In response to the letter (“A great British Roman emperor”, TES, January 20), which expressed concern that the 1,700th anniversary of Constantine the Great becoming Roman emperor may go unnoticed, I can announce that in York, Constantine has not been forgotten.
Constantine will be celebrated in York where he was proclaimed emperor by his legionaries on the death of his father Constantius.
The Yorkshire Museum is organising a major international exhibition on Constantine the Great - “York’s Roman Emperor” from March 31 to October 29, 2006.
The exhibition will display treasures loaned from 36 museums in Britain and across Europe. It has been designed by Ivor Heal, known for his recent successes at London’s Royal Academy including the Aztecs and the current exhibition on China.
There will also be a special service at York Minster on July 25, the actual day of his accession in 306.
As a resource for teachers of history, geography and citizenship, the exhibition brings alive the emperor who was probably one of the greatest Roman emperors of all time.
As the emperor who legalised Christianity, he is of particular interest to students of religious studies.
School parties are high on our list of priority visitors. While they are in York, they may like to look at the surviving Roman fortification, which the museum overlooks and, nearby, York Minster, under which the ruins of the Roman headquarters can still be seen.
Janet Barnes Chief executiveYork Museums TrustYorkshire Museum, York
