Remembering Constantine at the Milvian Bridge
Langue : Anglais
Auteur : Van Dam Raymond
Examines the creation and dissemination of the legends about Constantine's victory in 312 at the battle of the Milvian Bridge.
Constantine's victory in 312 at the battle of the Milvian Bridge established his rule as the first Christian emperor. This book examines the creation and dissemination of the legends about that battle and its significance. Christian histories, panegyrics and an honorific arch at Rome soon commemorated his victory, and the emperor himself contributed to the myth by describing his vision of a cross in the sky before the battle. Through meticulous research into the late Roman narratives and the medieval and Byzantine legends, this book moves beyond a strictly religious perspective by emphasizing the conflicts about the periphery of the Roman empire, the nature of emperorship and the role of Rome as a capital city. Throughout late antiquity and the medieval period, memories of Constantine's victory served as a powerful paradigm for understanding rulership in a Christian society.
Preface; Abbreviations; 1. Foreword: visions of Constantine; 2. The afterlife of Constantine; 3. Ecclesiastical histories; 4. Constantine's memories; 5. Eusebius' commentary; 6. Shaping memories in the west; 7. Rome after the battle; 8. Backward and forward; 9. Remembering Maxentius; 10. Back word: the bridge; List of editions and translations; Bibliography.
Raymond Van Dam is a Professor in the Department of History at the University of Michigan. His most recent publications are Rome and Constantinople: Rewriting Roman History during Late Antiquity (2010) and The Roman Revolution of Constantine (Cambridge University Press, 2007).
Date de parution : 04-2011
Ouvrage de 310 p.
16x23.5 cm
Date de parution : 01-2014
Ouvrage de 312 p.
15.2x22.9 cm
Thème de Remembering Constantine at the Milvian Bridge :
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