In the year 312, two claimants to the Roman imperial throne met outside the walls of Rome near a bridge that crossed the Tyber River.

The subsequent battle that followed was not that much different than many other Roman battles which had been fought over the centuries. However, the implications

of that battle have had long-reaching ramifications that have shaped the world for the past 1,700 years.

Learn more about the Battle of the Milvian Bridge and how it changed the world on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. When looking back at world history, there are great battles and there are important

battles. And not all great battles are important and not all important battles are great.

The Battle of Canney, which I did a previous episode, was a great battle.

Hannibal and the Carthaginians defeated the Romans in one of the most lopsided victories in history.

However, it wasn't really an important victory insofar as the Carthaginians ended up losing the war.

The Battle of Stalingrad between Germany and the Soviet Union and the Battle of Galgumella between

Alexander the Great and the Persians were both great and important battles.

And I would place the Battle of the Milvian Bridge into the category of battles that were not great,

but were extremely important. To understand the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, you have to understand what was happening in the Roman Empire in the early fourth century.

During the third century, the Roman Empire was a mess. The assassination of Emperor Severus

Alexander in 235 ushered in a 50-year period of anarchy known as the crisis of the

third century. There were civil wars, rebellions, uprising, and barbarian invasions,

and no fewer than 26 men claimed the imperial throne during this period.

It finally ended with the rise of Emperor Diocletian.

Diocletian reigned for 21 years, which was an eternity for a Roman emperor at this time,

and did something few emperors ever did.

He retired from power and died a natural death.

Diocletian realized that the empire had simply become too large for one person to rule.

To solve this problem, he created a system known as the Tetraarchy.

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