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Constantine: Roman Emperor, Christian Victor
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Constantine: Roman Emperor, Christian Victor Hardcover - 2010

by Stephenson, Paul

  • Used

A fascinating survey of the life and enduring legacy of perhapsthe greatest and most unjustly ignored of the Roman emperors-written by arichly gifted historian.

In 312 A.D., Constantine-one of four Romanemperors ruling a divided empire-marched on Rome to establish his control.On the eve of the battle, a cross appeared to him in the sky with anexhortation, "By this sign conquer." Inscribing the cross on the shields ofhis soldiers, Constantine drove his rivals into the Tiber and claimed theimperial capital for himself.

Under Constantine, Christianity emergedfrom the shadows, its adherents no longer persecuted. Constantine united thewestern and eastern halves of the Roman Empire. He founded a new capitalcity, Constantinople. Thereafter the Christian Roman Empire endured in theEast, while Rome itself fell to the barbarian hordes.

Paul Stephensonoffers a nuanced and deeply satisfying account of a man whose cultural andspiritual renewal of the Roman Empire gave birth to the idea of a unifiedChristian Europe underpinned by a commitment to religious tolerance.

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Penguin USA (J). Used - Very Good. May have light to moderate shelf wear and/or a remainder mark. Complete. Clean pages.
Used - Very Good
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Summary

This book is a fascinating survey of the life and enduring legacy of perhaps the greatest and most unjustly ignored of the Roman emperors-written by a richly gifted historian. In 312 A.D., Constantine-one of four Roman emperors ruling a divided empire-marched on Rome to establish his control. On the eve of the battle, a cross appeared to him in the sky with an exhortation, "By this sign conquer." Inscribing the cross on the shields of his soldiers, Constantine drove his rivals into the Tiber and claimed the imperial capital for himself. Under Constantine, Christianity emerged from the shadows, its adherents no longer persecuted. Constantine united the western and eastern halves of the Roman Empire. He founded a new capital city, Constantinople. Thereafter the Christian Roman Empire endured in the East, while Rome itself fell to the barbarian hordes. Paul Stephenson offers a nuanced and deeply satisfying account of a man whose cultural and spiritual renewal of the Roman Empire gave birth to the idea of a unified Christian Europe underpinned by a commitment to religious tolerance. - Publisher.

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Media reviews

"Scholar Stephenson offers a stately though academic biography ofthe first Roman emperor who converted to Christianity, with a heavy emphasison the archaeological record... Stephenson's knowledgeable account pursues awide variety of historical branches of Constantine's story." -Kirkus

"Everyone interested in the classical period should read this exemplarybiography, which eschews psychological speculation and instead builds itscase inventively from primary accounts and the iconographic record instatuary, architecture, and coinage."-Library Journal STARRED REVIEW

About the author

Paul Stephenson is a professor of history at Durham University and a specialist in the early and middle Byzantine periods. His publications include The Legend of Basil the Bulgar-slayer and Byzantium s Balkan Frontier: A Political Study of the Northern Balkans, 900 1204. Stephenson has researched and taught in the UK, Germany, and the USA."