...Constantine the Great Deathbed Memoir Constantine the Great: A Deathbed Memoir As I, Constantine the Great, lay on my deathbed, I would like to give an account of my life. On February 27th 280, I was born Flavius Valerius Constantinus in Naissus, Moesia (Nis, Serbia). My father was Flavius Valerius Constantius, an officer in the Roman army. My mother, Helma, a woman from humble beginnings, has been described as either my father’s wife or concubine. The nature of their relationship is an for which I am not clear. When I was 9, my father left my mother to marry Theodora, the stepdaughter of Maximian, the Western Roman emperor. This marriage presented an opportunity for my father to be positioned as deputy emperor under Maximian. I was offered the opportunity to be educated within the court of Diocletian, the Eastern Roman emperor. While in Eastern Rome, I would be educated in Latin and Greek and witness the persecution of Christians. This relationship with Theodora and my father’s influence would provided me the opportunity to embark on my own military career. In 305, after Maximian’s renunciation of the throne, my father became Emperor Constantius I. I, by now Constatine, joined my father on his military campaign then later fought alongside my father in Britain. One year later my father would die at Eboracum. As a result of his death, I was declared emperor by his troops (Constantine I, 2014) My rise to power was met with immediate opposition. My reign as emperor...
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...LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY The Impact the Alleged Conversion of Constantine the Great had on Christianity Submitted to Dr. Gregory Tomlin, in partial fulfillment of the degree requirements for the completion of the course CHHI 520-D02 History of Christianity I By Jerome O. Holmes May 4, 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 CONSTANTINE BACKGROUND 2 CONSTANTINE’S CONVERSION 3 THE AUTHENTICITY OF CONSTANTINE’S CONVERSION 4 CONSTANTINE CONVERSION AND ITS IMPACT ON CHRISTIANITY 6 CONCLUSION 12 BIBLIOGRAPHY 13 INTRODUCTION In an effort to create a, “new Rome,” out of the declining Roman Empire, Constantine the Great implemented many changes that included, but not limited to, openly embracing and supporting the Christians who had been persecuted under Roman emperors for three centuries. Edward A. Johnson, in his article, Constantine the Great: Imperial Benefactor of the Early Church stated that Constantine was an important figure in Roman history because, “…he ended the imperial persecution of the Church and unified the declining Roman Empire. Not much is known about Constantine personally. Much of what has been written regarding the emperor was writing by the historian Eusebius of Caesaria; and he presented Constantine in the best possible light. Constantine, as stated, is best known for his support of Christianity by the decisions he made and the edicts he passed. However, many scholars...
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...History of Christianity Constantine: A Rulers effect on Christianity Since the beginning of time, the ancient Romans worshipped hundreds of gods and goddesses. Many of those deities came from foreign lands that the Romans had conquered. As different faiths sprang up across the ever-expanding empire, they were more or less tolerated. Such open attitude, however, was not the case for Judaism and Christianity. Both religions pointedly refused to honor Roman gods and to idolize Roman emperors. As a result, the Jews and Christians endured centuries of hardship. That was until Constantine took control of Rome introducing tolerance throughout the empire. Throughout this paper the research will show how Constantine’s conversion to Christianity shaped and has continue to shape how Christianity spread throughout the World. Christian Life Before Constantine Before we can dive into how Constantine shaped the Christian world we need to talk about the life of a Christian before Constantine was emperor. A Christian’s life was not fully marked with persecution, as it is commonly believed. While Diocletian was sole emperor Christians lived in relative peace with the Roman government. Eusebius who described the time with extraordinary terms “the glory and the liberty with which the doctrine of piety was honoured” documented this fact. It was not until Diocletian shared the throne with Galerius that the empire began persecuting Christians again. The two of them convened in Nicmedia in...
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...Apostle Paul visited the religious and cultural experience of the Greco-Roman world through cities like Ephesus, Corinth, Thessalonica, and Rome; this lead him to the brazen act of spreading christianity beyond Palestine. In Rome, there were an innumerable amount of religions that were assimilated after a people's conquer; this was due to the fact that polytheism, in Rome, was accreditted. Eventually, the Pantheon was rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in the early second century in honor of his building program that pushed architects to build new and better landmarks as well as sculptures from artisans; also being Emperor, he was tasked with making temples. Easily distinguished Christian art is traceable to late of the second century, and early of the third. Although, the Old Testament writes off graven images, this did not defer future artisans from continuing their Greco-Roman culture, which was heavily based off of imagery, buildings, sculptures, and etc. As the religion, Christianity, continued to expand and gain more converts, many of whom were raised to appreciate images from previous religions, naturally wanted to continue their way of doing so. For example, there was a change in burial practices in the Roman world, and I quote, "Outside the city walls of Rome, adjacent to major roads, catacombs were dug into the ground to bury the dead. Families would have chambers or cubicula dug to bury their members. Wealthy Romans would also have sarcophagi or marble tombs carved for their...
