Constantine and the Bishops

by Drake, H. A.

• ISBN13: 9780801871047
• ISBN10: 0801871042
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-08-19
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins Univ Pr

Summary

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. 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.

Author Biography

H. A. Drake is a professor of history at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	xiii
Preface	xv
I. PRELIMINARIES	1	(110)
Constantinople, A.D. 335	3	(32)
The Game of Empire	35	(37)
The Church &comes a Player	72	(39)
II. OPPORTUNITIES	111	(122)
The Old Guard Changes	113	(41)
In Search of a Vision	154	(38)
Building a Coalition	192	(41)
III. CONSEQUENCES	233	(120)
Consensus Politics	235	(38)
Controlling the Message	273	(36)
Controlling the Agenda	309	(44)
IV. UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES	353	(132)
The Fine Print	355	(38)
Power Players	393	(48)
Milan, 390	441	(44)
Appendix: The First Sirmondian Constitution	485	(4)
Notes	489	(52)
Works Cited	541	(58)
Index	599