Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: blam; SunkenCiv
At the Battle of Milvian Bridge October 28, 312, Constantine was successful mainly due to his superior military skills and the incompetence of the engineers used by Maxentius for construction of the temporary wooden bridge.

Constantine did not establish Christianity, although the Edict of Milan gave religious freedom. The god Sol Invictus, the Unconquered Sun, featured prominently on Constantinian coins and monuments in the years before and after the battle indicating that he kept several beliefs as a hedging strategy.

Constantine was responsible for switching the day of rest from Saturday (Sabbath) to Sunday, the first day of the week in the Jewish Calendar, as well as the day of the Resurrection, and the day which the Roman state had dedicated to Sol Invictus (hence Sun-day), the main rival religion to Christianity at the time, and of which Constantine was chief priest (pontifex maximus) until his death.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_I_and_Christianity

Many still erroneously believe today that the Edict established Christianity as the sole faith of Rome, a change which didn't take place until the early 390s, under Theodosius I.
20 posted on 11/12/2006 11:29:44 PM PST by AdmSmith
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]


To: AdmSmith

Thanks!


41 posted on 11/13/2006 9:04:50 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Dhimmicrati delenda est! https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies ]

To: AdmSmith

Did Constantine himself convert to Christianity?


43 posted on 11/13/2006 9:07:16 AM PST by RightWhale (RTRA DLQS GSCW)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson