Remembering Constantine at the Milvian Bridge

Dam, Raymond Van

doi:10.1017/cbo9780511973048

Cited by 109 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 146 publications

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“…Characterised by imperial interpositions that halted persecutions and a policy of largesse upon clerics, this feature of 4th-century Christianity was definitive (Barnes 2011:133; cf. Leithart 2010;Van Dam 2011). The preceding narrative is the entrenched theory regarding the entrance of the Emperor Constantine and its resultant orthodoxy as seen at the 325 CE Council of Nicaea.…”

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confidence: 99%

Schism, syncretism and politics: Derived and implied social model in the self-definition of early Christian orthodoxy

Rukuni

Oliver

2019

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

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The first 400 years of Christianity posed an intricate scenario of social dynamics. The interplay of these social dynamics or catalysts analogous to time perceivably conceived the political-religious establishment that then forged orthodoxy. The resultant continuum that was consequent of the imperial religious-political merger upon the following eras further established a formative impact of these catalysts. As a revisionist analysis of the era leading up to the Constantinian turn, and a parallel comparison between preceding and following eras, this research proposes an alternate construction to the narrative of Early Christianity orthodoxy. The preceding position derives from the attempt at the development of a modular theory through which Christianity can be analysed. Through document analysis, a literature review was accomplished. The development of early Christianity from inception to 400 CE when deduced against enculturating influences implies a sociological study. From the three perceived phases that Christianity went through, Jewish-Christian schism, Hellenism and then imperial interventional politics, implications can be made upon latter eras and derivations can be deduced from earlier eras. Significantly, there seems to have been a resurgent theme in the person of religious-political institutions that consolidated their positions. The synergy and inevitability of the process that preceded the first ecumenical council are confirmed in both a positive and negative substantiation of the proposed model. The emergent episcopal leadership in Christianity and its consolidation averse to the political dynamics of imperial Rome implied a composite significance of all factors. Similarly, the intransigent nature of certain African Christian elements argues for the inevitability of cultural enculturation as precedent to political definition in the formation of a universal orthodoxy.

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confidence: 99%

Schism, syncretism and politics: Derived and implied social model in the self-definition of early Christian orthodoxy

Rukuni

Oliver

2019

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

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“…As for the battle Milvian Bridge itself, Drake (2000) held that the emperor “never tired of talking, or hearing, about it” (p. 173). Yet Van Dam (2011) wrote that Constantine held his tongue on recounting popular versions of the vision and the dream “until long after the battle” (p. 7). Still, the earliest known chronicling of his dream of Christ came from the rhetorician Lactantius around the year 315 (Drake, 2000, pp.…”

Section: Myths and Dreams In Ancient Religious Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Still, the earliest known chronicling of his dream of Christ came from the rhetorician Lactantius around the year 315 (Drake, 2000, pp. 179–180), and the battle itself was known far and wide within 10 years of its conclusion (Van Dam, 2011, p. 6). The story of Constantine’s having received divine communication before the battle at Milvian Bridge had thus spread prior to the Council.…”

Section: Myths and Dreams In Ancient Religious Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…204–205), the influence of the vision and dream on the Council’s proceedings could have had a major effect. The timing of exactly when Constantine himself spoke to the bishops about the dream is uncertain (Van Dam, 2011, p. 62), yet once told, his “story about his dream of Jesus Christ was hence most useful in helping establish his spiritual authority” (Van Dam, 2011, p. 76) over still quarreling bishops (pp. 75–76), as it confirmed his “direct access to Christ” (p. 76).…”

Section: Myths and Dreams In Ancient Religious Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dreams, myth, and power.

Hughes

2017

Dreaming

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All cultures have studied dreams. Many theories have been developed on the subject and scholarship continues to uncover more. Three of the most well-worn dream theories are the following: dreams as divine communication, dreams as conduits for the soul's conveyance, and dreams as quotidian human occurrences. This article examines the first and third of these theories, and links both of these understandings of dreams to myth. A myth is a narrative freighted with cultural understanding, conceived such that a whole society lives a myth's importance. Put differently, myths are meaning-making processes that describe and explain phenomena. Dreams often work to bring myths into focus; this focus sometimes powers political change. The influence of dreams on Hindu, Hebrew, Christian, Islamic, and scientific myths details this phenomenon.

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“… 3 For the use of Palladas to construct a Christian triumphalist view of the early fourth century, see now: Barnes, 2011. For the production of these social ‘memories’ in a more nuanced light, see: Diefenbach, 2008: 81–213; Van Dam, 2011: 5–11, 56–95; and also now: Bardill, 2012.…”

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confidence: 99%

A late antique statuary collection at Ostia's sanctuary of Magna Mater: a case-study in late Roman religion and tradition

Boin¹

2013

Pap. Br. Sch. Rome

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Throughout the Mediterranean the study of the destruction, reuse, moving and preservation of statues has provided a window onto the transformation of Rome during a time of ascendant Christianity. The preservation of statuary collections is increasingly important in this regard. Archival research has revealed the discovery of one such collection at Ostia's Sanctuary of Magna Mater, a treasure trove of sculptures, reliefs and at least one bronze statue. All were well preserved, and several were found in the open spaces of the sanctuary. Together they span 500 years of history, stretching into the late fourth century. Unfortunately, the late antique significance of this group has never been acknowledged. This paper situates that collection within the social world of late antique Ostia, where many statues of both sacred and non-sacred subjects remained on display. The late fourth-century dedication, in particular, set alongside the earlier pieces, demonstrates that the ‘mood and motivations’ of traditional Roman religion, in Clifford Geertz's terms, also remained quite visible. The presence of this accumulated tradition, a hallmark of Rome's ‘civil religion’ for centuries, testifies to the high social status afforded one of Ostia's most historic sites, even during an increasingly Christian age.

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Remembering Constantine at the Milvian Bridge

Cited by 109 publications

References 146 publications

Schism, syncretism and politics: Derived and implied social model in the self-definition of early Christian orthodoxy

Schism, syncretism and politics: Derived and implied social model in the self-definition of early Christian orthodoxy

Dreams, myth, and power.

A late antique statuary collection at Ostia's sanctuary of Magna Mater: a case-study in late Roman religion and tradition

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