131 Christians You Should Know - Rulers

Constantine

- 1st christian emperor

- born in Illyria

- father was already a Roman official

- born in Nasissus south of the Danube

- saw a vision in the sky: Christ told him in a dream to take the cross into battle

- ordered soldiers to mark the shield with the chi-rho

- 1st Roman emperor with cross in his diadem

- triumphed over Lincinius and became sole ruler of the Roman world

- waited until death to be baptized as a Christian

- executed his son, 2nd wife and fav. sister's husband

Leo I

- abandoned the traditional doctrine that the bishop of Rome was and declared that he spoke as Peter

- fight heresy and extend his authority

- gained imperial recognition of his rights inside the empire

- talked emperor Valentinian III into enforcing civil penalties against the Manichaeans

- refused to recognize the cannon

- Huns threatened Rome and he went out to meet the leader

- called the great with only two other popes

Gregory the Great

- inspired to send missionaries to England

- descended from Roman nobles

- related to 2 previous popes

- raised in Rome

- created 6 monasteries

- fasted leading to his early death

- appointed one of 7 deacons of Rome by pope Benedict

- organized systematic relief for poor

- removed high officials and enforced celibacy

- wrote a book, on pastoral care

- sent Augustine on a mission to this far corner of the world

- first pope to call himself the servant of the servants of God

- one of four great Latin doctors of the church

Innocent III

- excommunicated the king and declared the throne vacant and invited the French to invade

- born into noble Italian family

- studied theology in Paris and canon in Bologna

- youngest man selected to sit in Peter's chair and ordained as priest

- compelled Philip of France to take back wife he divorced and ended up sacking Constantinople

- promoted honest business practices in the church

- required bishops to visit Rome every 4 years

- encouraged foundation of schools

- gave patrionage to Dominicans and Franciscans

- died of reccuring fevers on a trip to settle dispute between Genoa and Pisa

Justinian I

- he intended to remake the Roman Empire

- born in Flavius Peterus Sabbatius

- known as the emperor that never sleeps

- sent army to Africa to have peace treaty with him Persian rivals

- invaded Italy and fought the Goths

- closed the famous university of Athens

Theodora I

- became a Christian and gave up former life to spin wool

- greatest reign in Byzantine history

Charlemagne

- received education from his mother and monks of Saint Denis

- 6'3 tall

- his longest war was against Saxons in Denmark

- converted them to Christianity at the point of the sword

- compelled the Lombard king to retire to a monastery

- he took the crown for himself and ruled over modern Italy

- greeted by the pope "behold another Constantine"

- captured Barcelona

- triumph on Christmas and was crowned "Emperor of the Romans"

- great student of Augustine

- more influential in church affairs than was the pope

- took interest in adoptionism and iconoclasm

Louis IX

- Became heir to throne after his 3 older brothers died

- raised to be strictly religious

- lived his faith and his reputation spread

- built Saint Chapelle to house the relics of Christ's crucifixion

- he vowed he'd lead a crusade

- led an army inland Cairo but epidemic forced him to retreat

- thought God was punishing him for his sins

- began dressing plain and eating simple and helping poor

- he was different because of his humility and perseverance

- he and sons washed feet of beggars

- especially generous to widowers

- died while lying on bed of ashes, whispering the city he never won: Jerusalem

- only king of France named a saint by the Roman Catholic Church

Theodosius I

- made christianity the Roman religion

- used power to officially enforce orthodox Christianity

- raised taxes brutally

- gathered and revised Nicene Creed

- ended reign by defeating political enemies in the West