Constantine and the Bishops

The Politics of Intolerance

Datos Bibliográficos

ID3939620
AutoresT D Barnes, H A Drake
Año2000
Volumen54
Número3/4
Páginas381
Fecha de publicación2000-01-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaPhoenix (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0031-8299 • E-ISSN: 1929-4883
EditorialJSTOR (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/1089082
OpenAlexW2000003213
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas45

Historians who viewed imperial Rome in terms of a conflict between pagans and Christians have often regarded the emperor Constantine's conversion as the triumph of Christianity over paganism. This study takes a fresh look at Constantine's rule uncovering the political motivations behind his policies. Constantine, H.A. Drake suggests, was looking not only for a god in whom to believe, but also a policy he could adopt. Drake shows how these policies were constructed to ensure the stability of the empire and fulfill Constantine's imperial duty in securing the favour of heaven. Despite the emperor's conversion to Christianity, Drake concludes, Rome remained a world filled with gods and with men seeking to depose rivals from power. He shows how Christian belief motivated and gave shape to imperial rule

Bishops · Political science · Politics · Classical Antiquity Studies · Classical Studies and Legal History · Historical and Religious Studies of Rome · Law · Medicine