To what extent did Constantine's conversion transform the position of Christianity?

To what extent did Constantine's conversion transform the position of Christianity?

Introduction

Constantine was the son of Constantius and Helena, whom the Church was holy, "is credited with having found the cross on which Christ suffered. This dual heritage predisposed him favorably to the Church, for the Emperor Constantine, according to the testimony of Eusebius of Caesarea, "was the only one in our time who held the command, since that held the reins, so worthy of the Empire, and not only was friend and benefactor of all, but took no part in the persecution against us ". (Averill Cameron PP: 65)

Constantine adhered to this policy and let the Christians alone to conduct their ceremonies without getting to anything with them. The legacy of Constantine Constantius imposed the obligation to seek dominion over all the territories it ruled his father and to do that was to Maxentius must leave the city of Rome.( Constantine historiography and legend PP: 7)

War against the usurper of the old capital of the Empire, Constantine wanted to have protected their backs on the side of Pannonia and made an alliance with Licinius. In this regard says German historian Joseph Vogt, "Militarily Constantine odds were not favorable. “In God Constantine had a true friend protector and a guardian “(Eusebius PP: 328) those words of Eusebius could be a perfect description of the relationship between God and the Constantine. Constantine was the first Christian emperor as well as the first and greatest patron of Christianity. The age of Constantine meant the beginning of a new era for the Roman Empire, it was the age of radical transformations and the time was a prosecuted religion became the religion of the emperor. Some Christian authors present Constantine not just a patron of Christianity but as prosecutor of the pagan religion as Socrates Scholastics says “ Now Constantine the emperor having embraced Christianity , conducted himself as a Christian of his profession , rebuilding the churches and enriching them with splendid offerings he also either closed destroyed the temples of the pagans “(Socrates PP:10).Constantine cared a lot about the unity among the Christian churches and about the restoration of the church rights and property , the first step took place in 313 when Constantine and licinius in cooperation issued the so called edict of Milan building on Galerius edict of toleration but going a good deal further by granting positive rewards and constitutional rights ,including the recovery of losses and appreciation of legal rights to the Christian community(The emperor Constantine ,Michael grant ,PP: 100) .That edict “gave to the Christians and all others the liberty to follow whatever form of worship they chose “ (Eusebius PP: 10).

Discussion and Analysis

The situation in the Rhine frontier was so compromised that Italy could only carry a quarter of its total workforce, or about forty thousand men". This army, whose training and military spirit were very good, opposed Maxentius over a hundred thousand men and ...