and their women and children.

When the people of Rome learned of Constantine—that he despised wickedness, loved virtue, and that the subjects of his realm lived with him in peace and security—their leading men wrote to him, pleading that he deliver them from the tyranny of their king. After reading their letters he was greatly troubled and sat bewildered, unsure what he should do.

Saʿīd ibn al-Baṭrīq (1) reports: At midday a cross of light, like a star, appeared to him in the sky, and round it was written, “By this you shall conquer.” He said to his companions, “Did you see what I saw?” They replied, “Yes.” He thereupon embraced Christianity, made ready to fight the Caesar in question, fashioned a large cross of gold and fixed it to the top of the battle standard (2). He then marched out (3) with his troops, and victory was granted him over Caesar: he slew a vast number of the enemy, while the king fled together with the remnant of his forces (4).

The inhabitants of Rome came out to Constantine with a golden crown and with every kind of festivity and amusement. They greeted him and rejoiced in him exceedingly. When he entered the city he honored the Christians and returned them to their homelands after their exile and dispersal. The Romans then held seven days of celebration (5) for the emperor and for the cross.

When ʿAliyanus heard of this, he mustered his armies and prepared (6) to engage Constantine,