The Sun, the
Sign, and Jeanne Rutenburg, University
of Maryland I. How and
why did II. What was a Christian Roman Emperor? III. What were the results
of How great was Constantine the Great?
Sun gods: Apollo. Helios, Mithra, Sol Invictus (the Unconquered Sun) Diocletian 284-305 the tetrarchy: reform of imperial administration 2 senior co-emperors (augusti) West and East 2 junior co-emperors (caesares) West and East to succeed Augusti who would retire after 20 years. The 2 new augusti would choose 2 new caesars. West: Maximian (retired in 305) East: Diocletian (retired in 305)
Constantius (father of Constantius (d. 306) Galerius/ Licinius (augustus in 312) 312 312 conversion: “Hoc Signo Vinces!” “By this Sign Conquer!” (accounts by Lactantius c. 315, and Eusebius c.338) Labarum battle standard Chi Rho (Greek letters XP) 313 Edict
of Donatist Controversy (Donatus,
priest in Arian Controversy (Arius) Council of Nicea 325 Nicene Creed theocracy Caesaropapism: the ruler controls both state and Church God Constantine “savior emperor” Christ (God-man)
Constantinople
330
Eusebius,
Bishop of Caesarea The Life
of 1. Edict of “We, Constantinus and Licinius the Emperors, having met in concord at Milan and having set in order everything which pertains to the common good and public security, are of the opinion that among the various things which we perceived would profit men, or which should be set in order, the first was to be found in the cultivation of religion; we should therefore give both to Christians and to all others free facility to follow the religion which each may desire, so that by this means whatever divinity is enthroned in heaven may be gracious and favourable to us and to all who have been placed under our authority. Therefore we are of the opinion that the following decision is in accordance with sound and true reasoning: that no one who has given his mental assent to the Christian persuasion or to any other which he feels suitable to him should be compelled to deny his conviction, so that the Supreme Godhead (“Summa Divinitas”), whose worship we freely observe, can assist us in all things with his wonted favour and benevolence.”(My emphasis) 2. Theocracy: Eusebius of Caesarea, The Life of “Thus, like a faithful and good servant, did he [Constantine] act and testify, openly declaring and confessing himself the obedient minister of the supreme King. And God forthwith rewarded him, by making him ruler and sovereign, and victorious to such a degree that he alone of all rulers pursued a continual course of conquest, unsubdued and invincible, and through his trophies a greater ruler than tradition records ever to have been before. So dear was he to God, and so blessed; so pious and so fortunate in all that he undertook, that with the greatest facility he obtained the authority over more nations than any who had preceded him…” 3. “It was
by the Will of God that all, the Supreme Governor of the whole universe, by his own will
appointed 4. “MOREOVER, by loud proclamation and monumental
inscriptions he made known to all men the salutary symbol, [the Christian
cross] setting up this great trophy of victory over his enemies in the
midst of the imperial city, and expressly causing it to be engraved
in indelible characters, that the salutary symbol was the safeguard
of the Roman government and of the entire empire. Accordingly, he immediately
ordered a lofty spear in the figure of a cross to be placed beneath
the hand of a statue representing himself, in the most frequented part
of Rome, and the following inscription to be engraved on it in the Latin
language: BY VIRTUE OF THIS SALUTARY SIGN, WHICH IS THE TRUE TEST OF
VALOR, I HAVE PRESERVED AND LIBERATED YOUR CITY FROM THE YOKE OF TYRANNY.
I HAVE ALSO SET AT 5. Caesaropapism: “THUS the emperor in all his actions honored
God, the Controller of all things, and exercised an unwearied oversight
over His churches. And God requited him, by subduing all barbarous
nations under his feet, so that he was able everywhere to raise trophies
over his enemies: and He proclaimed him as conqueror to all mankind,
and made him a terror to his adversaries: not indeed that this was his
natural character, since he was rather the meekest, and gentlest, and
most benevolent of men.” [ 6. In 314 Constantine intervened in the Donatist controversy and schism in the North African Church, attempting to restore unity:“I consider it absoutely contrary to the divine law that we should overlook such quarrels and contentions, whereby the Highest Divinity may perhaps be moved to wrath, not only against the human race, but also against me, myself, to whose care He has, by his celestial will, committed the government of all earthly things.” A savior-emperor: Eusebius’s
political theory presented his own place, right in the middle. He would thus be venerated as a “13th apostle” by all who came to venerate the 12 apostles in the church. “With a superabundant faith, he looked forward to the fact that his body would share in the title of the apostles themselves, and that after his death he would be the subject, together with the apostles,of the acts of devotion performed to honor them in this place.” 7. A divine emperor:
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