Constantine and Rome: The Context of Innovation
Constantine and Rome: The Context of Innovation
This chapter attempts to restore the actions of Constantine more closely to their original context — a context where Constantine was not the liberator of Christians, but like Severus before him, the avenging destroyer of an illegitimate regime. This is not to deny him a genuine attachment, to whatever kind to Christianity; it is to appreciate more fully the topographical impact of Christianity alongside the workings of imperial patronage and the dynamics of violent succession. It is shown that Constantine's piety was tempered by a formidable political instinct. The employment of imperial property at the Lateran and to the south and east of the city emphasized Constantine's personal patronage of the Christian cult.
Keywords: Constantine, Christians, Christianity
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