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...this was heralded the age of the Emperor Constantine the Great, (312 to 337 A.D), who was both the inward life and outward strength of the Church. The Roman Catholics present him as laying the foundation for the Papacy, Protestants see him as the one responsible for leading the early Church away from the simplicity of the pure gospel and turning it into an institutional Church. Thus this short paper seeks to explore the life of Constantine and his contribution to the Christian church. Family and Birth of Constantine: Flavius Valerius Constantinus, known as Constantine the Great, was born on February 27, c. 280, in Naissus, in the province of Moesia Superior (Serbia). Constantine's mother was named Helena, described as a barmaid, and his father was a military officer named Constantius. Constantius would become the Emperor Constantius I (Constantius Chlorus) and Constantine's mother would become famous as the canonized St. Helena. Helena is thought to have found a portion of the cross of Jesus.Constantine had for siblings, three half-sister and three half-brothers, the products of his father's marriage to a second woman of less shady background than Helena's. On October 28, 312, Emperor Constantine met Emperor Maxentius, his major rival to the imperial throne, in battle just outside the city of Rome at the Milvian Bridge. The day before the battle, Constantine appealed to the God of the Christians to give him victory over the pagan Maxentius. In response, God gave him and his army...
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...The Roman Period Timeline of Roman Period Early History * 1000 BC - Latins begin to settle in Italy. * 753 BC - The city is allegedly founded in this year by Romulus and Remus. * 750 BC - Tarpeia besieges cities, and hands it over to the Sabines * 700 BC - Near Rome, the Etruscan civilization more or less begins. * 659 BC - The enemy city of Alba Longa is destroyed by the Romans. * 616 BC - The first Etruscan king of Rome, Tarquinius Priscus establishes a Forum and a Circus Maximus. * c.600 BC - Cloaca Maxima is probably first built around this year. * 578 BC - Servius Tullius becomes the next Etruscan king of Rome * 565 BC - Servian Walls are built. * 534 BC - King Servius is assassinated. * 510 BC - Temple of Jupiter on the Capitol is completed and consecrated. * 509 BC - Lucius Brutus founds the republic and expels the Etruscans and Tarquin the Proud from Rome. * 508 BC - A Treaty is made between Rome and Carthage. * 507 BC - The famous war against the Etruscans begins, featuring hero Horatio. Republic * 499 BC - A battle against foreign tribes commences, including the construction of the Temple of Castor and Pollux. * 396 BC - The Etruscan city of Veio is defeated by the Romans * 390 BC - Rome is sacked by the Gauls after the Battle of the Allia * 380 BC - The once destroyed Servian Wall is reconstructed. * 312 BC - The Via Appia and Aqua Appia are constructed. * 264 - 241 BC - First Punic...
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...Architecture in Rome Ancient Roman architecture took certain architectural aspects from different areas to create a unique and highly admired form of architecture. However, they were not able to do this overnight. In fact, for the first few centuries after it was founded, the people of Rome resided in very basic huts with no outstanding architectural merit. According to oxford dictionary a hut is “a dwelling of ruder and meaner construction and (usually) smaller than a house.” It was under the rule of the Etruscans that they developed more complex structures that served specific purposes, such as a temple dedicated to a god. The Etruscans themselves borrowed many aspects of their architectural designs from Ancient Greece and expanded upon it. One may notice that the time that Rome began its first step into architectural greatness was around 509 BC, when it became Republican Rome. “With the expulsion of the Etruscan kings Rome was free to shape her own destinies” (Sear 14). Since Rome was finally free from the constraints of its conquerors it now had the liberty to create whatever they wished in whatever manner they preferred. Though evidence of Greek influence could still be found, Rome began to develop a style of their own; however, once Rome conquered nations across the Mediterranean Sea it incorporated many of the building designs which were reflected in the buildings of their capital. Imperial Rome is seen as both the lowest and highest point in Rome’s history. During...
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...Architecture Comprehensive Examination Reviewer HISTORY AND THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE 1. The ornamental blocks fixed vertically at regular intervals along the lower edge of a roof to cover end tiles. a. ancones c. acroteria b. Antifixae 2. A continuous base or structure in which a colonnade is placed. a. stereobate c. stylobate b. Torus 3. The market in Greek architecture. a. Megaron c. agora b. Pylon 4. The smallest among the famous pyramids at Gizeh. a. Pyramid of Cheops c. Pyramid of Chephren b. Pyramid of Mykerinos 5. The largest outer court, open to the sky, in Egyptian temple. a. Sanctuary c. Irypaetral b. Irypostyle 6. The inner secret chamber in the mastaba which contains the statue of the deceased family member. a. Pilaster c. serdab b. Sarcophagus 7. The grandest of all Egyptian temples. a. Palace of Sargon c. Great temple of Ammon, Karnak b. Great temple of Abu-Simbel 8. The principal interior decoration of early Christian churches. a. stained glass c. painting b. mosaic 9. In early Christian churches, it is the covered space between the atrium and the church which was assigned to penitents. a. baldachino c. narthex b. apse 10. A dome placed on the drum. a. simple c. compound b. superpositioned 11. The architect of a church of Santa Sophia Constantinople, the most important church in Constantinople. a. Ictinus and Callicrates b. Apollodorous of Damascus and Isidorous on Miletus c. Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorous of Miletus 12. The second largest medieval cathedral...
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