Constantine

by Frank G. Slaughter

Constantine the Great was a leader and victor in many campaigns, but one battle stood above all others-- the battle against Maxentius, when Constantine saw a fiery cross in the sky, and thence-forth took as his "In this sign conquer." This mystic revelation, as reported by Eusebius and other contemporaries, led to Constantine's acceptance and then devoted use of Christianity to consolidate his Empire. In ' The Miracle of the Flaming Cross', Frank G. Slaughter has re-created all the moving and colorful events of Constantine's life, in the turbulent Roman world of the 3rd and 4th centuries..."At this crucial point in the history of Christianity, a Roman Emperor arose who gave paganism the death blow. He was Constantine the Great..." At first giving Christianity equal status with paganism, Constantine was able -- for a time -- to constrain not only rebellious military rivals but also the Christian bishops who were fighting among themselves, and at Nicaea he established what was probably the first ecumenical council.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical

420 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Frank Gill Slaughter , pen-name Frank G. Slaughter, pseudonym C.V. Terry, was an American novelist and physician whose books sold more than 60 million copies. His novels drew on his own experience as a doctor and his interest in history and the Bible. Through his novels, he often introduced readers to new findings in medical research and new medical technologies.

Slaughter was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Stephen Lucious Slaughter and Sarah "Sallie" Nicholson Gill. When he was about five years old, his family moved to a farm near Berea, North Carolina, which is west of Oxford, North Carolina. He earned a bachelor's degree from Trinity College (now Duke University) at 17 and went to medical school at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. He began writing fiction in 1935 while a physician at Riverside Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida.

Books by Slaughter include The Purple Quest, Surgeon, U.S.A., Epidemic! , Tomorrow's Miracle and The Scarlet Cord. Slaughter died May 17, 2001 in Jacksonville, Florida.

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting fictional biography of Emperor Constantine the Great from youth to his death and his accomplishments. Often though, the book got too preachy for me. Good fictional speculation on why he killed his wife, Fausta, who I never liked in this author's concept, and his son, Crispus.

[Shirley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read A LOT of Frank G. Slaughter when I was a teenager (long ago). I picked up "Constantine" at a used book sale a few yrs ago. I finally decided to read a more about Roman history and the history of Christianity...novel style. The story was good and I learned more about Constantine than I thought I wanted to know...as fiction. Slaughter has always provided good historical detail. However, I am not quite as mesmerized by his writing style as I was years ago.

[Josh Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book highlighted the life of the Roman emperor, Constantine I in a grand way. I found it especially interesting to learn about how he dealt with his internal struggles and his relationship with Christianity.

[Daniel Byrd · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

I first have to start with saying I come at this book with very little in the way of historical knowledge pertaining to Constantine or the Roman Empire, so I had no thoughts on the historicity of the work. That being said, I thought as a historical fiction it largely was a good book. The story was weighed down at times by drawn out battle scenes and choppy stories that had little connection. That being said, I did think that the book was worth the read.

[Melodie Wendel-Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the Author's note at back and really looked forward to reading this. It feels like the Rome-religious movies of 50s: drags then gets better near end. His writing style is good, but think wanted something juicier since surrounded in controversay.

[Philippe Jonquet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting especially since we don't usually talk much about this old emperor who had such an impact in history.

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like history. :)

[Stafford Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Tarbuckle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good, not great—the titular figure was rendered a tad too heroic for my (and my historical understanding's) tastes, whilst the Christian element, permeating the emperor's conversion and subsequent fratricidal rule, felt a bit preachy. This notwithstanding, a solid historical novel covering a particularly interesting and important transition period in the Roman Empire...

[Debby Zigenis-Lowery · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It provided a peek at an era in Roman history that I was not very familiar with. It traced the Emperor Constantine's rise to power from when he began military training as a young man until his death, and recounts both his family struggles and his military and political struggles as he sought to create a unified empire from the twisted fragments left behind by previous regimes.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even though from an interesting era of the Roman Empire, this novel I found was rather hard to finish. The history attracted me, but the depths in which the author described the politics and crisis bored me.

[Jaeger Matthias · Rating 5 out of 5]

i especially liked a part when constantine attacked alexandria (:

[Margareth8537 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frank Slaughter writes a lot of books set in biblical times. They seem well researched if a bit heavy, and are quite interesting reading

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Learned a lot but a tough read

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started off slow, but grew on me. Constantine is presented with flaws and virtues alike and his journey is believable.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author actually terms this book a dramatized biography. Very fascinating. Constantine was the first Christian ruler of the Roman Empire.

[Michael Laflamme]

An old author, but a really good book. This style of story is no longer popular, we prefer cynicism now, but the story is well researched and balanced. This man is not Abraham Lincoln, but in the Roman sense, he was a person of honor who tried to do the right thing. Even at its very best, the empire was brutal by our modern understanding, but the world around the empire was a brutal world. If Frank Slaughter wrote it, it was as well researched as it could be in his time. Good Book.