Chapter 29: Constantine the
Triumphant

"Wait," Crocus announced from a distance, "before you
enter Rome, you should have evidence of your enemy's fate." He
turned and extended his arm in the direction of Gallic soldiers
surrounding a lance with the muddied head ofMaxentius upon it.

Constantine said nothing, just nodded in
acknowledgement.

Immediately thereafter Crocus ordered his assassins to
seek out and kill the family of Maxentius, as well as the handful
of people who might have a claim to the empire, due to
Maxentius' death.

"Crocus," Constantine shouted from his gelding. "My
enemies are now few. I do not want a bloodbath to mark my
accession to the empire."

"Understood."

Constantine tugged his reins and departed with the Gallic
soldiers carrying Maxentius' decapitated head.

Crocus gave the order for assassination and his elite
soldiers discretely entered Rome for their deadly purpose.

The surviving enemy soldiers were quickly rounded up. They
were stripped of their weapons and armor as they were forced to
walk in disgrace in front of the triumphant army. Constantine
and his guards were directly behind them as the rest of his army
formed echelons that displayed the grandeur and fierceness of his
unique troops. Word of Constantine's triumph had already
reached Rome and the populace awaited Constantine in the
streets.

The greeting that Diocletian had never received was given
to Constantine as he entered Rome and was bowed to like an
immortal. Flowers were tossed from balconies and roofs as
cheers revived the depressed city which had once been the jewel
of the empire. The enemy soldiers were spat on until they found
refuge in the prisons where they were temporarily placed.

The once popular and powerful body of the Senate awaited
Constantine on the steps of their columned building. Crowds
followed Constantine to the structure and suddenly became silent
as he turned to address the crowd. Senators, aristocrats, soldiers
and lay people held their breath as Constantine inhaled deeply
prior to addressing his audience.

He held open his arms as he said, "People of Rome, I
implore you to respect the Senate and your fellow Romans."

Applause resonated from every comer of the city, so much
so that Constantine couldn't hear himself think. He waved for the
populace to quiet and they eventually did as he commanded.

"The senators will determine the fate of the defeated army.
It will be they who determine fate, and I who provide security to
ensure the prosperity of all of Rome."

Soldiers tossed their helmets and the crowd cheered. The
niche with the Senate was secured and the only thing left was
official recognition of Constantine by the highest legal body in
the land.

The senators held a cloak like a sacred cloth as they
approached Constantine and bowed before him. The moment he
had waited his entire life had finally arrived. They draped the

imperial purple over his shoulders and shouted in unison,
"Behold the Lord Senior Augustus."

The hairs on the back ofConstantine's neck stood on end
as a chill ran down his spine. His heart was filled with joy, and
he felt as though Constantius and Minervina were beside him to
share in his glory.

Applause fell on deaf ears as Constantine contemplated his
next move, now as official emperor. He thought of finding his
mother, but then felt it necessary to first secure his position with
Licinius. Regardless of the many thoughts racing through his
mind, Constantine knew he was just beginning.

A tear streamed down Cassius' face as the long-awaited and
deserved moment had finally arrived for his friend and emperor.
All the hardships Constantine had faced ran through his mind:

Constantine's forced separation from his beloved mother and his
hostage status at the court of Diocletian. His countless
encounters with Galerius, who had robbed him of the imperial
purple and plotted his death time and again. The numerous
battles and the blood that had been spilt to support his emperor
and ensure his status. Cassius thought of the loss of
Constantine's wife and the sacrificed childhood of Crispus, then
of the death ofConstantine's father, whom he had only come to
know in the year prior to his passing. The policies of
persecutions that Constantine was powerless to prevent.

Tear tracks formed as Cassius thought of the adversities that
Constantine had overcome to secure his own destiny. It was a
proud moment for Cassius.

For Constantine and the rest of the empire the hardships had
just begun.