On the 27th October 312 AD the battle of Milvian Bridge was fought near Rome. The two men contending for control of Rome and the Empire were Constantine, who controlled Gaul, England and parts of Germany and Maxentius, who controlled Italy, Spain and Africa.
It happens the two were brothers in law.
The day before the monumental and pivotal battle, Constantine saw a flaming cross in the sky, taking I as an omen, he had his men put a cross on their shields and banners.
Full of strength at what their commander had seen, Constantine’s men won the battle. Maxentius drowned crossing a bridge over the Tiber.
Rome would soon be unified under one ruler (only Licentius remained in Constantine’s way.)
Constantine would spend the ret of his reign Christianising his subjects.
He converted on his deathbed, becoming the first Christian Emperor, in 337 AD.
Henry marries his Anne today in 1533
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On the 25th January 1533 Henry VIII married a pregnant Anne Boleyn, despite still being married to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. The ceremony was done in secret and it would be five months before Henry’s first marriage was finally annulled.
Anne was 26 and not beautiful, but she was charismatic and Henry was drawn to her nearly seven years before, but she had played hard to get. Her sister had been one of Henry’s mistresses, then cast aside. It would seem she wanted to avoid this end, so did a good job of stringing her King along. Once pregnant, the infatuated fat, old man(41) felt he had to marry her. Unfortunately, the child born was not the son he craved and further pregnancies failed to go the term.
As we all know, Henry tired of her and had her executed on trumped up charges of adultery with five men, including her brother.
Of course their child would grow into the strong Elizabeth I and save her country from foreign invasion, so some good came of Anne’s marriage. -
Thanks for another piece of the puzzle we call history!
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Thanks for another piece of the puzzle we call history!
I agree, its enjoyment reading Wittmann’s post.
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Thanks you two.
I have a good one for today; might have to do late on.
Am watching football at the moment.