wrapped in the hide of
a lamb. The sentries permitted his passage and he rode directly to
Constantine, who was overseeing the construction of the

standards. The messenger leaped off his horse and bowed before
the emperor.

"Permission to speak."

"Permission granted."

"The empress Fausta sends you an important package."

Constantine looked at him uncomfortably.

"She says it comes from the forbidden chest in your
bedchamber." With eyes on the ground he handed Constantine
the package using both hands.

"Have the troops give you rations. Dismissed."

He jerked his hand over his left pectoral to salute before
walking away.

Constantine unwrapped the lambskin on the ground. The
centuries old spear looked familiar. Into his mind came
memories of massacre. In his head echoed the words, "7« Christo
Morimur"

Constantine took it in his hands and the world seemed to
stand still. It was an object that had beheld the mysteries of the
past centuries. It had once been thrust into the side of Jesus
Christ, who had appeared to him in a dream. To Constantine, the
Lance was more than just an omen, but represented God's will
that he should be triumphant over the enemy and turn the entire
empire Christian. He rose holding the lance and heard none of
the clatter as he walked to his horse. He pointed the lance in the
direction of Rome.

"The enemy of God approaches!" The army prepared for
battle with all haste. Constantine placed his helmet on his head
with the Labarum painted on it and organized his troops for
battle. Standards were carried in procession like modem day altar
boys in a Christian Orthodox Church.

Orders were sent to troops who had been concealed on the
Via Cassia. Constantine and his well-rested men descended the
main road to Saxa Rubra (Red Rocks), where they met enemy
resistance roughly eight miles northeast of Rome. In the
meantime, his scouts discretely crossed the broken, hilly ground
that lay between the two roads.

The engagement was swift, carried out by the feared
Praetorian Guard. Several divisions hit Constantine's troops and
withdrew. The tactical retreat worked, drawing Constantine and
his army toward specially built forts and trenches. Maxentius'
strategy had gone according to his plan. The troops reported their
reconnaissance to Maxentius, as was the strategy for the initial
attack. What they didn't know was that half of Constantine's
troops were descending the road west of their position.

Constantine's second army outflanked the retreating
soldiers at the fork in the road. Maxentius himself was involved
in the engagement that claimed the lives of many of his soldiers.
The bulk of Maxentius' troops fled south to the spot where
Constantine was to be drawn, while the Praetorian Guard
courageously resisted Constantine's army.

Constantine and his men were at the heels of their enemy.
Countless enemy soldiers crossed a carefully constructed bridge
that floated on top of boats in the river, since Maxentius had
destroyed all the bridges days earlier. Maxentius' engineers had
anticipated a speedy response to the initial attack and had built a
tower as well as barricades to allow ample time for their army to
cross over to the other side while defending against the enemy.

At the Milvian Bridge, the battle ensued. Enemy units
supporting the Praetorian Guard crumbled and fled. Maxentius
attempted to control the retreat that turned into one of mass
hysteria. Enemy soldiers crowded the improvised bridge to a
point double its usual capacity. It rocked to and fro and some of
the boats broke from under them. Thousands retreated onto the
bridge as arrows hit their target and sent the panic to another
level. Hundreds of soldiers fell over the railings with their
horses. One of the soldiers was Maxentius, who drowned in the
river, because of his weighted armor. Panic had become his
worst enemy and killed him in the end.

The fight resumed without their emphatic leader
Maxentius, whose corpse floated downstream along with the
others. The speed of Constantine's army determined the defeat of
his rival's army, as Gallic cavalry and Moorish archers hit their

marks. The enemy soon after surrendered and the bridge was
seized.