Constantine and the Cities: Imperial Authority and Civic Politics (Empire and After)

Over The Course Of The Fourth Century, Christianity Rose From A Religion Actively Persecuted By The Authority Of The Roman Empire To Become The Religion Of State—a Feat Largely Credited To Constantine The Great. Constantine Succeeded In Propelling This Minority Religion To Imperial Status Using The Traditional Tools Of Governance, Yet His Proclamation Of His New Religious Orientation Was By No Means Unambiguous. His Coins And Inscriptions, Public Monuments, And Pronouncements Sent Unmistakable Signals To His Non-christian Subjects That He Was Willing Not Only To Accept Their Beliefs About The Nature Of The Divine But Also To Incorporate Traditional Forms Of Religious Expression Into His Own Self-presentation. In Constantine And The Cities, Noel Lenski Attempts To Reconcile These Apparent Contradictions By Examining The Dialogic Nature Of Constantine's Power And How His Rule Was Built In The Space Between His Ambitions For The Empire And His Subjects' Efforts To Further Their Own Understandings Of Religious Truth. Focusing On Cities And The Texts And Images Produced By Their Citizens For And About The Emperor, Constantine And The Cities Uncovers The Interplay Of Signals Between Ruler And Subject, Mapping Out The Terrain Within Which Constantine Nudged His Subjects In The Direction Of Conversion. Reading Inscriptions, Coins, Legal Texts, Letters, Orations, And Histories, Lenski Demonstrates How Constantine And His Subjects Used The Instruments Of Government In A Struggle For Authority Over The Religion Of The Empire.-- Introduction. Many Faces Of Constantine, P.1 -- Part I. Constantine's Self-presentation -- Chapter 1. Constantine Develops, P.27 -- Chapter 2. Constantinian Constants, P.48 -- Chapter 3. Constantine And The Christians: Controlling The Message, P.67 -- Part Ii. The Power Of Petitions -- Chapter 4. Approaching Constantine: The Orcistus Dossier, P.87 -- Chapter 5. The Exigencies Of Dialogue: Hispellum, P.114 -- Chapter 6. Constantine's Cities In The West: Nomen Venerandum, P.131 -- Chapter 7. Constantine's Cities In The East: Peer Polity Interaction, P.150 -- Part Iii. Reconstructing The Ancient City -- Chapter 8. Redistributing Wealth, P.167 -- Chapter 9. Building Churches, P.179 -- Chapter 10. Empowering Bishops, P.197 -- Part Iv. Alternative Responses To Constantine -- Chapter 11. Engaging Cities, P.209 -- Chapter 12. Resisting Cities, P.230 -- Chapter 13. Opposing Christians: Donatists And Caecilianists, P.146 -- Chapter 14. Complex Cities: Antioch And Alexandria, P.260 -- Epilogue, P.279 -- List Of Sigla And Abbreviations, P.285 -- Notes, P.289 -- Bibliography, P.357 -- Index, P.393 -- Acknowledgments, 403 Noel Lenski. Includes Bibliographical References (page 357-391) And Index.

Over the course of the fourth century, Christianity rose from a religion actively persecuted by the authority of the Roman empire to become the religion of state—a feat largely credited to Constantine the Great. Constantine succeeded in propelling this minority religion to imperial status using the traditional tools of governance, yet his proclamation of his new religious orientation was by no means unambiguous. His coins and inscriptions, public monuments, and pronouncements sent unmistakable signals to his non-Christian subjects that he was willing not only to accept their beliefs about the nature of the divine but also to incorporate traditional forms of religious expression into his own self-presentation. In Constantine and the Cities, Noel Lenski attempts to reconcile these apparent contradictions by examining the dialogic nature of Constantine's power and how his rule was built in the space between his ambitions for the empire and his subjects' efforts to further their own understandings of religious truth.

Focusing on cities and the texts and images produced by their citizens for and about the emperor, Constantine and the Cities uncovers the interplay of signals between ruler and subject, mapping out the terrain within which Constantine nudged his subjects in the direction of conversion. Reading inscriptions, coins, legal texts, letters, orations, and histories, Lenski demonstrates how Constantine and his subjects used the instruments of government in a struggle for authority over the religion of the empire.

"Over the course of the fourth century, Christianity rose from a religion actively persecuted by the authority of the Roman empire to become the religion of state--a feat largely credited to Constantine the Great. Constantine succeeded in propelling this minority religion to imperial status using the traditional tools of governance, yet his proclamation of his new religious orientation was by no means unambiguous. His coins and inscriptions, public monuments, and pronouncements sent unmistakable signals to his non-Christian subjects that he was willing not only to accept their beliefs about the nature of the divine but also to incorporate traditional forms of religious expression into his own self-presentation. In Constantine and the Cities, Noel Lenski attempts to reconcile these apparent contradictions by examining the dialogic nature of Constantine's power and how his rule was built in the space between his ambitions for the empire and his subjects' efforts to further their own understandings of religious truth. Focusing on cities and the texts and images produced by their citizens for and about the emperor, Constantine and the Cities uncovers the interplay of signals between ruler and subject, mapping out the terrain within which Constantine nudged his subjects in the direction of conversion. Reading inscriptions, coins, legal texts, letters, orations, and histories, Lenski demonstrates how Constantine and his subjects used the instruments of government in a struggle for authority over the religion of the empire."-- Publisher's website Contents 7 List of Maps 9 Introduction. Many Faces of Constantine 11 PART I. CONSTANTINE’S SELF- PRESENTATION 35 Chapter 1. Constantine Develops 37 Chapter 2. Constantinian Constants 58 Chapter 3. Constantine and the Christians: Controlling the Message 77 PART II. THE POWER OF PETITIONS 95 Chapter 4. Approaching Constantine: The Orcistus Dossier 97 Chapter 5. The Exigencies of Dialogue: Hispellum 124 Chapter 6. Constantine’s Cities in the West: Nomen Venerandum 141 Chapter 7. Constantine’s Cities in the East: Peer Polity Interaction 160 PART III. RECONSTRUCTING THE ANCIENT CITY 175 Chapter 8. Redistributing Wealth 177 Chapter 9. Building Churches 189 Chapter 10. Empowering Bishops 207 PART IV. ALTERNATIVE RESPONSES TO CONSTANTINE 217 Chapter 11. Engaging Cities 219 Chapter 12. Resisting Cities 240 Chapter 13. Opposing Christians: Donatists and Caecilianists 256 Chapter 14. Complex Cities: Antioch and Alexandria 270 Epilogue 289 List of Sigla and Abbreviations 295 Notes 299 Bibliography 367 Index 403 Acknowledgments 413 Roman Emperor Constantine raised Christianity from a minority religion to imperial status, but his religious orientation was by no means unambiguous. In Constantine and the Cities , Noel Lenski demonstrates how the emperor and his subjects used the instruments of government in a struggle for authority over the religion of the empire. Roman Emperor Constantine raised Christianity from a minority religion to imperial status, but his religious orientation was by no means unambiguous. In Constantine and the Cities , Noel Lenski demonstrates how the emperor and his subjects used the instruments of government in a struggle for authority over the religion of the empire.