Constantine The Great: More Than An Emperor
Constantine the Great:
More than an Emperor
Akbar the Great, Suleyman the Magnificent, and Tzar Ivan the Terrible all have one thing in common; they each were given a title by their people because of the ways that they ruled. Flavius Valerius Constantinus was no different, he became known as Constantine the Great by instituting unprecedented policies which would come to affect the entire future of the Western Civilization. Constantine did many amazing things for his empire: he was the first ruler to acknowledge and allow Christianity as a religion, he created many laws to benefit Christianity and the people, he created a very active capital, and he acknowledged religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter. The products of Constantine's …show more content…
He first allowed the bishops to take part in government. In the court of law, if both sides agreed, a bishop could make the final decision; the bishop's testimony was considered adequate enough by the judges. After the bishop's testimony there would be no more witnesses called to the stand (Boak and Sinnigen 504). Criminals' punishment was also changed by Constantine, as they were no longer able to be crucified or branded in the face because the face had such a resemblance of the Lord. It was also ordered that prisoners would be treated more humanly, being taken outside at least once a day. However, Pagan-like offensives began receiving greater punishment, possibly in an attempt to show the disapproval of …show more content…
Constantine initiated the transformation of the Roman Empire from a Pagan to a Christian state. He was the first emperor to take a lead in church affairs and the first to trust the Church with public responsibilities (Vogt 87). Constantine has not only been honored by historians by being given the title "the Great," he has also been honored by Eastern Orthodox Churches. These churches have named him a saint and said he is "equal of the Apostles" (Boak & Sinnigen 437). The majority of Constantine's policies were used until the fall of the empire; some, like Easter, Christmas, and Sunday as a religious day are still utilized today. Constantine changed the religion of an entire empire without retribution, gave women and children rights, and his affects on Christianity can still be seen today. Constantine is a man who well deserves the prefix of "the
More than an Emperor
Akbar the Great, Suleyman the Magnificent, and Tzar Ivan the Terrible all have one thing in common; they each were given a title by their people because of the ways that they ruled. Flavius Valerius Constantinus was no different, he became known as Constantine the Great by instituting unprecedented policies which would come to affect the entire future of the Western Civilization. Constantine did many amazing things for his empire: he was the first ruler to acknowledge and allow Christianity as a religion, he created many laws to benefit Christianity and the people, he created a very active capital, and he acknowledged religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter. The products of Constantine's …show more content…
He first allowed the bishops to take part in government. In the court of law, if both sides agreed, a bishop could make the final decision; the bishop's testimony was considered adequate enough by the judges. After the bishop's testimony there would be no more witnesses called to the stand (Boak and Sinnigen 504). Criminals' punishment was also changed by Constantine, as they were no longer able to be crucified or branded in the face because the face had such a resemblance of the Lord. It was also ordered that prisoners would be treated more humanly, being taken outside at least once a day. However, Pagan-like offensives began receiving greater punishment, possibly in an attempt to show the disapproval of …show more content…
Constantine initiated the transformation of the Roman Empire from a Pagan to a Christian state. He was the first emperor to take a lead in church affairs and the first to trust the Church with public responsibilities (Vogt 87). Constantine has not only been honored by historians by being given the title "the Great," he has also been honored by Eastern Orthodox Churches. These churches have named him a saint and said he is "equal of the Apostles" (Boak & Sinnigen 437). The majority of Constantine's policies were used until the fall of the empire; some, like Easter, Christmas, and Sunday as a religious day are still utilized today. Constantine changed the religion of an entire empire without retribution, gave women and children rights, and his affects on Christianity can still be seen today. Constantine is a man who well deserves the prefix of "the