Why did Constantine moved the capital to Constantine?

Answer 1

Constantinople was not the capital of the whole empire. It was the capital of the eastern part of the empire. Emperor Diocletian had co-ruled the Empire with co-co-emperor Maximian, the former taking the east the letter the west, to improve the defence of the vast frontiers of the empire. Milan was turned into the capital of the west and Nicomedia (in northwestern Turkey) into the capital of the east. Both were closer to the frontiers than Rome, which became the nominal capital of the whole empire.

Constantine decided to move the capital of the east from Nicomedia because:

-- Nicomedia was where Diocletian had unleashed the Great Christian Persecution. It would be easier to promote Christianity from a new capital and build churches there.

-- Personal glory was an important factor. Constantine had become sole emperor after defeating his rival co-emperors Maxentius and Licinius in civil wars. A new capital helped with his Propaganda that his rule would usher a new dawn. He was good at Propaganda. He even invented an ancestry from an earlier emperor. Constantine made a big deal out of Constantinople. It was given honorary titles such as second Rome, Roma Constantinopolitana, the Eastern Rome, and Alma Roma. .

Constantine considered a number of cities and then chose Constantinople because:

-- Its location was easy to defend.

-- It had seven hills. Constantine could use this to say he modelled the city on Rome, which had seven hills. This helped his propaganda and claim that his city was a new and invigorated Rome.

-- It controlled the passage between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, which was useful for both defence and trade.

-- It had a large harbour which, due to low tides, was always accessible.

-- It was closer to the frontier along the River Danube in Europe than Nicomedia, However, the distance between Constantinople and Nicomedia was only 116 kilometres/73 miles. Constantiople was in the Eurpean side of the straight which divides Euorope from Asia.

Sometimes, it is mentioned that Constantinople had the advantage of being on the Europe-Asia route. However, it has to be noted that nearby Nicomedia was also on this route.