Because of its strategic advantages, central location, and good harbour, Byzantium was chosen as the Roman Empire’s capital. Byzantium also represented a departure with Constantine’s forefathers.
On the location of old Byzantium, Constantine established the capital of the unified Roman Empire. His decision was based on a number of factors, both practical and symbolic. To begin with, Byzantium was closer to the empire’s heart, making control easier. Diocletian’s choice of Nicomedia in the east was difficult to defend because Rome had become a fringe.
With a peninsula open to land on the west and water on the south, north, and east, Byzantium’s defensive characteristics made it an excellent choice. The addition of the chain across the water hampered invasion attempts even more. Byzantium also had direct access to the Euphrates River and the Danube River, which supplied water to cisterns and aqua conduits. Control over trade across the Black Sea was also provided through the harbor’s chain and control.
It gave Constantine a symbolic break from his predecessors, as Nicomedia had been chosen by Diocletian and Rome had been the seat of all the rulers before him. Byzantium was also a symbol of his achievements because it was located just across from the shore where he beat Licinius to become Emperor of the Roman Empire.
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