Constantine and the Bishops: The Politics of IntoleranceHistorians 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. But in Constantine and the Bishops, historian H. A. Drake offers a fresh and more nuanced understanding of Constantine's rule and, especially, of his relations with Christians. Constantine, Drake suggests, was looking not only for a god in whom to believe but also a policy he could adopt. Uncovering the political motivations behind Constantine's policies, Drake shows how those policies were constructed to ensure the stability of the empire and fulfill Constantine's imperial duty in securing the favor 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. A book for students and scholars of ancient history and religion, Constantine and the Bishops shows how Christian belief motivated and gave shape to imperial rule. |
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... words of caution , and self - defense . Much of what has become the apparatus of classical scholarship — prosopography , inscriptions , close analysis of texts for chronological clues — is prominent in these pages only by its absence ...
... words . Books , like children , take on lives of their own . It seems fitting , therefore , to dedicate this newest offspring to my two other children , who for so long have had to make room for a jealous and demanding sibling . May its ...
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Contents
Constantinople AD 335 | 3 |
The Game of Empire | 35 |
The Church Becomes a Player | 72 |
Opportunies | 111 |
The Old Guard Changes | 113 |
In Search of a Vision | 154 |
Building a Coalition | 192 |
Consequences | 233 |
Controlling the Agenda | 309 |
Unintended Consequences | 353 |
The Fine Print | 355 |
Power Players | 393 |
Milan 390 | 441 |
The First Sirmondian Constitution | 485 |
Notes | 489 |
Works Cited | 541 |