1. Battle of the Milvian Bridge

1-1 Maxentius checked his soldier's gear meticulously and put on a scarlet cape. He thought that it would be important for him, as the commander-in-chief, to show bravery in order to boost the morale of his soldiers.   At the arena were elite troops representing 170 thousand ones, roman citizens, and roman senators. So it was bustling. He began to slowly make a speech. The result of the final combat with Constantine was considered to determine whether they all could survive.    "Death with Constantine!  Peace with Rome!" Maxentius finished the speech with the promise that, for the sake of the stability and peace of the Empire, he would bring the head of Constantine. "May victory be with the emperor! Freedom with Rome!"  Just went wild the whole people in the arena.  The advance guard of Maxentius got out of the arena and came into the center of a square.   Where is Constantine right now? This was what Maxentius, the commander-in-chief, asked Cato, the commander of the guard, raising one hand straight up toward cheering his Roman citizens. Cato was always reliable. Maxentius thought that he had nothing to be afraid of as long as Cato with unsurpassed resourcefulness and years of experience was next to him.  "Constantine has been coming down to the south since he took Verona over." Cato wanted to forget about the battle at Verona. Pompeianus, the commander of defense forces, was his best friend from childhood. He was a competent and faithful general not only to soldiers but also to all citizens.   Cato sighed, 'He just died in vain......!'  "Did you say that the number of enemy was 90 thousand?" Cato couldn't hear what Maxentius just asked, even though they were leading at the front close enough to touch each other. The words from the emperor was just buried with the enthusiastic cheer from people around.  "Did you ask me the number of enemies?"  Cato asked back loudly. "I did. So how many?" Maxentius asked again.  "Yes, Your Highness! There are about 40 thousand infantrymen."   "40 thousand? Then where are the others? The whole number of troops of Constantine is 90 thousand, isn't it?  "The number is 40 thousand this time."  "40 thousand......" Muttering to himself, the emperor asked again.  "what about the cavalry?" "Around 8 thousand, Your Highness." The ardent farewell cheer of Roman citizens continued all the way. Cato turned his head heavily to the citizens and looked around. ‘The commander-in-chief has no idea. Even the number of enemy!’ Cato bitterly looked up to the empty sky to shake off an ominous hunch.   The total number of military power that Constantine owned was 90 thousand infantrymen and 8 thousand cavalry. It was just half as big, given that Maxentius had 170 thousand infantrymen and 18 cavalry. However, his troops were made up of brave and loyal soldiers who had spent 7 years all along in battles.   His troops had fought against the Germanic warriors that would plunder  ceaselessly across the Rhine, and developed their fighting power under the wonderful command of Constantine, the commander-in-chief.  Yet, Constantine couldn't bring all this time because he had to leave part of them for protecting his people from the intrusion of the German. He selected 40 thousand infantrymen out of 90 and organized an elite unit with 8 cavalry in order to conquer Rome, the capital of the Empire. It was just a quarter of Maxentius' military force, but 48 thousand warriors with overwhelming fighting strength were heading toward Rome in the south after crossing the Alps. For Constantine, they were best of the best soldiers, like a part of himself.   1-2 Maxentius checked his soldier's gear meticulously and put on a scarlet cape. He thought that it would be important for him, as the commander-in-chief, to show bravery in order to boost the morale of his soldiers.   At the arena were elite troops representing 170 thousand ones, roman citizens, and roman senators. So it was bustling. He began to slowly make a speech. The result of the final combat with Constantine was considered to determine whether they all could survive.    "Death with Constantine!  Peace with Rome!" Maxentius finished the speech with the promise that, for the sake of the stability and peace of the Empire, he would bring the head of Constantine. "May victory be with the emperor! Freedom with Rome!"  Just went wild the whole people in the arena.  The advance guard of Maxentius got out of the arena and came into the center of a square.   Where is Constantine right now? This was what Maxentius, the commander-in-chief, asked Cato, the commander of the guard, raising one hand straight up toward cheering his Roman citizens. Cato was always reliable. Maxentius thought that he had nothing to be afraid of as long as Cato with unsurpassed resourcefulness and years of experience was next to him.  "Constantine has been coming down to the south since he took Verona over." Cato wanted to forget about the battle at Verona. Pompeianus, the commander of defense forces, was his best friend from childhood. He was a competent and faithful general not only to soldiers but also to all citizens.   Cato sighed, 'He just died in vain......!'  "Did you say that the number of enemy was 90 thousand?" Cato couldn't hear what Maxentius just asked, even though they were leading at the front close enough to touch each other. The words from the emperor was just buried with the enthusiastic cheer from people around.  "Did you ask me the number of enemies?"  Cato asked back loudly. "I did. So how many?" Maxentius asked again.  "Yes, Your Highness! There are about 40 thousand infantrymen."   "40 thousand? Then where are the others? The whole number of troops of Constantine is 90 thousand, isn't it?  "The number is 40 thousand this time."  "40 thousand......" Muttering to himself, the emperor asked again.  "what about the cavalry?" "Around 8 thousand, Your Highness." The ardent farewell cheer of Roman citizens continued all the way. Cato turned his head heavily to the citizens and looked around. ‘The commander-in-chief has no idea. Even the number of enemy!’ Cato bitterly looked up to the empty sky to shake off an ominous hunch.   The total number of military power that Constantine owned was 90 thousand infantrymen and 8 thousand cavalry. It was just half as big, given that Maxentius had 170 thousand infantrymen and 18 cavalry. However, his troops were made up of brave and loyal soldiers who had spent 7 years all along in battles.   His troops had fought against the Germanic warriors that would plunder  ceaselessly across the Rhine, and developed their fighting power under the wonderful command of Constantine, the commander-in-chief.  Yet, Constantine couldn't bring all this time because he had to leave part of them for protecting his people from the intrusion of the German. He selected 40 thousand infantrymen out of 90 and organized an elite unit with 8 cavalry in order to conquer Rome, the capital of the Empire. It was just a quarter of Maxentius' military force, but 48 thousand warriors with overwhelming fighting strength were heading toward Rome in the south after crossing the Alps. For Constantine, they were best of the best soldiers, like a part of himself.   1-3 It was just the time when the march of Maxentius came out of the arena and was passing by the middle of the square.  "Get the jerks! Don't miss anyone!"   Because of the shouting, the lineup of the troops became rapidly disordered.  A centurion out of the middle of the marching group ran out. A part of the group moved aside and was ready to follow him. Their eyes were heading toward the six fleeing men.       "Scatter! If we all run to the same direction, we'll die."  Shouted a guy, who looked like their leader. They were the spies of Constantine that had sneaked in and tried to gather information. But there was nowhere to hide themselves in the open space. Before long, they became thickly surrounded by the roaring citizens.        "Whoever comes near will die!" This was what was just spit out by one of the men pulling out a gladius. The guys, made up of a centurion and five soldiers, swinging around gladius, tried to move forward. The hesitating crowd, a sort of big wall, seemed to collapse, but it wasn't that weak enough for the spies to go through. Surrounded by the crowd, they were mercilessly swinging around the swords.        The Roman crowd began to fall one by one, but they never scattered. No, they couldn't. Endless waves of people, like human shields, were endlessly coming toward the six strangers. When the soldiers, who ran after them, came and restored order, more than one hundred people had already been crushed to death.     1-4 It was just the time when a great number of military troops of Maxentius was about to get out of the city wall. Stationed in an open field around the north of the Tevere, 48 thousand soldiers of Constantine were raising a battle cry. It sounded as if the roaring was shaking mountains. Never did stop the echo flowing all the way through the valley. A man, who was robust and had distinctive facial features, was just beginning to make a speech on the stage.     "Great Roman sons, fellow soldiers of Constatine!" Constantine, having been a typical soldier with many battle experiences, seemed to be better suited to be called a commanding officer, rather than Caesar.  "You are the veterans who have been with me in lots of battlefield. Victory has  followed us wherever we go. The goddess of victory won't betray us this time, either. But I won't say that we will win the battle. Instead, I will proclaim that we have already won this game. It's because the victory is beyond your will and hope and we were predestined to be the winner. We've already won!"    The soldiers knew he was not bluffing. In fact, there has been only victory whenever Constantine was with them. Not only soldiers but also officers paid absolute credit to him. The officers called him Son of Mithra, and some of the soldiers believed so.       The prominent appearance of him also contributed to their belief.  It was the speech made by the son of Mithra, who was robust and taller by a head, with big bright eyes and perfect appearance.  "I had a dream last night. Two fathers came to me. One was Constantius Clorus, the great late Emperor, and the other was Mithra, my spiritual father, who ensouled me. Mithra said to me, "My son, don't be afraid. I will be with you. I will hold you with my powerful right hand. You will be the final winner of the great Empire after you defeat the betrayers who have usurped the throne."       