WI: Licinius defeats and executes Constantine at Cibalae (314)

[GauchoBadger]

What if Licinius (roman emperor who co-authored the Edict Of Milan with Constantine then turned his sword on him) had managed to defeat Constantine's outnumbered forces at the battle of Cibalae, in 314 AD?
Could we see Licinius taking the purple and reigning as sole emperor?
What are the effects on christianity? I heard that, during this time, the religion was more firmly entrenched in the eastern provinces of the empire, so could we see a religious split between a pagan west and a christian east after Licinius moves back to Rome?

 

[GauchoBadger]

No takers?
How large was the empire's christian population in 314? Because i'm curious to see if Licinius would choose to recoke the Edict Of Milan.

 

[Galba Otho Vitelius]

One reason why there are no takers is that we don't know that much about Licinius.

 

[SlyDessertFox]

I don't think you will see any religious split. Christianity is a large minority, but it's still a minority and won't skyrocket to any majority status without state sponsorship. Licinius certainly had no problem with Christians; he had a devout Christian wife and integrated Christian symbols in his army, but he showed no sign of outright endorsement of Christianity over other religions. Unlike Constantine, Licinius's divine vision led him to create a generic prayer that could be said by followers of all religions in his army-so it seems like he would just have a policy of universal toleration more than anything else.

As to the rest of Licinius's character, it's interesting that he appears to never have been the one that instigated any of the civil wars he was involved in. It was always someone else who attacked him, whether that be Maximinus Daia or Constantine.