Rome's Role In Christian Law
The shift to Christianity within the empire helped provide the emperor with more authority and therefore with more security. This is due to the fact that the Roman Empire began to be seen as an earthly incarnation of heaven, where the emperor acted as God’s regent (Maas, 1). The head of the state had become a leading figure in the Church as well. This would have justified any actions taken or laws made by the emperor and his government since they were ultimately made at God’s command. The importance of Roman Law, and its connection to Christian Law, heavily influenced the abilities of the emperor as well. As “the embodiment of the law itself” (Maas, 7), the emperor was able to alter the laws of the empire while not being subject to those that
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Bishops requested the emperor’s help in settling divisive religious debates, as early as the reign of Constantine (Heather, 125). The emperors who followed Constantine certainly did not give up this power and many emperors played an active role in church councils based on the example Constantine set (Heather, 125). Although this power was certainly seen as beneficial by the emperors, many church officials felt that imperial influence should only affect secular matters. Ossius of Cordoba, a bishop who shared this sentiment, cautioned Constantius II with this statement: “Do not intrude yourself into the affairs of the church, and do not give us advice about these matters but rather receive instruction on them from us” (Maas, 9). Emperors, such as Justinian, echoed the idea that it was best “When the clergy shows a proper spirit and devotes itself entirely to God, and the emperor governs the state which is entrusted to him”, (Maas, 9). While rulers were able to speak of a division between secular and religious authority, the actions of these men did not always align with their words and emperors continued to impact the doctrine of the Church. Not only did this create tension between the emperor and the clergy, it also fundamentally altered the perception of the emperor. Unquestionably, the role of emperor had always been a powerful one, but during Late Antiquity, his authority within the Roman government was combined with the power of the Christian Church. For the average citizen of the empire, not only did this mean that their ruler had ultimate civic and religious power, it also meant that they lived under an emperor who had been given God’s blessing. Both of these facts would alter Roman identity. The emperor himself was given more authority so the populace would have seen his role as intrinsic to both the functioning of the empire and the
Bishops requested the emperor’s help in settling divisive religious debates, as early as the reign of Constantine (Heather, 125). The emperors who followed Constantine certainly did not give up this power and many emperors played an active role in church councils based on the example Constantine set (Heather, 125). Although this power was certainly seen as beneficial by the emperors, many church officials felt that imperial influence should only affect secular matters. Ossius of Cordoba, a bishop who shared this sentiment, cautioned Constantius II with this statement: “Do not intrude yourself into the affairs of the church, and do not give us advice about these matters but rather receive instruction on them from us” (Maas, 9). Emperors, such as Justinian, echoed the idea that it was best “When the clergy shows a proper spirit and devotes itself entirely to God, and the emperor governs the state which is entrusted to him”, (Maas, 9). While rulers were able to speak of a division between secular and religious authority, the actions of these men did not always align with their words and emperors continued to impact the doctrine of the Church. Not only did this create tension between the emperor and the clergy, it also fundamentally altered the perception of the emperor. Unquestionably, the role of emperor had always been a powerful one, but during Late Antiquity, his authority within the Roman government was combined with the power of the Christian Church. For the average citizen of the empire, not only did this mean that their ruler had ultimate civic and religious power, it also meant that they lived under an emperor who had been given God’s blessing. Both of these facts would alter Roman identity. The emperor himself was given more authority so the populace would have seen his role as intrinsic to both the functioning of the empire and the