Question

why do historians consider constantine i the founder of the byzantine empire?

a. he switched loyalty from the western roman empire to the eastern roman empire, which he renamed in honor of his birth city, byzantium.

b. he converted to eastern orthodoxy, unifying the early byzantine empire, which until then had been culturally and ethnically fractured.

c. he moved the capital of the roman empire from rome to byzantium, which would be the capital of the byzantine empire for more than 1,000 years.

d. he allowed freedom of religion, which motivated the orthodox eastern roman empire to break away from the catholic western roman empire.

Explanation:

Constantine I relocated the Roman capital to Byzantium, which he renamed Constantinople. This city became the core of the Eastern Roman Empire, later known as the Byzantine Empire, serving as its capital for over a millennium. This foundational act is why historians credit him as the empire's founder. Option A is incorrect because he did not rename the Eastern Empire after his birth city (he renamed Byzantium to Constantinople). Option B is wrong because Eastern Orthodoxy as a distinct sect developed after his reign, and he converted to Nicene Christianity, not Eastern Orthodoxy. Option D is incorrect because the split between Eastern and Western churches happened centuries after Constantine, and his Edict of Milan allowed religious freedom but did not cause the break.

Answer:

C. He moved the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to Byzantium, which would be the capital of the Byzantine Empire for more than 1,000 years.