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Primary sourceArtifact4th century CE

Sarcophagus Fragment Attributed to Constantine the Great

4th century CE

A porphyry sarcophagus fragment from Constantinople, tentatively linked to the burial of Constantine the Great.

A fragment tentatively attributed to Constantine's own tomb, offering physical evidence of his imperial burial.

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Photograph of a reddish-purple stone fragment carved in relief, displayed on a light pedestal against a cream textured wall. The carving shows figures and foliage, including a central tree-like form and what may be grape clusters. A small white label sits at the base.
Sarcophagus fragment attributed to Constantine I, porphyry, Constantinople, 4th century CE.

About this source

What it is

This photograph shows a fragment of a sarcophagus carved from porphyry, a rare purple-red stone, made in Constantinople in the 4th century CE. It is tentatively attributed to the burial of the emperor Constantine the Great at the Church of the Holy Apostles.

Why it matters

Porphyry was reserved for emperors, so a fragment like this hints at the imperial status of whoever it was made for. If it truly belonged to Constantine's tomb, it connects directly to how the first Christian Roman emperor was honoured in death, though the attribution remains uncertain.

Look closer

  • What can the choice of stone tell us about the person buried in this sarcophagus?
  • Why do you think historians are only able to say 'tentatively attributed' rather than being certain?
  • What is missing from this fragment that might help confirm whose tomb it came from?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Constantine the Great on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Manuscript page of handwritten Greek text in brown ink on cream parchment, with a decorated red and gold initial letter at the left margin. A dark ink blot is visible in the middle of the text block. The script is a cursive Greek hand, and the page appears to be from a 16th-century codex.Document

Secondary source

Edict of Milan

Constantine the Great · 313 AD

Woodcut-style medallion portrait in profile of a man in a plumed helmet with a laurel wreath, holding a spear, with the inscription CONSTANTINVS MAX AVG around the rim. Above it a Roman-numeral heading and German text; below, German text and a monogram M 2 on a book page.Artifact

Secondary source

Woodcut Portrait of Constantine the Great

Josse van Gietleughen

Photo of the south-facing attic inscription on the Arch of Constantine in Rome: a large carved Latin inscription in two rows of capital letters on pale marble, flanked by two statues of captive or attendant figures, with a blue sky above.Artifact

Primary source

Arch of Constantine

Roman Senate · c. 312-315

Medieval illuminated manuscript page with four framed scenes in gold and blue panels. Bottom left shows a bishop with halo baptising a nude figure in a font of flames, while a crowned figure looks on. Other panels show standing saints and a scene of a figure with a torch.Painting

Secondary source

Constantine the Great Baptised by St Sylvester

c. 1200

Title page of a book reading 'Ecclesiastical History: The Life of the Blessed Emperor Constantine, in four books, from 306 to 337 A.D., by Eusebius Pamphilus', London, Samuel Bagster and Sons, 1845. Includes a library stamp and a publisher's ornament.Book

Secondary source

Life of Constantine

Eusebius of Caesarea · 345

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