Exploring new horizons in history extension conference on thursday 1 june, 2017. Sergiu popescu 5 saint emperor constantine the great and the. Constantine i the great constantine i, the great, is one of the most important figures in history, but he is also one of the most enigmatic. Pdf the relation between christianity and paganism in the reign. Constantine was the first christian emperor of the roman empire. Born in naissus, in dacia ripensis, the city now known as nis in serbia, he was the. Thomas halton the catholic university ofamerica constantine the great. He continued most of the policies of his predecessor diocletian, while also breaking radically with his legacy. Because it expanded in all directions, rome found itself in. In 3, constantine and licinius issued the edict of milan decriminalizing christian worship. In the present work it has been the authors design to describe the remarkable half century from the accession of diocletian to the death of constantine in its quality as a period of transition. Many of the roman emperors that came before him were openly hostile to.
Constantines decision to cease the persecution of christians in the roman empire was a turning point for early christianity, sometimes referred to as the triumph of the church, the peace of the church or the constantinian shift. May 22, 337 ad in nicomedia, turkey best known for. Constantine the great blender of christianity and paganism. Constantine the great, constantine i, saint constantine. In 306, upon the death of their leader, the soldiers of constantius acclaimed constantine as emperor, more specifically, as augustus. He was the first christian emperor and saw the empire begin to become a christian state.
Emperor constantine and constantinople facts istanbul clues. Constantine the great even commissioned the construction of several grand cathedrals. For the first time in ancient rome, christians could openly practice their religion without fear. The competition is completely realized via the internet and in accordance with the competition rulebook pdf. Did constantine decide what books belonged in the bible. In 314 constantine sent a message to the assembled bishops at the council of arles. This thesis is about constantine the great and his bronze coinage. However, legends and archaeological evidence suggest a different story it seems that constantine had a secret about his faith which was hidden for centuries. Constantine was a roman emperor who lived from 274 to 337 a. This document has been generated from xsl extensible stylesheet language source with renderx xep formatter, version 3. Constantine then summoned what has become known as the first ecumenical council of the church. An eminent classical historian founders of the western world, 1991, etc.
He made the persecution of christians illegal by signing the edict of milan in 3 and helped spread the religion by bankrolling churchbuilding projects, commissioning new copies of the bible, and summoning councils of theologians to hammer out the religions doctrinal kinks. Was the emperor constantine a true christian or was he a. Robert considered the martyrium pionii not only authentic but a jewel among ancient texts. Constantine the great and christian imperial theocracy core. After two months of furious religious debate, this pagan politician intervened and decided in favor of those who said that jesus was god. Constantine the great was a roman emperor of illyrian ancestry who ruled from 306 to 337 ad. Founding his capital at constantinople, constantine revitalized the eastern half of the empire, enabling it to survive and to flourish as the byzantine empire for another thousand years. We look at constantines conversion at the battle of milvian bridge, his attempts to. This thesis analyzes the first of constantines two great decisions. Constantine became the first christian roman emperor and his founding of the city of constantinople brought about the beginning of the east roman empire which today we call byzantium. Christians very often have had to follow the advice of our saviour to be subtle as. It is very important to clarify exactly what role the emperor constantine played in the council of nicea, what the purpose for the council was, what happened at nicea, and briefly how the canonthe bible as we know itwas formed. Constantine replaced a pagan shrine with a christian building to honor the martyrdom of an. Constantines exposure to imperial life began early when he was taken to the court of diocletian.
The emperor became a great patron of the church and set a precedent for. Soon after arriving, constantine found his father on his deathbed. The vision of constantine in the summer of 312 before the battle of milvian bridge has been a source of considerable debate. The christianization of the roman empire under constantine. Constantines faith was still imprecise, but few questioned its authenticity. The age of constantine the great work by burckhardt. Flavius valerius aurelius constantinus, emperor of rome. Christian light, and would seem to indicate a great departure. He was a popular emperor, famous for the numerous administrative, financial, social, and military reforms he implemented to strengthen the empire. Written contemporaneous histories, however, cast constantine in a tremendously. Flavius valerius constantinus constantine the great roman emperor. It is no secret that rome was pagan, and in the time up to constantine s conversion the worship of the sun, sol invictus, was most popular. The controversy of constantines conversion comes from the debate over his legitimacy as a convert to christianity. After nicaea, debates on the subject continued for decades.
What was intended was not a history of the life and reign of constantine, nor yet an encyclopedia of all worthwhile information pertaining to this period. Being the first roman emperor to convert to christianity and establishing the city of constantinople also known as. He was the first roman emperor to convert to christianity and played a crucial role in the spread of the religion. While he recognized that the rise of christianity was inevitable and that it was necessary for the. He is known for his economic, political, and military achievements, as well as his religious reforms. The organizer of the international competition, constantine the great, is the faculty of arts in nis, the university of nis and the city of nis. Constantine the great and the christian church by norman h. Ad 272 22 may ad 337, also known as constantine i, was a roman emperor who ruled between ad 306 and 337. Constantine the great is known in history as the first roman emperor to convert to christianity. It is a pleasure to accord the same rating among modern editions to the present work. The opening session was held on 20 may 325 in the great hall of the palace at nicaea, constantine himself presiding and giving the opening speech. Sozomen refers to a great oak tree outside the city walls where. Galerius was wary of allowing constantine to leave the danube region, but provided his tacit assent.
The controversy of constantines conversion to christianity. This video covers the life and reign of constantine the great, the first christian emperor of the roman empire. Already 1 have all mankind united in celebrating with joyous festivities the completion of the second and third decennial period of this great emperors reign. The age of constantine the great by jacob burckhardt. The first chapter talks about the interdisciplinary aspects of numismatics and how it can be a great asset to historians. Flavius valerius constantinus constantine the great. Constantine the great delves into the reasons why the reign of this roman emperor 30637 marked an historical epoch, albeit one charged with irony. Constantine the great was the roman emperor from to conversion to christianity. Constantine the great by holsapple, lloyd burdwin, 1884publication date 1942. The decline and fall of the roman empire, volume 3 edward gibbon. Church history, life of constantine, oration in praise of constantine by eusebius pamphilius. Emperor constantine the great and constantinople facts.
Ais conference centre, level 12, 99 york street, sydney. Constantine was immediately proclaimed caesar by his troops, and his title was acknowledged by galerius somewhat hesitatingly. Constantine was a man who was constantly traveling across the roads of the roman empire from britain to syria, fighting significant battles at important sites along those routes, meeting with catholic bishops for church councils at key sites, filling the great. Constantine i was a roman emperor who ruled early in the 4th century. Constantine reigned during the 4th century ce and is known for attempting to christianize the roman empire. Constantine joined his father, under whom he had just time to distinguish himself in britain before death carried off constantius 25 july, 306. Pdf in numerous ways, the first christian emperor, constantine i r. Constantine the great ad 280337 was one of romes most powerful and successful emperors and the first to selfidentify as a christian. Other articles where the age of constantine the great is discussed. The second chapter is about constantine and christianity.