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Abstract. The article examines a Roman political practice — imitation of great figures of the past — using the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great (306–337 AD) as an example. Determined by Roman traditionalism, that practice played a major role in the history of the Roman Empire, especially during periods of political instability, when a new ruler needed to win public sympathy. Constantine chose one of his most revered predecessors, Trajan (98–117 AD), as an object of imitation. The study of this phenomenon is possible due to the large volume of source materials which include speeches of Constantine himself; the narrative tradition created in his time and later, under the influence of his views;
and monuments of material culture (coins, inscriptions, sculptures, buildings). Imitation of Trajan, thanks to Constantine’s vanity, went far beyond the focus on the best qualities and achievements of his predecessor and took the form of a competition in glory. The desire to surpass Trajan had a huge impact on the development of Constantine’s foreign policy. In particular, under the impression of his predecessor’s campaigns, he carried out a campaign beyond the Danube and planned a campaign to the East. Constantine’s awareness of his own superiority also contributed to the fact that in the historical literature during the time of Constantine and after his reign, an emphasis appeared on the negative side of Trajan’s personality, and he himself ceased to be an unconditional example for the rulers of the Roman Empire. Constantine himself managed to take this position and become a reference point for subsequent generations of emperors.
Keywords: Constantine the Great, Trajan, Roman emperors, Late Roman Empire, political culture of Ancient Rome, imitatio as a political practice, ancient narrative tradition.