Battle of the Milvian Bridge
312 CE · Rome, Italy
The Battle of the Milvian Bridge was fought in 312 CE in Rome, Italy between Forces of Constantine I vs forces of Maxentius; decisive victory for Constantine, who became sole ruler of the Western Roman Empire.
Battle of the Milvian Bridge: quick facts
- Date
- 312 CE
- Location
- Rome, Italy
- Belligerents
- Forces of Constantine I vs forces of Maxentius
- Commanders
- Constantine the Great vs Maxentius
- Result
- decisive victory for Constantine, who became sole ruler of the Western Roman Empire.
- Era
- 🏺 Ancient Greece & Rome
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge?
Constantine defeated his rival Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge over the Tiber River, just outside Rome. According to legend, Constantine saw a cross of light in the sky with the words 'In this sign, conquer' before the battle and ordered his soldiers to mark their shields with the Christian chi-rho symbol. Maxentius drowned in the Tiber while fleeing. The victory led Constantine to issue the Edict of Milan, legalizing Christianity throughout the Roman Empire.
Did you know?
Constantine's vision of the cross before the Milvian Bridge, whether genuine or political invention, altered the course of Western civilization by linking Roman imperial power to Christianity.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of the Milvian Bridge on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.