Constantine=s Triumph

The ruins of Roman Emperor Constantine=s victory arch stand in the light of a massive supernova explosion in the Large Magellanic Cloud.

Captured in several exposures by the NASA Hubble Space Telescope, this image was made after astronomers witnessed the explosion of supernova 1987A. This self-destructing star is propelling clouds of gas and debris across its own galaxy, igniting other stellar objects and creating a breeding ground for new stars. (PR99-04. Also credit Hubble Heritage Team, STScI, AURA.)

Constantine the Great, son of a Roman general, was proclaimed emperor by his troops after his father=s death. After a period of internecine warfare, he became sole ruler of the Roman Empire in 324 AD. He became the first emperor to accept Christianity, being baptized on his death bed. His acceptance of that faith changed the future of the world. His victory arch still stands in Rome, near the Coliseum. (Arch photo in private collection, circa 1880.)

Click on the image to return to Classical Architecture.