What Challenges Did Constantine Face In The 5th Century Essay

The degree of change that Constantine caused in the church can be illustrated by looking at the lives of two bishops of Rome. In the year 314 A.D. Emperor Constantine crowned Ylvester as Bishop of Rome. Silvestre lived in luxury with servants helping him at any time. Constantine confessed his sins to Silvestre and asked for his advice. He presided over Church council and had the power, prestige, wealth, pomp and the favor of the Emperor. Explanation of both the disintegration of the West and the survival of the East in the fifth century is not the two separate issues, but one. In the beginning both halves of the empire faced with an array of similarly significant problems, namely the immature or ineffective emperors, barbarian invaders, uncontrolled soldiers and dangerous settlements of armed barbarian federate. In 410 CE Rome was sacked, and the Roman Empire began to crumble. However the bishop of Rome remained very powerful. Backed by the Roman Empire
The top churchmen were often great figures of state as well. The power of the Church and the State was growing immensely. With such power came the increase of corruption supporting the idea that the church could conquer by the sword. The Crusades starting 1096 and continuing through the fifteen century brought much shame to the church. The difference in these two historical developments was the division between Eastern and Western Churches, and the reformation in Europe and Britain that saw the development of the major Protestant denominations. Schism brought about the church split into Orthodox and Roman Churches. The tensions between the two had always been present, but the actual trigger was the western church's addition of the filioque clause. The Roman bishop was the center of power for the Church of Rome whereas Constantinople was the center of influence and power in the Eastern