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He was a worshipper of Mithra. That was not a political ploy and it endeared him to the military whome he needed badly to hold the empire (what was left of it) together.
The other side of it was Christianity - or rather, the look thereof. I can go on and on about the lengths to which Christianity was perverted into a state religion for the sake of "unity" of empire. It was nothing but a political tool for the Emperor to use. That really chaffs some butts to say; but, when you read what the facts show rather than the popular myths, you get a whole different story that many would rather not be heard.

Constantine is credited with putting down Arianism and Donatism. The truth of the matter is Donatism outlived him and he preferred the arians - keeping them as his closest and most trusted advisors. He was no friend to Christianity and ultimately is responsible for helping to pervert it beyond belief into something that now bears little resemblance to Christianity and none if you remove the names and images. It's a conglomeration of pagan rites and holidays combined with philosophies that stand apart from Christianity in look, and substance...

Anyway, I haven't read the Golden Bough; but, I shall have to from the sound of things. I have a pretty good library of religion based books and a great deal of research material on religions in general. I largely am an egyptology fan; but, I'm a Christian in the original sense of the word rather than the modern philosophical sense that anything mixed with christianity is christianity so I have a pretty well tuned sniffer for garbage facts and out them at any chance as the lies they are lol. One of my favorites is "Constantine the Great: the man and his times" by Michael Grant. He at once shreds Eusebius and put's him in context and does so with the facts - my kinda guy lol.