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Foreword-
I've had the idea to write this timeline for a while, but held off, thinking that someone with a low post-count doing such an ambitious timeline might be frowned upon. However, a lot of people seem to be taking interest in the christianization of thr Roman Empire of late, so I decided to hurry up and write it before someone else does. I apologise in advance for the the long delays that will, inevitably, occur. I'll try to reserch as much as I can, but if you spot any mistakes, please tell me, preferably well I can still edit them. With that out of the way

Part 1- The Seige Of Rome

It is the beginning of February. The year is 313 - or is it. For though they don’t know it, the two armies drawn up here are fighting in part over whether what happened approximately 313 years ago was truly that important. If they knew what sort of religious war they were fighting, many- both inside the city and out- would change sides. Indeed, the only man who is trying to spread the view that this is a battle between Christianity and the old gods thinks he is lying[1]…
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Two legionaries stood on the walls of Rome, the city in the middle of the world, under orders to keep watch. In reality, they were just gossiping.
“So what do you think we’re waiting for anyways?”
“Nobody seems to know. They’re obviously not going to attack, and who would come to help us? I guess Maxentius hasn’t realized that everybody hates him.”
“I think he’s losing it. Remember how at the beginning of this siege, he destroyed the bridge, then got ready to attack, then called it off[2]”
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Though everybody may have hated Maxentius, Constantine’s camp was not as united as it once had been. Rumours were flying about the odd design that new adorned their standards and shields. It appeared to be the letters X-R or X-P overlaid, none of which (or so the literate claimed” appeared in “Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus” at all. There was a rumor going around that they stood for “Christ” and that Constantine had converted to christianity. Of course, that isn’t quite how they said it…
“We’re on the wrong side. If Constantine wins, he’ll make Christianity the official religion of the entire Empire! The gods of your fathers will be forbidden! Sadomasochism will be required! Children will be eaten![3] We must act!”
“Shove it.”
“I don’t know, Quarto, he is a city slicker. And he has been acting odd lately.” Cautus had always been nervous about this strange this strange cult that had been emerging in cities across the empire.
“That guy is either a lunatic or a ferret, and likely to be flogged for it. Ignore him.”
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Another month and a half passed. Rome was increasingly unruly due to food rationing. Then one of the soldiers on the wall saw a disturbance in Constantine’s besieging camps. Taking advantage of the riots and fires, Maxentius led his army out and attacked. Constantine wasn’t able to respond fast enough, as he was occupied fighting fires. By the time he was able to form a battle line, half his army was already dead or routing. Constantine himself was captured alive, and, appropriately enough, crucified. Rumours flew that Constantine had been a Christian- rumours that Maxentius, now Western Roman Emperor, covertly encouraged, thinking that defeating an aposatate would improve his reputation (which could hardly get worse) in case there was a fight with whoever won in the east…

[1] As a blatant attempt to sidestep the uncertainty regarding how Christian Constantine actually was at the time, I’m having Constantine’s enemies spread a story very similar to the OTL popular version of events.
[2] This is the PoD. In OTL, Maxentius did counterattack, lost horribly, and died.
[3] The last two are actual Roman misconceptions.
EDIT- I apologise for the name of the thread, I now realize that that that pun is terrible.
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