31. A New Hope for Rome
In addition to wanting to name a city after himself, Constantine also had some very prudent reasons for being fond of Constantinople. He viewed Rome as too isolated and decadent, a home to elites and politicians and too far removed from the frontiers of the empire. The city was also notoriously hard to defend, while Constantinople had many geographic advantages against sieges. He viewed Constantinople as a new opportunity for Rome to be closer to its territories and with a fresh sense of leadership and determination.
