Inspired by a discussion on the thread about people who should be famous, who would you say is the greatest figure in Roman history, and why so? I think we'll put the cut off points at the First Punic War in 264BC in the beginning, and the death of Heraclius in 641AD at the end. The Republic before this point and the Empire afterward are too different for what we see as "classical Rome" to be compared effectively.
Personally, I would go for Constantine, a man who refounded the Empire anew, and set the course for centuries of continued survival. He was able to stamp his personality upon the state in a way no figure had done since Julius Caesar, and he must rank in the top 10 most influential men in all of history for his decision to convert to Christianity and to permanently move the centre of gravity in the Roman Empire to the East. But what do other AH.commers think?