The Early Middle Ages | Constantine the Great - Christian Emperor (Lecture 3)

Lecture 3: Christianity was an illegal religion in the Roman Empire from the 1st century onward. Christians were subjected to local persecution and, from the middle of the 3rd century onward, imperial persecution as well, especially during the reign of Diocletian. When the would-be emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in 312, it was a dramatic and unexpected event, because Constantine was so similar to Diocletian (a staunch pagan) in other respects and because Christianity appealed to people who were not of much use to Constantine in his civil war. Constantine’s military victories, which allowed him to gain control of the whole of the Roman Empire as of 324, and his active support of Christianity began the process whereby Christianity went from a minority, illegal religion to the majority, official religion of the Roman Empire.

Suggested Readings:
T. D. Barnes, Constantine and Eusebius. Harvard University Press, 1981.
Robin Lane Fox. Pagans and Christians. Harper Collins, 1986.

Lecture 4: https://www.bitchute.com/video/aAz90ucQCObW/