Societas Classica
“ST. CYRIL AND ST. METHODIUS” UNIVERSITY OF VELIKO TARNOVO - UNIVERSITY PRESS

Орозий за константиновата политика в подкрепа на християнството


Authors:
Deyana Garcheva

Pages: -
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54664/ENPN8554

Abstract:

When it concerns the Constantinian pro-Christian policy the attention is naturally attracted by the works of his contemporaries Eusebius and Lactantius. The present paper aims to represent one different, specific point of view – that of Orosius, the Christian historian who lived and wrote a century after the reign of Constantin. It is expressed the opinion that Orosius’ History against the Pagans could be very fruitful for the explanation of the questiоn – why just Constantin is chosen (and rests in the medieval chronicles) among his opponents as the first Christian emperor. Writing his text, based on the works of Eutropius, Jerome and Rufinus, Orosius emphasizes the key position of Constantin following three main ways. First, through the rhetorical character of the introduction of the Constantinian reign account, which aims to affirm the “new beginning” for the Roman world after the “plagues” caused by his opponents and persecutors of the Christians. Secondly, Orosius explicitly states that precisely Constantin brought the definitive peace of the Church, although, obviously, he knows and mentions the Galerius’ edict of tolleration. Finally, a third manner, the Christian writer tries to confirm the Constantinian primary role for the Christianization of the Empire through the fictious but very prolyfic and used by the Christian authors topos that Constantin had ordered the closure of the pagan temples. The inconsistensy of such announcement is testified to by both the orator Libanius and the Late Antique legal codes.

Keywords:


Download


577 downloads since 21.3.2018 г.
France / Portugal / Cote D'Ivoire / United Kingdom / United States / Canada / Germany / NA / Russian Federation / China / Sweden / Austria / Bulgaria / Turkey / Ukraine
  • © ST. CYRIL AND ST. METHODIUS UNIVERSITY OF VELIKO TARNOVO 2016 - 2024