Constantine I turn against Paganism
Encyclopedia
Constantine I turn against Paganism evolved during Constantine I
's reign, and went from the initial prohibition on the construction of new temples and the toleration of Pagan sacrifices, to orders for the pillaging and the tearing down of pagan temple
s by the end of his reign.
Constantine dedicated Constantinople with two Neoplatonist and friends Sopater
and Praetextus
present at its dedication. A year and a half later after dedicating the City of Constantinople, on Monday 11 May 330, when the festival of Saint Mocius was celebrated, the city was finally dedicated. The goddess Tyche was invited to come and live in the city, and her statue was placed in the hand of the statue of the emperor that was on top of the Column of Constantine
, on the Forum with the same name. Although by now Constantine openly supported Christianity, the city still offered room to pagan cults: there were shrines for the Dioscuri and Tyche
. The Acropolis
, with its ancient pagan temples, was left as it was. As for worshipping the emperor, Constantine's mausoleum gave him a Christ-like status: his tomb was set amid 12 monuments, each containing relics of one of the Apostles. Constantine had continued to engage in pagan rituals. The emperor still claimed to be a supernatural being, although the outward form of this personality cult had become Christian.
According to some authors, the issuing of the Edict of Milan
, showed that Constantine continued the policy of toleration that Galerius had established. He "continued to pay his public honors to the Sun", on coins that showed him jointly with Sol, whereas other imperial coins showed the Chi-Rho
sign (a symbol which had previously been used on coinage by the virulently anti-Christian Emperor Decius)
Many historians, like MacMullen, have seen the seeds of future persecution by the state in Constantine's more belligerent utterances regarding the old religion. Other historians emphasize that de facto paganism
"was tolerated in the period from Constantine to Gratian
. Emperors were tolerant in deed, if not always in word."
Constantine became the first Emperor in the Christian era to persecute specific groups of Christians, the Donatists, in order to enforce religious unity.
by legislating that the venerable day of the sun
should be a day of rest for all citizens. In the year 323, he issued a decree banning Christians from participating in state sacrifices
tendencies he appeared to favor at times and thus demonstrating, according to his biographers, that "The God of the Christians was indeed a jealous God who tolerated no other gods beside him. The Church could never acknowledge that she stood on the same plane with other religious bodies, she conquered for herself one domain after another".
According to the historian Ramsay MacMullen
Constantine desired to obliterate non-Christians but lacking the means he had to be content with robbing their temples towards the end of his reign. He resorted to derogatory and contemptuous comments relating to the old religion; writing of the "true obstinacy" of the pagans, of their "misguided rites and ceremonial", and of their "temples of lying" contrasted with "the splendours of the home of truth".
The first episodes of persecution of Paganism in the Christan history of the Roman Empire started late on Constantine's reign, with his orders for the pillaging and the torning down of pagan temple
s.
Constantine had a complex attitude towards morality; he killed both his son and wife (the consensus view of ancient sources), destroyed the Temple of Aphrodite in the Lebanon, and ordered the summary execution of eunuch priests in Egypt because they transgressed his moral norms.
Even if Constantine had desired to Christianize the state, expediency dictated otherwise; it is estimated that Christians formed only a small portion of the population, being a fifth part in the West and the half of the population in a large section of the East. He therefore limited himself in the main to the pillaging of pagan temples, to derogatory and contemptuous comments relating to the old religion; writing of the "obstinacy" of the pagans, of their "misguided rites and ceremonial", and of their "temples of lying" contrasted with "the splendours of the home of truth". A Christian historian also records that he had some pagan temples torn down. According to his Christian biographers, he progressively became more Christian during the course of his life, and turned away from any syncretic tendencies he appeared to favour at times, thus demonstrating, that "The God of the Christians was indeed a jealous God who tolerated no other gods beside him. The Church could never acknowledge that she stood on the same plane with other religious bodies, she conquered for herself one domain after another".
Constantine I
Constantine the Great , also known as Constantine I or Saint Constantine, was Roman Emperor from 306 to 337. Well known for being the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, Constantine and co-Emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed religious tolerance of all...
's reign, and went from the initial prohibition on the construction of new temples and the toleration of Pagan sacrifices, to orders for the pillaging and the tearing down of pagan temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
s by the end of his reign.
Conversion to Christianity
According to Christian polemicists writing after his death, Constantine converted to Christianity and was baptised on his deathbed; this would make him the first Christian emperor, but no contemporary references exist to him ever having been a Christian during his lifetime.Ban on new temples, toleration of sacrifices
Constantine, though he made his allegiance clear, did not outlaw paganism; in the words of an early edict, he decreed that polytheists could "celebrate the rites of an outmoded illusion," so long as they did not force Christians to join them. In a letter to the King of Persia, Constantine wrote how he shunned the "abominable blood and hateful odors" of pagan sacrifices, and instead worshiped the High God "on bended knee", and in the new capital city he built, Constantine made sure that there were no pagan temples built. Sporadically, however, Constantine would prohibit public sacrifice and close pagan temples; very little pressure, however, was put on individual pagans, and there were no pagan martyrs.Constantine dedicated Constantinople with two Neoplatonist and friends Sopater
Sopater of Apamea
Sopater of Apamea , was a distinguished sophist and Neoplatonist philosopher.He was a disciple of Iamblichus, after whose death Sopater of Apamea (d. before 337), was a distinguished sophist and Neoplatonist philosopher.He was a disciple of Iamblichus, after whose death Sopater of Apamea (d. before...
and Praetextus
present at its dedication. A year and a half later after dedicating the City of Constantinople, on Monday 11 May 330, when the festival of Saint Mocius was celebrated, the city was finally dedicated. The goddess Tyche was invited to come and live in the city, and her statue was placed in the hand of the statue of the emperor that was on top of the Column of Constantine
Column of Constantine
The Column of Constantine is a Roman monumental column constructed on the orders of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great in 330 AD. It commemorates the declaration of Byzantium as the new capital city of the Roman Empire...
