Following the conversion of Emperor Constantine to Christianity by Pope Sylvester and the renouncing of Judaism by the Emperor’s mother Helen, the Emperor battled the Persians, giving them a resounding defeat.
On his return trip, he entered Byzantium where he had an unusual dream in which an old, dead woman was brought to him and the Pope told him to pray for her to restore her to life. Constantine obeyed the Pope’s order, causing the old woman to rise as a young, attractive girl. She pleased Constantine so much that he gave her his cloak and placed a valuable crown on her head. Then his mother spoke to him: “She will be your wife and the Empress, dying at day’s end”. Since no one could interpret the dream Constantine decided to fast until God himself revealed the meaning.
Seven days later in another dream, Pope Sylvester appeared again to him and said, “The resurrected woman you saw is the city in which you now are. Her walls have collapsed, but in the morning mount the same horse on which you rode to your baptism in the Church of The Apostle. Release the reins and let it go wherever God’s angel leads it while letting your staff drag behind. On the track that it leaves behind, build the new city wall. Adorn with your name the newly walled city and make it the queen of all others. Let a beautiful church be built in it and your sons will reign there.”
When Constantine awoke he thanked God, told the bishop Sisinnius of his dream and carried out what it had told him. He called the city Constantinople, known to the people of the north as Mikklaborg.