This was partly because in 313 co-emperors Constantine I and Licinius issued the Edict of Milan, which proclaimed toleration for Christians and ended the age of persecutions. Also, in 330, Constantine, by then sole emperor, made the newly built city of Constantinople the capital of the empire. The toleration of Christianity and the presence of the first Christian emperor ensured that the region would be a focal point in history. The end of the age of persecutions meant questions concerning how to
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