What were emperor Constantine's intentions when he ordered the creation of nova roma?

Answer 1

The Roman sources do not clarify that. The emperor Diocletian had established the tetrarchy (rule by four) with two senior emperors and two junior emperors. Constantine started his political career as a junior emperor. He then become sole emperor by winning two civil wars. He decided to establish his own imperial seat to mark out his sole emperorship. He redeveloped the city of Byzantium and remanded it after himself: Constantinople, which means City of Constantine. Nova Roma was one of the titles the city was given. Other ones were 'The New, Second Rome', 'Eastern Rome',' Alma Roma', and 'Roma Constantinopolitana.'

Even though Roman tradition does not actually say why Constantine wanted to create his own capital, a highly likely reason was Propaganda, which Constantine was very good at. He had even invented a fictitious descent from the family of a previous emperor to give legitimacy to his quest for power. A new capital named after himself would give him further prestige and act as a symbol of the new dawn for the empire his rule would usher in.