Western Civilization

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

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 ofheresy. 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

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.

Musei Capitolini, Rome//Scala/Art Resource, NY

The Late Roman Empire 149

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