former barbarian tribes; many of the emperors
reigned in the field; the savage inmates of the northern forests,
hitherto sternly restrained, now began to gain a footing within the
borders; the Goths plundered Greece; the Persians took Armenia; the day
of the downfall of the great empire was coming, slowly but surely. One
important event during this period, the rebellion of Zenobia and the
ruin of Palmyra, we have told in "Tales of Greece." There are two other
events to be told: the rise of Christianity, and the founding of a new
capital of the empire.

From the date of the death of Christ, the Christian religion made
continual progress in the city and empire of Rome. Despite the contempt
with which its believers were viewed, despite the persecution to which
they were subjected, despite frequent massacres and martyrdoms, their
numbers rapidly increased, and the many superstitions of the empire
gradually gave way before the doctrines of human brotherhood, infinite
love and mercy, and the eternal existence and happiness of those who
believed in Christ and practised virtue. By the time of the accession of
the great emperor Constantine, 306 A.D., the Christians were so numerous
in the army and populace of the empire that they had to be dealt with
more mercifully than of old, and their teachings were no longer confined
to the lowly, but ascended to the level of the throne itself.

The traditional story handed down to us is that Constantine, in his
struggle with Maxentius for the empire of the West, saw in the sky,
above the mid-day sun, a great luminous cross, marked with the words,
"_In hoc signo vinces_" ("In this sign conquer"). The whole army beheld
this amazing object; and during the following night Christ appeared to
the emperor in a vision, and directed him to march against his enemies
under the standard of the cross. Another writer claims that a whole army
of divine warriors were seen descending from the sky, and flying to the
aid of Constantine.

[Illustration: ARCH OF TITUS, ROME.]

It may be said that both these stories, though told by devout authors,
greatly lack probability. But, whatever the cause, Constantine became a
professed Christian, and as such availed himself of the enthusiastic
support of the Christians of his army. By an edict issued at Milan, 313
A.D., he gave civil rights and toleration to the Christians throughout
the empire, and not long afterwards proclaimed Christianity the religion
of the st