Output details
33 - Theology and Religious Studies
University of Oxford
Il potere di Costantino. Dimensioni e limiti del potere imperiale
The Emperor Constantine (306-37) has been credited with a massive impact on the church, especially after his victory at the Milvian Bridge (212) and through the so-called ‘Edict of Milan’ (313). This chapter explores the limits on Constantine’s ability to bring about change, stresses the contradictions in the available sources and argues for the practical and legal limits of his authority. In recent secondary literature Constantine’s religious convictions have been played down or explained in terms of sun-worship. This chapter argues for a different and more complex analysis, emphasizing Constantine’s own difficulties and the ambiguities in the evidence.