| Popis: |
Constantine’s son Constantius II particularly worked to encourage the emergence of a new, Christian Roman Empire by restricting pagan practices and transferring pagan temples to the ownership of the church. Christian authors like Firmicus Maternus framed actions like these as a form of progress that moved the empire closer to a better, Christian condition—a dramatic break from the traditional cycle of decline and renewal. Constantius also elevated the new city of Constantinople to parity with Rome, an action described to the Roman senate by his propagandist Themistius. The pagan emperor Julian, Constantius’s successor, set about undoing many of the steps Constantine and his sons had taken. Julian framed these actions as a restoration of Roman power and religious traditions, but, in some ways, his initiatives departed from past practices as well. |
