Had he forced Christianity upon the citizens in a revolutionary manner, he would have been no better to the people than the tyrant he had replaced. Constantine believed that rapid change would disturb the empire, and especially upset those that wished to maintain the status quo and continue to practice ancient beliefs. This move allowed the empire a religious grace period in which people could understand the change that was happening and follow by choice. Moreover, Constantine’s Arch itself contains no direct Christian references. Paganism was not banned at the time Constantine came to power, in fact the coins minted during the first several years of his rule still showed the figures of ancient Roman gods. One of Constantine’s most ingenious political moves was his allowance of religions other than Christianity. For this he has been termed both Constantine the Great as well as Saint Constantine by different sects of the Christian church. This not only reversed the persecution of Christians that had been occurring under previous emperors, but it also allowed peoples of other religions to practice freely within the empire. The most notable of Constantine’s achievements was his signing and implication of the Edict of Milan in 313, which granted religious tolerance throughout the empire. This is our first glimpse into the consistent theme of Constantine’s rule, the benevolent emperor.Ĭonstantine’s predecessor, Maxentius, was a tyrant of the Diocletian system who oppressed Christians in the empire. Constantine made many prominent legal reforms during his rule including mandating better treatment of prisoners within Rome, banning of the gladiatorial games and limiting the rights of slave masters. During his rule, Constantine made many significant revisions to the empire including transforming the city of Byzantium into Constantinople which would become the new capital of the Roman Empire as well as would remain the capital of the Byzantium Empire for over 1000 years. He is well known for being the first of the Christian emperors in Rome and instigating the shift of power from divine emperors of the past, to the church. The ambiguous references to both Trajan and Constantine blurred the attribution of accomplishments to a specific emperor and instead, made its viewers consider the bigger picture - Rome’s glory as a whole.The reign of Emperor Constantine from the year 306 to his death in 337 was a period of drastic change throughout the Roman Empire. 3īoth the Dacian sculptures and the battle friezes contributed to the symbolic and political motives of the Senate, Rome, and Constantine. Trajan’s face was re-carved to resemble Constantine's, and thus, also gave him the title. Above, “ Fundatori quietis ” or “For the Founder of Peace,” labels the emperor visibly represented. The other half depicts the Roman army subduing the Dacian enemies. The left half reveals Trajan standing between Roma and the goddess Victory, who prepares to crown him in a triumphal wreath. The second relief shows a fusion of two scenes. The inscription above reads “ Liberatori Urbis ”, or “For the Liberator of the City”. In the passageway, the relief on the west side is crowded: figures trample over each other, running away from Trajan who charges into battle on horseback. On the outer ends of the arch and in the inner passageway are segments of a once lengthier frieze depicting the emperor in heroic scenes of combat. By mounting such recognizable sculptures across the arch, the arch's designer connects past triumphs to the current emperor, simultaneously legitimizing both his and Rome’s power. Their realistically portrayed bodies stand in contrapposto (typical ancient Greek sculpture stance with one bent knee) with their hands bound together and heads lowered in defeat. Their large scale and centrality indicate their significance, but most notably, make an obvious reference to Trajan’s victory in the Dacian Wars. 2 Now, the prisoners stand high on a cornice above the Corinthian columns. The captive Dacians likely derive from from Trajan’s Forum (where sculptures of Constantine were also added, perhaps in exchange). These earlier sculptures played an integral role in conveying the Arch for Constantine’s purpose. The Arch for Constantine incorporates two main elements that likely date back to Trajan: eight statues of Dacian prisoners and four panels of relief sculpture long thought to be from the "Great Trajanic frieze." 1 By referencing the triumphs and successes of past leaders, the monument's designer could evoke memories of them. The spolia on the Arch for Constantine were taken pars pro toto, or part representing the whole, from previous monuments dedicated to emperors ranging from Marcus Aurelius to Hadrian. Arch for Constantine, detail of "Liberatori Urbis" panel
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