, on the Forum with the same name. Although by now Constantine openly supported Christianity, the city still offered room to pagan cults: there were shrines for the Dioscuri and Tyche
Tyche
In ancient Greek city cults, Tyche was the presiding tutelary deity that governed the fortune and prosperity of a city, its destiny....
. The Acropolis
Acropolis
Acropolis means "high city" in Greek, literally city on the extremity and is usually translated into English as Citadel . For purposes of defense, early people naturally chose elevated ground to build a new settlement, frequently a hill with precipitous sides...
, with its ancient pagan temples, was left as it was. As for worshipping the emperor, Constantine's mausoleum gave him a Christ-like status: his tomb was set amid 12 monuments, each containing relics of one of the Apostles. Constantine had continued to engage in pagan rituals. The emperor still claimed to be a supernatural being, although the outward form of this personality cult had become Christian.
According to some authors, the issuing of the Edict of Milan
Edict of Milan
The Edict of Milan was a letter signed by emperors Constantine I and Licinius that proclaimed religious toleration in the Roman Empire...
, showed that Constantine continued the policy of toleration that Galerius had established. He "continued to pay his public honors to the Sun", on coins that showed him jointly with Sol, whereas other imperial coins showed the Chi-Rho
Labarum
The labarum was a vexillum that displayed the "Chi-Rho" symbol ☧, formed from the first two Greek letters of the word "Christ" — Chi and Rho . It was used by the Roman emperor Constantine I...
sign (a symbol which had previously been used on coinage by the virulently anti-Christian Emperor Decius)
Many historians, like MacMullen, have seen the seeds of future persecution by the state in Constantine's more belligerent utterances regarding the old religion. Other historians emphasize that de facto paganism
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
"was tolerated in the period from Constantine to Gratian
Gratian
Gratian was Roman Emperor from 375 to 383.The eldest son of Valentinian I, during his youth Gratian accompanied his father on several campaigns along the Rhine and Danube frontiers. Upon the death of Valentinian in 375, Gratian's brother Valentinian II was declared emperor by his father's soldiers...
. Emperors were tolerant in deed, if not always in word."
Constantine became the first Emperor in the Christian era to persecute specific groups of Christians, the Donatists, in order to enforce religious unity.
Legislation against magic and private divination
Constantine legislated against magic and private divination, but this was driven out of a fear that others might gain power through those means, as he himself had achieved power through the sound advice of Pagan soothsayers, convincing him of the perspicacity of Pagan prophecy. His belief in Pagan divination is confirmed by legislation calling for the consultation of augurs after an amphitheater had been struck by lightning in the year 320. Constantine explicitly allowed public divination as well as public Pagan practices to continue. Constantine also issued laws confirming the rights of flamens, priests and duumvirs. In 321 he showed some state support for the faith of the Invincible SunSol Invictus
Sol Invictus was the official sun god of the later Roman empire. In 274 Aurelian made it an official cult alongside the traditional Roman cults. Scholars disagree whether the new deity was a refoundation of the ancient Latin cult of Sol, a revival of the cult of Elagabalus or completely new...
by legislating that the venerable day of the sun
Sunday
Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. For most Christians, Sunday is observed as a day for worship of God and rest, due to the belief that it is Lord's Day, the day of Christ's resurrection....
should be a day of rest for all citizens. In the year 323, he issued a decree banning Christians from participating in state sacrifices
Pillaging and destrution of temples
During the course of his life he progressively became more Christian and turned away from any syncreticHenotheism
Henotheism is the belief and worship of a single god while accepting the existence or possible existence of other deities...
tendencies he appeared to favor at times and thus demonstrating, according to his biographers, that "The God of the Christians was indeed a jealous God who tolerated no other gods beside him. The Church could never acknowledge that she stood on the same plane with other religious bodies, she conquered for herself one domain after another".
According to the historian Ramsay MacMullen
Ramsay MacMullen
Ramsay MacMullen is an Emeritus Professor of history at Yale University, where he taught from 1967 to his retirement in 1993 as Dunham Professor of History and Classics...
Constantine desired to obliterate non-Christians but lacking the means he had to be content with robbing their temples towards the end of his reign. He resorted to derogatory and contemptuous comments relating to the old religion; writing of the "true obstinacy" of the pagans, of their "misguided rites and ceremonial", and of their "temples of lying" contrasted with "the splendours of the home of truth".
The first episodes of persecution of Paganism in the Christan history of the Roman Empire started late on Constantine's reign, with his orders for the pillaging and the torning down of pagan temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
s.
Constantine had a complex attitude towards morality; he killed both his son and wife (the consensus view of ancient sources), destroyed the Temple of Aphrodite in the Lebanon, and ordered the summary execution of eunuch priests in Egypt because they transgressed his moral norms.
Even if Constantine had desired to Christianize the state, expediency dictated otherwise; it is estimated that Christians formed only a small portion of the population, being a fifth part in the West and the half of the population in a large section of the East. He therefore limited himself in the main to the pillaging of pagan temples, to derogatory and contemptuous comments relating to the old religion; writing of the "obstinacy" of the pagans, of their "misguided rites and ceremonial", and of their "temples of lying" contrasted with "the splendours of the home of truth". A Christian historian also records that he had some pagan temples torn down. According to his Christian biographers, he progressively became more Christian during the course of his life, and turned away from any syncretic tendencies he appeared to favour at times, thus demonstrating, that "The God of the Christians was indeed a jealous God who tolerated no other gods beside him. The Church could never acknowledge that she stood on the same plane with other religious bodies, she conquered for herself one domain after another".