The Cambridge Companion to THE AGE OF CONSTANTINE S The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Constantine offers students a com- prehensive one-volume introduction to this pivotal emperor and his times. Richly illustrated and designed as a readable survey accessible to all audiences, it also achieves a level of scholarly sophistication and a freshness of interpretation that will be welcomed by the experts. The volume is divided into five sections that examine political history, reli- gion, social and economic history, art, and foreign relations during the reign of Constantine, a ruler who gains in importance because he steered the Roman Empire on a course parallel with his own personal develop- ment. Each chapter examines the intimate interplay between emperor and empire and between a powerful personality and his world. Collec- tively, the chapters show how both were mutually affected in ways that shaped the world of late antiquity and even affect our own world today. Noel Lenski is Associate Professor of Classics at the University of Colorado, Boulder. A specialist in the history of late antiquity, he is the author of numerous articles on military, political, cultural, and social history and the monograph Failure of Empire: Valens and the Roman State in the Fourth Century ad. Cambridge Collections Online © Cambridge University Press, 2007 Cambridge Collections Online © Cambridge University Press, 2007 The Cambridge Companion to THE AGE OF CONSTANTINE S Edited by Noel Lenski University of Colorado Cambridge Collections Online © Cambridge University Press, 2007 cambridge university press Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, Sao˜ Paulo Cambridge University Press 40 West 20th Street, New York, ny 10011-4211, usa www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521818384 c Cambridge University Press 2006 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2006 Printed in the United States of America A catalog record for this publication is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data The Cambridge companion to the Age of Constantine / edited by Noel Lenski. p. cm. Text in English; includes one essay translated from German. Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn-13: 978-0-521-81838-4 (hardback) isbn-10: 0-521-81838-9 (hardback) isbn-13: 978-0-521-52157-4 (pbk.) isbn-10: 0-521-52157-2 (pbk.) 1. Rome – History – Constantine I, the Great, 306–337. 2. Constantine I, Emperor of Rome, d. 337. 3. Church history – Primitive and early church, ca. 30–600. I. Lenski, Noel Emmanuel, 1965– II. Title. dg315 .c36 2005 937.08092 –dc22 2005011724 isbn-13 978-0-521-81838-4 hardback isbn-10 0-521-81838-9 hardback isbn-13 978-0-521-52157-4 paperback isbn-10 0-521-52157-2 paperback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of urls for external or third-party Internet Web sites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Web sites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. Cambridge Collections Online © Cambridge University Press, 2007 piissimae et venerabili matri Cambridge Collections Online © Cambridge University Press, 2007 Cambridge Collections Online © Cambridge University Press, 2007 Contents S List of Illustrations page ix Contributors xiii Acknowledgments xv Abbreviations xvii Introduction 1 NOEL LENSKI 1 Sources for the History of Constantine 14 BRUNO BLECKMANN Section I Politics and Personalities 2 Before Constantine 35 SIMON CORCORAN 3 The Reign of Constantine 59 NOEL LENSKI 4 The Dynasty of Constantine Down to 363 91 ROBERT M. FRAKES Section II Religion and Spiritual Life 5 The Impact of Constantine on Christianity 111 H. A. DRAKE 6 The Beginnings of Christianization 137 MARK EDWARDS 7 Traditional Religions 159 A. D. LEE vii Cambridge Collections Online © Cambridge University Press, 2007 Contents Section III Law and Society 8 Bureaucracy and Government 183 CHRISTOPHER KELLY 9 Civil Law and Social Life 205 CAROLINE HUMFRESS 10 Economy and Society 226 GEORGES DEPEYROT Section IV Art and Culture 11 Perspectives in Art 255 JAS´ ELSNER 12 Architecture of Empire 278 MARK J. JOHNSON 13 Constantine in Legendary Literature 298 SAMUEL N. C. LIEU Section V Empire and Beyond 14 Warfare and the Military 325 HUGH ELTON 15 Constantine and the Northern Barbarians 347 MICHAEL KULIKOWSKI 16 Constantine and the Peoples of the Eastern Frontier 377 ELIZABETH KEY FOWDEN Appendix 1: Stemmata 399 Appendix 2: Timeline 401 Maps 405 Primary Sources and Translations 411 Secondary Bibliography 419 Index 457 viii Cambridge Collections Online © Cambridge University Press, 2007 Illustrations S Figures 1 Arch of Constantine, Rome, north face 2 Remains of the porphyry column of Constantine (C¸ emberlitas¸), Istanbul 