Constantine the Great vs Tuoba Tao

Constantine defeated his rival Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge near Rome. According to tradition, Constantine saw a vision of a cross in the sky with the words 'In this sign, conquer.' The victory made Constantine the sole ruler of the Western Roman Empire and led to his conversion to Christianity.

Constantine and his co-emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan, granting religious toleration to all religions in the Roman Empire, including Christianity. The edict ended the persecution of Christians, restored confiscated church property, and established Christianity as a legally recognized religion.

Constantine defeated his co-emperor Licinius at the battles of Adrianople and Chrysopolis, ending the Tetrarchy system. He became the sole ruler of the entire Roman Empire, reuniting the Western and Eastern halves under his control. This reunification was the last time the Roman Empire was united under a single ruler.

Constantine convened the First Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church, to resolve the Arian controversy over the nature of Christ. The council produced the Nicene Creed, affirming the divinity of Christ and establishing a unified Christian doctrine. Constantine presided over the council.

Constantine dedicated the city of Constantinople (modern Istanbul) as the new capital of the Roman Empire, built on the site of the ancient Greek city of Byzantium. The city was strategically located on the Bosporus strait, controlling trade routes between Europe and Asia. It became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire for over a thousand years.

Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei (Tuoba Tao) conquered the last rival state, Northern Liang, unifying all of northern China under the Northern Wei dynasty. This ended the Sixteen Kingdoms period and established Northern Wei as the dominant power in the north.

Emperor Taiwu issued an edict suppressing Buddhism, ordering the destruction of monasteries, scriptures, and images. He favored Daoism and sought to reduce Buddhist influence on state affairs. This was the first major persecution of Buddhism in Chinese history.

Emperor Taiwu was assassinated by his eunuch Zong Ai, who feared punishment for his misdeeds. The assassination plunged Northern Wei into a succession crisis, but Zong Ai was soon killed by other officials, and a new emperor was installed.