At the time, Constantine I was thought to be protected due to the relic in his possession. The helmet that he wore was said to have a piece of the
True Cross that
Jesus was crucified on. After Constantine was made
Caesar, he issued the
Edict of Milan (313), sending his mother Helena to find the True Cross and to send back what she found. Helena found the cross and sent three nails that were used in the crucifixion of Jesus back to Rome and her son Constantine. The helmet that Constantine wore included one of the
Holy Nails that Saint Helena found at the crucifixion site. By making the helmet with one of the nails, it was supposed to protect him from any harm. Not only was it a sign of protection, but it was also said to fulfil the prophecy of
Zechariah. Constantine was very aware of this, and let the entire
Roman Empire know that he was the owner of this holy helmet. The emperor had coins made with the image of him wearing his helmet on the front. On every VLLP coin that was made, Constantine was shown wearing his helmet. This was one way that Constantine moved the Roman Empire away from the
pagan religion and towards
Christianity. Constantine's helmet was mainly a crown that was fastened to the head by two clamps. The majority of the helmet was made out of iron and gold. The crown that was made with the nail was placed around a full helmet when the Emperor went into battle, but could easily be taken off. ==See also==