why did constantine move the capital of the roman empire?

Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Byzantium (later renamed Constantinople) primarily for strategic, economic, political, and military reasons. Byzantium was located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, offering better access to eastern provinces and key trade routes, and provided natural defenses. The move distanced Constantine from the entrenched political struggles in Rome and positioned the capital closer to wealthier and more stable eastern provinces. It allowed for quicker military responses to threats both from barbarian invasions along the Danube frontier and Persian threats in the East. Moreover, this relocation symbolized a new era for the empire under Constantine's vision of a unified, Christian empire, with Constantinople as a fresh political and cultural center representing prosperity and stability. This new capital laid the foundation for the Byzantine Empire, which lasted over a millennium after the Western Roman Empire's decline.