He was born Flavius Valerius Constantinus, Constantine I, the son of Constantius Chlorus, later to be emperor, and Helena. The date of his birth is disputed, though it seems to be February 27, 272, 273, 274, or 280 C.E. Constantine died in 337. Within these years, he had a profound impact on the Roman Empire and the modern world by being the first ruler to popularize Christianity. He was surnamed the Great, and was so loved by the usually persecuted Christians that he was made a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Strangely, nothing in his childhood seems to have fueled this love for Christianity.