Constantine the Great is one of the most prominent figures of the ancient world who has dramatically influenced the history of the modern world. Constantine’s triumph of political dominance of his time, led to the success of Christianity rising as the dominant religion in the Roman word, and perhaps the modern world. Constantine was the son of Helena and Constantius. In 289 AD, the western emperor chose Constantius to serve him. Constantius and Galerius were promoted to Caesar and eventually to Augusti. Constantine benefited greatly from his father’s promotion and his duty fell to the battlefield (Lenski, 2006:59-60). After his father’s death in 306 A.D, there became fierce competition between him and Maxentius for the role of emperor. …show more content…
These radical changes made to the Christian church allowed for imperial involvement in the religious cult, but it also allowed for a new power and influence of the church on politics and governing of the Roman Empire. The advance in power and status of Christian leaders has been maintained still in modern eras. Although it is debatable whether Christian leaders are as significant and powerful as the period of Constantine’ rule, it is blatantly obvious how Constantine and his Christianization marked the stepping stones for a lot of political and religious relations, as still seen today in the collaboration of the Queen of England and the Pope (Lenski, …show more content…
From uniting Rome under one single empire, legalizing Christianity, spreading and maintaining the Christian faith and dominance, and his military and economic tactics. However, aside from all his obvious victories and influences, what is so captivating about Constantine, is the man he was rather than his actions. It is entirely intriguing how a single man could manifest and hold such power in order to execute all these significant events in history, and it is this that strengthens his legacy (Odahl,
Charlemagne was also known as Charles the Great. He was king of the Franks and he united the majority of Western Europe during the early Middle Ages. On top of that, he laid the foundations for modern France and Germany. He attempted to unite all Germanic peoples into one kingdom and convert his subjects to Christianity. Being a skilled military strategist, he spent much of his reign in warfare so that he could manage to accomplish his goals. Because of his position, he encouraged the Carolingian Renaissance.
Many historians hail him as a good emperor because of his positive contributions to the Church. Before Constantine's reign the church was underground and was hardly recognized as a legitimate religion, in fact Christians were recognized as cannibals (because of the ordinance of the Lord's supper) or atheists because they didn't believe in Paganism. Christianity started off small, it was an offshoot of Judaism, but it slowly became bigger and bigger and when Constantine came to power it was the second biggest religion in the Roman empire. Christianity became so popular, even Constantine himself converted making the religion the religion of the state. This made Christianity very popular, suddenly high class people and the wealthy started converting,
I. Introduction Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great, was a medieval ruler who served as the King of the Franks and later the first Holy Roman Emperor from 768 to 814 CE. He is known for his military conquests, religious reforms, and promotion of education and culture in Europe. On the other hand, the Caesars were the rulers of the Roman Empire, one of the most significant civilizations in human history. They ruled from the foundation of the Roman Republic in 509 BCE to the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast the achievements, reigns, and legacies of Charlemagne and the Caesars.
Constantine was the son of a Roman Emperor. Rome was divided into three territories in the year 300 CE, by different governors. Nobody wanted to assume the authority and responsibility of taking over the Roman Empire because of the recent death of Constantine's father. As a result, Constantine would be the next Roman Emperor of the territory that his father used to govern. In the book, “Life of Constantine” Eusebius focuses on pathos, ethos, and mainly religion.
Compare and contrast the leadership and impact of Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great. Both Khan and Alexander are great leaders. They both conquered large territories and were able to guide both the leaders and the armies underneath their command. Alexander consolidated the Greeks into one empire (although being a Macedonian he was not really seen as Greek), This stopped all intestine wars among the Hellenic cities and somehow put order in the empire, transform Greece into a tremendous war machine that allowed him to conquer their eternal enemies the Persians and most of countries under their domain, reach as far as India before his death. As he was absorbed by Persian customs, and vices, most historians say he forgot his homeland, so
Throughout history, there have been many significant events that have affected the world in different ways, one being the invention of Christianity. The role of Christianity has been complexly tangled with the history and formation of the western civilization. Christianity has affected the world in many ways, but most noticeably through politics by diminishing the power of Roman authority, society by affecting the way Roman citizens live, and religion by stopping the progression of Islam. First, the invention of Christianity had a huge effect on the politics of the western civilization.
Once Constantine became Emperor, he created freedom of Religion. Constantine was an influential role in the proclamation of the Edict of Milan, partially because he had converted to Christianity a year before the Edict of Milan was signed and agreed to. The Edict of Milan was a document, created in 313, that granted tolerance toward Christianity. The document had benefits for Christians, which legalized their
Charlemagne was a christian emperor during the middle ages who ruled a large sum of western Europe from the late 700’s to the early 800’s. As a strong and energetic emperor, Charlemagne had many accomplishments during his reign which range from many of his political achievements to creating a school inside his palace where he heavily promoted and supported education. Charlemagne’s political background was extensive since he was the king of the Franks and spent a lot of his time in warfare. Charlemagne also converted many to Christianity. Some may claim that Charlemagne was the reason for the survival of Christianity in western Europe.
Diocletian tormented many of the Christians until they perished (Alchin). After about three hundred years, it became easier for the Christians. Constantine, the emperor of Rome at the time, converted to Christianity. This resulted in the end of the persecutions and the beginning of Christendom. In the year 313, Constantine issued to Edict of Milan.
During the early Pax Romana, Christianity, emerged and it spread rapidly in the Roman Empire. The founder of Christianity was Jesus who used parables with moral lessons to communicate his ideas. Jesus emphasized mercy, sympathy for the poor and helpless, morality, forgiveness, and service to others. Christianity eventually became the official religion of Rome because of its unifying force and the fact that it appealed to all classes in society. The humble, poor and oppressed found comfort in his message of love, equality, human dignity, and promise for a better life.
Bishops gained a lot of power with control of church memberships, finances, and the selection of priests. In 590, “Gregory the Great was named Bishop of Rome…and named himself ‘Pope’ and the ‘Head of the Universal Church.’” He was the key to asserting papal primacy and started the requirement of confession and penance. He also worked to convert the pagan kings, hoping more people would follow in their footsteps. With the belief that Constantine left his crown to the papacy, the future Popes had the power to crown the emperor acting as god’s representative.
Alexander of Macedon and Charlemagne of the Franks have been tagged as “the Great.” Alexander the Great during the fourth century transformed Greece from Hellenic to Hellenistic era. He was nicknamed as ‘the Great’ because of his conquests that made his empire become the largest in the ancient world. His empire was spread throughout Greece, Persia, and Egypt. Centuries later, a man named Charles the Great ruled France for 40 years.
In spite of that time-frame, the relations between the Middle-Age Empires and the Roman Catholic Church prior to the
It is through them that God exercises his empire” (Western 775). The Christian religion was paramount in the lives of nearly all Europeans and legitimized the idea that God acted directly through a monarch. Divine direction even played a part in the
In Christianity, the Bishop of Rome, or the Pope, is the leader of the religion. The Pope has had significant influence on the world stage throughout history. The Pope in the early stages of Christianity helped its rapid spread. Through the middle ages, the Pope was just as large of a political leader in Europe as he was a religious leader within Christianity. His influence of the spread of the Christian faith as well as the developments of modern European culture and history makes the Pope and his Papacy one of the most influential and enduring institutions in the history of the world.