ipl-logo

Constantine I's Moving To Byzantium: Reasons And Consequences

1357 Words6 Pages

Constantine I`s Moving to Byzantium: Reasons and Consequences Introduction In Livy’s opus magnum about the history of Rome, Roman Empire was identified with its capital city. The Roman Empire was a republic, and Rome was the heart of the Republic. Rome had a great antecedent, but its future was ambiguous. Therefore, emperor Constantine I changed the capital and its future on 11 May 330 (Ostrogorsky, 1986). This essay will try to explain why Constantine I moved the Roman capital to Byzantium and the consequences of this changing. There are several reasons that are hypothesised by scholars about changing the capital of the Roman Empire, mainly for religious purposes. However, this essay will argue how Constantine I decided to move the Roman capital to Byzantium due mostly to strategic and politico-economic reasons rather than wholly religious aims, and this decision also had several significant and irreversible impacts on Christendom.
1. Background Through the era between 27 BC and 180 AD, which is called “Pax-Romana” by chroniclers, the most powerful political structure of the East was the Roman Empire (Gibbon, 1996). However, after the death of emperor Marcus Aurelius, a crisis in the Empire had been upheld until the reign of Diocletian (Eutropius, 1993). There were diverse reasons for this crisis. …show more content…

Therefore, Constantine I wants to utilise the unifying power of Christianity between the paupers and elites (Burkchardt, 1983). Also, he purposed to use the harmonious cooperation of the religious and otherworldly authority in Christianity. That is, while Constantine was deciding to move the Roman capital, he recognised the power of Christianity due to his political contemplations but not religious

Show More
Related
2010 Words | 9 Pages

This created a massive controversy between Constantine and the christian

Read More
1525 Words | 7 Pages

James Henry Hammond and the Old South A Design for Mastery by Drew Gilpin Faust Southern civilization and society regarded many accomplishments and actions in highly while regarding others lowly. Political success, social status, land tenure, family connections and wealth are the most important and sought after attributes of measuring success among the old southern society. Qualities that are treated negatively among the old southern society included sexual misconduct, family conflicts, unionist political ideals and general disrespect towards other members of the society. James Henry Hammond was an unusual character who embodied both sides of the positives and negatives of the old southern society. James Henry Hammond was a southern man who exhibited both the positive values of success and prestige as well as exhibiting negative values that brought shame and humiliation among his family and the South Carolina society during his lifetime.

Read More
149 Words | 1 Pages

”National Geographic,www.nationalgeographic.com/. Syme,Ronald. The Roman Revolution. TheClarendonPress,1939. “WelcometoPrimaryFacts.”Primary

Read More
670 Words | 3 Pages

There were two major civilizations for Christianity, which was Byzantium and the Roman Empire, both splitting in a feud between several arguments. The Roman Empire eventually collapsed, yet the Byzantium with Orthodox Christianity survived and lived on. Byzantium spread their influence to places like the Balkans, and especially western Russia. The capital of Byzantium was Constantinople, built by a foundation of a town called Byzantium. This capital, at the times when both the Roman Empire and Byzantium were parts of each other, was where new, separate eastern emperors ruled.

Read More
742 Words | 3 Pages

1. Constantine was a former soldier that was given the title of Cesare of the West (in the Roman Tetrarchy created by Diocletian), and was assigned to the furthest reach of the empire which was the English city of York. 2. Constantine issues the Edict of Milan which declared official tolerance for Christianity. He also demanded the Christians to change their day of worship from the Hebrew Sabbath to the Roman day of the Sun.

Read More
470 Words | 2 Pages

Why did you pick this topic? I selected this topic based upon my deep interest in Roman history and the controversial topic of religion. 2. 2.

Read More
1738 Words | 7 Pages

The history book Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization by Lars Brownworth is about the Roman Empire from the time it was created to the time it fell. This book includes the main and important people and events that make up the history of the Roman empire. In the book Lars wrote “ This book is my small attempt to redress that situation, to give voice to a people who have remained voiceless far too long. It’s intended to whet the appetite, to expose the reader to the vast sweep of Byzantine history, and to put flesh and sinew on their understanding of the East and the West” (p. xviii). The author states that the purpose of the book is to expose the reader to Byzantine history, to give the reader a

Read More
1072 Words | 5 Pages

The book by Peter H. Wilson explores the time of the Holly Roman Empire through the prism of the social, cultural and political events, which shaped its legacy. Moreover, it informs the reader about the development, structure and the significance of the Empire in its last centuries, by thoroughly revising the history, updating and expanding the gathered information. Wilson is a professor at the University of Hull, a well-established specialist in early modern German history, with a particular interest in the Holy Roman Empire between 1495 and 1806 and the impact of war and its impact in Europe. He presents an absorbing picture of those turbulent years and has acknowledged the key figures and themes that brought impact in the society and the political development of the countries within the Empire. The author tells us the story while deceiving all key events and shows us how they influenced the next generations, pointing out all political and diplomatic challenges the Holy Roman Empire faced, from its establishment all the way to its demise in 1806.

Read More
169 Words | 1 Pages

In conclusion, the goals outlined by Justinian in my opinion included the reformation of the existing Roman law, the expansion of Byzantium, and the support for religious unity, were all achieved to different degrees by one of the greatest emperors of the Western world, Justinian. Justinian sought to reform the Empire and bring it back to life after the western half of the Roman Empire was lost. Due to Justinian and his substantial effort to restore Rome, Justinian has earned the nickname of the “Last Roman”. Justinian’s ambition and servitude towards the restoration of the Roman Empire is admirable and inspiring. Not only did Justinian’s legacy help shape Rome and the Roman Empire for years after his death, but his legacy leaves history with

Read More
2115 Words | 9 Pages

Jones' "The Later Roman Empire 284-602: A Social, Economic, and Administrative Survey" is a significant source for investigating the influence of Diocletian's rule. The strengths of this source lie in its comprehensive scope and meticulous analysis of various aspects of the Roman Empire during the period in question. Jones's extensive examination of administrative structures is crucial for understanding Diocletian's reforms. His expertise in Roman administrative history lends credibility to his interpretations. Additionally, the book covers social and economic factors, providing a holistic view of the era, which is valuable for assessing the broader impact of the Diocletian

Read More
596 Words | 3 Pages

Such changes in tradition advanced under Emperor Constantine, who established Constantinople as the capital city of the Roman Empire. From this, the empire split between its east and west sides. Both sides developed differently, with the Eastern Empire becoming “more populous, prosperous, and central [...] the western provinces were becoming poorer and more peripheral” (204). Since the empire’s power now resided in Constantinople, the Eastern Empire flourished while the Western Empire fell. At this point, the Roman Empire began dissolving into different

Read More
1484 Words | 6 Pages

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,

Read More
974 Words | 4 Pages

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

Read More
1149 Words | 5 Pages

Following the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD the Byzantine Empire was born to survive for 1000 years before the Turks conquered it in 1453 AD. Its capital was Constantinople a name derived from Emperor Constantine. During its existence, the empire enjoyed strong economic, cultural, and military power in entire Europe. A description of the Byzantine Empire will reveal its religion, social

Read More
829 Words | 4 Pages

This paper aims at differentiating and matching the medieval society in Europe and Byzantine Empire. Among the major similarities between Byzantine Empire and the medieval society in Europe was the existence of a dominant religion which was Christianity. At the time of the rule of the Romans, Christianity was legalized by Emperor Constantine. This outlawed torment and punishments for those who acknowledged Christianity as their faith.

Read More

More about Constantine I's Moving To Byzantium: Reasons And Consequences

Related Topics

Open Document