3 Personified Constantinople next to the column of Constantine, Tabula Peutingeriana, Vienna 4 Hispellum Decree, Spello, Italy 5 Model of the imperial villa Romuliana (Gamzigrad) 6 Monumental rock-cut relief of Shapur I before Philip and Valerian, Naqsh-i-Rustam, Iran 7 Porphyry bust of emperor Galerius from the imperial villa Romuliana (Gamzigrad) 8 Porphyry Tetrarchs, Venice 9 The Milvian Bridge, Rome 10 Constantinian Quadrifrons reconstructed into a medieval palatium (Malborghetto) 11 Constantinian Quadrifrons ( Janus Quadrifrons), Rome 12 Basilica of St. John Lateran, Rome 13 Thirteenth-century icon of Constantine and Helena, Athens 14 Colossal marble bust of Constantine, Rome 15 Colossal bronze bust of Constantine, Rome 16 Recut portrait head of Constantine from the Arch of Constantine, Rome 17 Relief showing the siege of Verona from the Arch of Constantine, Rome 18 Relief of Constantine’s address in the Forum from the Arch of Constantine, Rome 19 Intaglio-cut amethyst with Constantine’s portrait, Berlin ix Cambridge Collections Online © Cambridge University Press, 2007 Illustrations 20 Over-life-sized statue of Constantine, in the Basilica of St. John in Lateran, Rome 21 Mausoleum of Helena (Tor Pignatara), Rome 22 Porphyry sarcophagus of Helena in the Vatican Museum, Rome 23 Porphyry sarcophagus of Constantina in the Vatican Museum, Rome 24 Ceiling mosaic from the church of S. Costanza, Rome 25 Ceiling fresco of a nimbate woman with jewel-box, Trier 26 Opus sectile panel of a consular driving a chariot from the Basilica of Junius Bassus, Rome 27 Artemis of Saint Georges de Montagne, Bordeaux 28 Cameo of Constantine and his family from the cover of the Ada-Evangeliar, Trier 29 Sardonyx cameo of Constantine(?) fighting on horseback, Belgrade 30 Seasons sarcophagus in the Dumbarton Oaks Byzantine Collection, Washington, DC 31 Fresco showing the ascension of Elijah from the Via Latina Catacomb, Rome 32 Interior of the Aula Palatina, Trier 33 Baths of Constantine on the Quirinal, Rome 34 Licinian Garden Pavilion (Minerva Medica), Rome 35 View of the interior of the Constantinian Basilica of Saint Peter, Rome 36 Model of the Basilica Apostolorum (S. Sebastiano), Rome 37 Remains of the apse of the church of S. Agnese, Rome 38 Romanesque fresco showing the Donations of Constantine, Rome 39 Silver dish with Constantius II mounted, accompanied by a guardsman, Leningrad 40 Relief showing armored cavalry from the Arch of Galerius, Thessalonica 41 Tetrarchic fort of Mobene (Qasr Bshir), Al-Kerak, Jordan Plans 1 Basilica Constantiniana of the Lateran in Rome 2 Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople 3 Church and cemetery complex ad duas lauros (Tor Pignatara) in Rome x Cambridge Collections Online © Cambridge University Press, 2007 Illustrations 4 Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem 5 Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem 6 Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine in Rome 7 Lateran baptistery of Constantine in Rome 8 Church of S. Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome 9 Constantinian Basilica of St. Peter in Rome 10 Plans of cemetery churches in Rome and its vicinity 11 Church of S. Lorenzo in Rome 12 Constantinian bishop’s church at Ostia Coins 1 IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG: Constantine three-quarters facing, with a helmet bearing a Chi-Rho emblem 2 SARMATIA DEVICTA: Victory holding palm branch and trophy, spurning captive 3 SENATVS: Togate figure standing, holding globe and scepter 4 INVICTVS CONSTANTINVS MAX AVG: Constantine and Sol Comes jugate 5 DIOCLETIANVS AVGVSTVS: Diocletian laureate 6 IOVI CONS CAES: Jupiter standing nude holding staff and thunderbolt 7 MAXIMIANVS PF AVG: Maximian laureate / HERCVLI VICTORI: Hercules holding lion skin, leaning on club 8 CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES: Constantius I laureate 9 VIRTVS MILITVM: Four emperors sacrificing over a tripod before a fortification 10 MAXENTIVS PF AVG: Maxentius facing, bareheaded 11 SALVS REI PVBLICAE: The empress Fausta standing holding two babes 12 LICINIVS AVG OB D V FILII SVI: Licinius facing, bareheaded 13 VOTIS XXX MVLTIS XXXX: Inscribed within wreath 14 VIRT EXERC: X shaped pattern with Sol standing above, holding globe 15 SOLI INVICT COM DN: Sol radiate holding globe with Victory in left hand 16 DD NN CONSTANTINVS ET LICINIVS AVGG: Confronted busts of Licinius and Constantine 17 FL CL CONSTANTINVS PF AVG: Constantine II rosette diademed xi Cambridge Collections Online © Cambridge University Press, 2007 Illustrations 18 CONSTANTIVS AVGVSTVS: Constantius II rosette diademed 19 FLAVIA HELENA AVGVSTA: Empress Helena with elaborate headdress 20 CONSTANTIANA