What was the impact of Constantine's Conversion?

Answer 1

Edward Gibbon suggested that Constantine's conversion to Christianity was one of the principal causes of the fall of the western Roman Empire, which ceased to exist 139 years after his death. At first glance this may seem so far removed from the time of Constantine as to preclude a direct relationship, but Constantine put in place a process that was irreversible.

Another impact of Constantine's conversion to Christianity was the eventual conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity, although once again this did not really occur until long after his death.

Answer 2

Constantine's administrative, tax and military policies retained the reforms by his predecessor Diocletian. Historians are not always sure which of these two emperors initiated some of the reforms. His monetary policy started the process which brought the problem of hyperinflation. This problems had plagued the Roman Empire for decades. It had been caused by the debasement (reduction of precious metal content) of the gold and silver coins, which devalued them. The coins had became nearly devoid of precious metal and were not worth anything. Constantine abandoned (probably temporarily) the silver coins and concentrated on minting large quantities of a new gold coin (the auereus) with a sufficient amount of gold. To do this he confiscated the treasures of temples and smelted god statues and other gold items. This in the long run stabilised the Roman currency and helped economic recovery in the empire.

In 313, Constantine and his co-emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan,

which reiterated the toleration if Christianity and the end of the Great Persecution of Christians which had been decreed by the edict of Toleration issued by the emperor Galerius in 311. It was aimed at a co-emperor in charge of the Roman territories in Asia and of Egypt who had ignored the edict of Galerius. Constantine supported the Christians. He promoted Christians in the imperial administration. He tried to help to resolve disputes between rival Christian doctrines by convening a synod and an ecumenical council, setting a precedent later emperors becoming involved in church affairs. He built important Christian churches, such as the original St Peter's, St John in Lateran (the first residence of the pope) in Rome, the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and the Hagia Eirene in Constantinople.

It is often said that Constantine ended the Great Persecution. However, it is more accurate to sat that he completed a process started by the edict by Galerius. His support and sponsorship of Christianity put its churches on a more secure and confident footing. At the time of Constantine Christianity was followed by a minority of the population of the Roman Empire. Some estimates give it as 10% of the population. It was concentrated in urban centres, especially in the eastern part of the Empire, Tunisia, and the areas around Rome, Milan, Seville Marseille and Lyons. Constantine contributed to its further spread. All but one of the subsequent emperors were Christians and they, too, contributed to putting Christianity on a more solid legal footing and to its further spread. Legislations against paganism were introduced. In 380 the co-emperors Theodosius I and Gratian mede mainstream Christianity (the Greek/Eastern Church and the Latin/Western Church, which later came to be called Orthodox and Catholic respectively) the sole legitimate religion in he empire and banned dissident Christian doctrines, which were branded as heretic. Theodosius persecuted Arian Christianity, the most popular dissident doctrine. He also persecuted paganism.