Page 187 - Western Civilization A Brief History, Volume I To 1715 9th - Jackson J. Spielvogel

To maintain the tax base and keep the empire going despite the shortage of labor, the emperors issued edicts that forced people to remain in their designated voca- tions. Hence, basic jobs, such as bakers and shippers, became hereditary. Free tenant farmers continued to decline and soon found themselves bound to the land by large landowners who took advantage of depressed agri- cultural conditions to enlarge their landed estates.
In general, the economic and social policies of Diocle- tian and Constantine were based on an unprecedented degree of control and coercion. Though temporarily suc- cessful, in the long run such authoritarian policies stifled the very vitality the late empire needed to revive its sag- ging fortunes.
CONSTANTINE’S BUILDING PROGRAM Constantine was espe- cially interested in building programs despite the strain they placed on the budget. Between 324 and 330, he engaged in his biggest project, the construction of a new capital city in the East, on the site of the Greek city of Byzantium (buh-ZAN-tee-um), on the shores of the Bosporus. Named the “city of Constantine,” or Constantinople (modern Istanbul), it was developed for defensive reasons; it had an excellent strategic loca- tion. Calling it his “New Rome,” Constantine endowed the city with a forum, large palaces, and a vast amphi- theater. It was officially dedicated on May 11, 330, “by the commandment of God,” and in the following years, many Christian churches were built there.
The Empire’s New Religion
Christianity flourished after Constantine became the first Christian emperor. According to the traditional story, before a crucial battle, he saw a vision of a Chris- tian cross inscribed “In this sign you will conquer.” Having won the battle, the story goes, Constantine was convinced of the power of the Christian God. Although he was not baptized until the end of his life, in 313 he issued the famous Edict of Milan, officially tolerating the existence of Christianity. Under Theodosius (thee- uh-DOH-shuss) “the Great” (378–395), it was made the official religion of the Roman Empire. Christianity had triumphed.
ORGANIZATION AND RELIGIOUS DISPUTES By the fourth century, the Christian church had developed a system of government. The Christian community in each city was headed by a bishop, whose area of jurisdiction was known as a bishopric or diocese. The bishoprics of each Roman province were clustered together under the
The Emperor Constantine. Constantine played an important role in restoring order and stability to the Roman Empire at the beginning of the fourth century. This marble head of Constantine, which is 8 feet 6 inches high, was part of an enormous 30-foot-taIl seated statue of the emperor in the New Basilica in Rome. Constantine used these awe-inspiring statues throughout the empire to build support for imperial policies by reminding his subjects of his position as an absolute ruler with immense power. Being depicted with his eyes cast up toward heaven also emphasized Constantine’s special relationship with God.
direction of an archbishop. The bishops of four great cities, Rome, Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch, held positions of special power in church affairs because the churches in these cities all asserted that they had been founded by the original apostles sent out by Jesus.
One reason the church needed a more formal orga- nization was the problem of heresy. As Christianity developed and spread, contradictory interpretations of important doctrines emerged. Heresy came to be viewed as a teaching different from the official “catholic” (universal) beliefs of the church. In a world where people were concerned about salvation, ques- tions such as whether Jesus’s nature was divine or human took on great significance. These doctrinal dif- ferences also became political issues, creating political factions that actually warred with one another. It is highly unlikely, though, that ordinary people under- stood the issues in these debates.
One of the major heresies of the fourth century was Arianism (AR-ee-uh-niz-uhm), which arose among the
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Musei Capitolini, Rome//Scala/Art Resource, NY