The cry of the soldiers was shaking the entire sky again. Constantine, roughly scanning his troops from the left to the right, slowly raised his right hand. The shouting died down. The commander-in-chief continued to speak.   "The late Emperor Clorus said to me, "You will complete what I began. I plowed a field and you will gather its fruits. The fruits will be huge and beautiful. All your people will eat them, will be full and your Empire will be forever!"   Dark clouds covering the battlefield cleared up with a ray of light shining brightly down on Constantine's soldiers. Constantine drew a gladius and raised it up toward the sun. The reflected light by the sword was blazing on the face of soldiers.      "Look! It's Mithra!" shouted one of them.  "Hurray, Constantine, the son of Mithra!" shouted another one.  The valley was filled with the shouting of the warriors. With an arrogant smile, the son of Mithra moved the gladius aside little by little. The blazing light reflected by the sword was shining down evenly on the soldiers' face.  "Mithra is responding! Hurray, Mithra. Hurray, Constantine. Hurray, great Rome!"  They were in high spirits. Now it was impossible for them to avoid the tragic war between the same blood. October in the year, A.D 312, was almost ending, when the whole Empire started to get involved in the miserable war again.    To remove Maxentius, crossing over the Alps and heading toward the south along Flaminia, Constantine just stopped at a field. It was because he thought the place would be best to operate military strategies.   While he was coming down all the way here, he had easily taken over the resisting cities in the northern Italy. Now he was relaxedly waiting for a great number of enemies at the place, twenty kilometers away from the Roman northern border. To the front lay the broad wilderness, and in the left was located the plain by which a river was flowing.      Maxentius, getting out of Rome and arriving there, organized the battle array. 48 thousand troops of Constantine and more than 100 thousand of Maxentius were confronting each other right before the final battle. To the east of the battlefield covered with red rocks was quietly flowing the Tevere, the lifeline of Rome, the capital.   1-5 “Are you ready?"  Maxentius asked the commander of the guard. He tried to look strong, but his face showed anxiety and agitation.  "Yes, Your Highness! We are ready to have your order. The troops are in high spirits and the elite unit of royal guards will assist you." Replied Cato, the commander of the guard, thinking that he should make the Emperor feel relaxed. Cato was worried about whether the weak Emperor could command his own soldiers.  "Time is not on our side. The way to reduce our victims will be to end the battle as soon as possible." "Yes, Your Highness! The number of enemies is less than half ours. Given that the quality of both troops is almost equal, the numbers means something important. We will end the combat in this open field."  His confidence relieved Maxentius.   "I will let you take control of the whole fight from now on." The Emperor wanted to step back from the danger of the front line. Cato thought that would be better for both the Emperor and the troops. Now the control of the fight was handed over to him, the commander of the guard. An operational meeting for legatus, corps commanders, was being held on Constantine side.  "We have to be able to destroy the enemy at the least cost." The outline of the combat was already drawn in his brain, but he tried to listen to the leaders' opinion and checked one by one very carefully.   "I think we don't need to have any special plan here. Rather, an ill-prepared strategy could make us fall in danger. The regular tactics will bring victory to our troops that have rich battle experiences."   This was the opinion from the third corps commander.   "The number of enemies is more than twice ours. As our troops are strong, so are they. Frontal confrontation would be dangerous." said the sixth corps commander. After listening to the leaders enough, Constantine gave his own operation order to them.   1-6 The air was giddily shimmering. The place was right in the middle of the battlefield that was covered with more than 100 thousand on both sides. The dazzling dance of haze was seen by the soldiers in the clear day. The haze was shaking the wilderness bleakly. It was like, Mars, the god of war, was inviting death.    Just before attack order, Constantine collected the leaders of the cavalry, who ambushed behind the main-force infantrymen, and was giving the final instructions. 4 thousand cavalry, almost half of its whole force, ambushed around here. The victory this time will be decided by whether the cavalry can carry out its own operation well.       "Everything depends on you. You have to stay still until the whole cavalry of the enemy completely moves back. After making sure of that and taking over the place the cavalry of Maxentius stayed, we will drive the enemy's whole infantrymen into the Tevere. At the time when Constantine was giving instructions to 4 thousand cavalry hiding behind the infantrymen, Clodius, the commander of a corps, was also delivering instructions to the leaders, with the rest 4 thousand cavalry on the right side.     "Our job is not to fight but to lure the enemies. You have to be very careful not to fail your mission and bury yourselves in the battle. Remember to withdraw as soon as possible when you get the order. We will win this war only if we can drag  away all of the enemy's cavalry from the battlefield.    Clodius, finishing his words, could manage to suppress the sudden tears. 'This might be the last! Forgive me!'  If the plan works, without the help of the cavalry, surrounded by Constantine's soldiers, the whole troops of Maxentius will be devastated. However, in the meantime, his cavalry could be annihilated by a great number of Maxentius' chasing cavalry, more than four times.       Armed completely, with his scarlet cape flying back, Constantine, the commander-in-chief, causing dust, ran out to the front where his main-force corps was lining up. After turning his horse around, facing the main-force infantrymen, he gave an order.   "The front, attack!" The armed infantrymen of Constantine, maintaining lineup in order, began to advance. Cato's ones counteracted. Like two towers collapsing toward each other, both of the infantrymen became mixed up in a flash and it was like hell on earth. As the fight went on, due to numerical inferiority, Constantine's side was stepping back little by little.  "The cavalry, the infantrymen in the rear, charge!" Thinking that he seized the chance to victory, Cato commanded to carry out a full-scale attack with the armed infantrymen and the cavalry that had been stationed in the rear. "My proud fellow soldiers, follow me! Charge!" Also, Clodius, the commander of a corps, galloping a horse, gave orders against the rushing Cato's cavalry. Half of his cavalry, located in the right of the infantrymen, was following him one after another. Constantine also ordered, the armed infantrymen backing up behind the main-force infantrymen, to charge.  Both infantrymen were close in fighting, but the cavalry of Constantine began to retreat after some close fighting. Maxentius' cavalry chased them.  'Oh, Mars, the god of war, and Mithra, the god of sun, help us to win!' Clodius prayed with all his heart. If the plan works, Maxentius' cavalry will be useless. The plan was, only with his 4 thousand cavalry, to make Maxentius' cavalry, over 10 thousand, deviate from the battle line. Fortunately, the enemy did not notice that. Both cavalry got separated from the infantrymen very quickly.       Having watched all of the enemy's cavalry disappearing from his sight, Constantine appeared, leading 4 thousand cavalry ambushing behind the infantrymen. While the leaders of Maxentius were being shocked, Constantine's cavalry, coming around the opposite of the Tevere, surrounded Maxentius' infantrymen.     Astonished by a sudden attack, the left wing of Maxentius' main force began to rapidly collapse. Like moving waves, 100 thousand soldiers were pushed back to  where a swamp bedside the Tevere was waiting for them. The infantrymen of Constantine had a hard fight at first but started to counterattack soon.    Maxentius' troops were pushed back to the swamp, which was pulling legs deep down, with their battle line collapsing in a blink. His soldiers already became disordered. They were begging for life and just a kind of cowards.   1-7 ‘Something's wrong! Is the cavalry of Constantine that weak enough to flee as soon as the fight just starts?' Cato came to realize what was wrong, but it was already too far away from the main-force corps.     "Stop chasing! Our infantrymen are in danger. Stop and follow me, all!"  Cato, rapidly dispatching a messenger to each cavalry, went wildly back to the way he came.  Came into Constantine's sight the cavalry of Cato coming back to save the infantrymen in danger. All the plan was likely to come to naught when Maxentius cavalry came to join the main-force troops. With the thought that, with only a cavalry battalion, it would be enough to suppress Maxentius' infantrymen, who lost the will to fight, Constantine turned his horse back with the rest of the cavalry. He dashed forward with the guard cavalry and 3 thousand following behind them.    Cato's cavalry just got caught between the cavalry of Constantine and that of Clodius who followed. Even though the whole number looked overwhelming, Maxentius' cavalry, losing will to fight, was helplessly scattered to the other side of the Tevere.    Upon thinking that the fight was done, Constantine unwittingly yelled out loud at a sudden occasion. Clodius was running after Cato.    "Stop, come back!  Don't chase any more. Come back, Clodius!" Though he shouted at the top of his lungs, Clodius didn't hear the order from the commander-in-chief.  The horse of Clodius, hit by an arrow, was falling to the ground. Clodius has always been with Constantine, willingly taking a risk of his life. He was the one who loyally followed Constantine despite the fact that all of his own 4 thousand cavalry could be wiped out in this battle. Now he is in a desperately dangerous situation.      "Follow me!" Constantine whipped his horse. But the commanding system didn't work well under the suddenly happening situation. The cavalry following Constantine was just thirty. In a flash, he was completely surrounded by Cato's cavalry.    "Protect the Emperor. Break through the siege!" Realizing what was going on, Clodius desperately fought, trying to get his soldiers in panic together. Constantine's guard cavalry joined to defend him.   Only after he made sure that Constantine was totally safe did Clodius realize that he had lost almost half of his 4 thousand cavalry.    1-8 The whole troops of Maxentius began to retreat. No, it was not to retreat but to escape. The soldiers who couldn't get out of the swamp were being mercilessly massacred by Constantine's troops.   Maxentius, mixed up with the disorderly retreating 100 thousand and pushed back to the Milvian bridge, stepped on the bridge rail and called his royal guard commander on whom he had put his faith.   "Cato, where are you? My soldiers, my proud roman soldiers, line up for battle!" However, his order was swallowed by the scream of soldiers. The Milvian bridge, 130 meters long and 8 meters wide, was strong and big enough, but too small and cramped to accommodate tens of thousands of the escaping soldiers at a time.   A turmoil was happening. Even while the bridge was bursting with Maxentius soldiers who rushed in at the same time, endless stream of other soldiers never stopped coming in. The Milvian bridge, in a moment, was covered with a mountain of bodies crushed to death.   Those who jumped in the river drowned because of the heavy soldier's gear. Those who were not able to cross the bridge couldn't help standing at the riverside like a scarecrow. The cavalry of Constantine who had followed began to throw a spear to Maxentius' soldiers who were shivering in fear.     "Your Highness, we found Maxentius' dead body." reported the adjutant who had searched around the Tevere the next morning.  "Did you? Where did you find him?" "We found him at the bottom of the river." "Behead him!" Constantine gave an order impassively. Antiseptic treatment was applied to the head immediately not to become corrupt.    Only then did Clodius, the commander of a corps, come to realize how big mistakes he had made. He lost more than half of his cavalry while chasing in a state of agitation. In addition, he, not having heard the order from Constantine to stop chasing, almost put the commander-in-chief to death.  But Constantine didn't mention anything at all, such as having put him into danger and not having heard his order. Instead, Constantine warned him not to make the same mistake again, pointing out only the fact that he had misjudged the whole situation and behaved impulsively. Then, Constantine smiled, expressing gratitude for his being alive, not dead.     It was when he was blaming himself and finding out the reason of his mistakes that Clodius heard from his adjutant that two sons of Maxentius had been arrested. Clodius reported to Constantine immediately. "Your Highness, two sons of Maxentius were arrested." "Were they? They are the ones that can be taken advantage of by those who try to break peace of Rome."    Constantine spoke with a cold smile.   "Please choose the stability of the Empire, Your Highness!" "You take the responsibility." "Yes, Your Highness!" Clodius brought the heads of the two young men to Constantine the next day.   1-9 The winners were heading toward Rome, the capital of the Empire.  "Is that Constantine?" "Yes. The rumor was right. He looks exactly cold-hearted, doesn't he?" "Why do you say so?" For me, he looks handsome!" "You're right. He seems to live up to his appearance." The talking between the two men was quickly buried by the noise of crowd.    The roman people were shocked. Right behind Constantine, who was riding a horse in the front and was marching with a frozen look, was there the head of Maxentius poked by a spear.   The triumphal entry of Constantine into Rome just began so. He had gathered all the leaders over a centurion and given a strict order before he came into Rome.   "This is not an enemy territory but our homeland and the very heart of the proud roman Empire. We must not forget that the Empire with a thousand years of history began right here. The Empire is now suffering. On the one hand, the German is trying to endlessly devide our land in half and on the other hand, the Empire is inwardly conflicting without harmony and unanimity. Now the war has ended. I hope, like in mother's arms, there will be no more blood in this country. If I should hear of brutality by my soldiers, after entering Rome, I will never forgive whoever he is.      After that, relentless persecution which could be done by the winners was found nowhere. The Senate announced that Constantine would be promoted from Caesar to Augustus. In the declaration was there also the point that they would build a triumphal arch in honor of the new emperor who had brought peace to Rome.    In this way Constantine became the emperor who had unified the west of the Empire. The year, 312 AD, was gradually closing when the whole country was stained with blood because of the civil war.