Constantine

A Well-Written Essay on Constantine
Discuss the events which led to the conversion of Constantine, its nature and the impact of his treatment of the church on the church/state relationship which characterized the Middle Ages. Specifically, what role did the heresies play in the development of Constantine's control of the church and in the relationship between the church and state?

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Constantine was the first Christian emperor. Like many Romans, he was a member of the sun cult. In 312 a.d., he was on his way to meet his rival for the throne in battle when he saw a sign


emblazoned on the sun with the words "in hoc signo vinces" (by this sign you shall conquer) written underneath. The sign was the symbol of a small cult within the empire, that of Christianity. It represented the first two greek letters in the name of Christ, the chi and the rho from christos. Constantine interpreted this sign to mean that if he fought under the banner of Christianity, he would win a victory. In 312 a.d. at the Battle of Milvian Bridge, his men displayed this symbol on their shields and defeated his rival for the throne. One year later, in 313 a.d., Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, which granted toleration to the Christian faith and allowed Christians for the first time to practice their religion openly without fear of persecution. The Christian church was also granted special privileges and tax exemptions in the empire, and much of their confiscated property was returned. The edict thus gave Christianity preference over other faiths, although it did not make Christianity the official religion in the empire. Throughout his career, Constantine would interpret his vision and subsequent victory as a sign that his power as emperor was dependent on his protection of the Christian faith and church.

For this reason, Constantine did not tolerate heresy, which is the deliberate holding of a... [continues]

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