KONSTANTIN

(272-337)

An example of Marcus Aurelius has shown that a wise ruler, philosopher, is capable to take your life and lead the nation. However, this is not a guarantee of the glorious future of the country under the rule of his successor. Perhaps the reason is that every major thinker, very closely Looking into the depths of their souls, do not always pay due attention to their loved ones, and seeking to know the present, few think about the future.

True Marcus Aurelius said: "Not all the same spiel, what should be a good man, it′s time to become them. " To undertake this task, he complied, but his son was not able to cultivate properly. And since then the Roman Empire became droop, and its decomposition started with the privileged upper class.

Of course, the crisis of a great empire - the process is complicated and complex. It can not be reduced to the decomposition of the ruling or the collapse of the ideological foundations of society under the influence of Christianity. For example, the famous British historian AJ Toynbee believed that "the Roman proletarians" as free citizens, and not having small land holdings, were to go to war and die for the benefit of the nobles and wealthy citizens. "It was very beneficial material for social explosion. "

However, it is important that the need to hold down many peoples and countries, as well as to discourage the attack of aggressive neighbors did Rome paramilitary power. It is kept primarily by the Army, which in the end and became the dominate. But why is it turned, and why the country has too many poor affected "proletarian"? Moreover, wealth flowed into Rome from all over oykumeny and local know luxuriate and bezumstvovala of redundancies . . .

Significant role in the impoverishment of the land metropolitan played two factors: destruction of forests and the depletion of the soil.

Photo — «Konstantin»

As a result meleli rivers, declining groundwater level, the erosion of developed land, diminishing yields. And it is - with more or less steady increase in population. Increased, as we now say, the environmental crisis.

Economy Power was based on a robbery subjugated and dependent countries: Civilization is not quite the production and consumption. Reliance on the army led to the major warlords proclaimed himself emperor and enmity among themselves. From 211 to 284 year 20 Roman emperors were killed. By the beginning of IV century, the empire was not only decompose internally, but also break into pieces. This process is delayed Diocletian, a talented military leader, who became emperor in 284 year. It has strengthened local governments and divided the empire in the Western and Eastern. However, once in 305 year, he withdrew from business, completing its life in a luxurious villa in the country began a struggle for power. Son won the governor of western half of the empire Constance chlorine - Constantine, who after the sudden death of his father in the 306 year British legions proclaimed Caesar. The applicant for power in the empire was Maksentsy, driving Italy. The decisive battle between them took place near Rome in the year 312.

According to Christian tradition, at the decisive moment of battle Constantine saw the sign: a cross with the inscription "Sim to win. " Poveda their legions to attack, he defeated the enemy. Maksentsy drowned in the Tiber. Hard to believe that Constantine blessed to win the Christian cross, because at that time, the future emperor was not a Christian, though not related to that religion is hostile. The victory is easier to explain the fact that Constantine was a well-trained and hardened in combat troops, as he himself, despite their youth, was a great military leaders and, in addition, possessed great physical strength.

Photo — «Konstantin»

The solemn signing in Rome (at the front carrying a spear head Maksentsiya), Constantine was one of the first of its orders of Christian ministers freed from fees and service obligations, taking them to the public content. Thus, until recently persecuted religion has acquired all rights on an equal basis with others, taken in the state cults. Using the central and western part of the Roman Empire (east of Likiny), Constantine in 324 year moved its army to the East. Likiny made to meet him, but the battle was broken, and fled to the strengthening of Byzantine fortress at Bosphorus Strait, linking the Black and Marmara seas. He then turned himself into exile, Constantine sent him into exile, and soon ordered to kill as conspirators edinovlastnym becoming a great ruler of the entire Roman Empire . . .

However, it remained only a Roman by name. The capital of Constantine decided to move from the city of Byzantium - the ancient Greek colony. It was indeed a fateful decision, the reasons which are not well understood. Could Constantine foresee that Rome is destined to fall under the pressure of barbarian tribes and the custodian of ancient culture for several centuries, will become the new capital of the empire? What is it destined to become the first in a powerful bastion of Christianity?

Perhaps by that time, Rome experienced a period of decline, obros suburbs and surrounding area were partially opustyneny, rivers obmeleli. In addition, Italy has been steadily growing over the threat of invasion from the north the barbarians. Finally, Constantine, all the more inclined to Christianity, could be kept in mind to establish a new capital under the shadow of the Cross (although not definitively breaking with the pagan cults).

Rightly or wrongly, the decision was taken, began the construction of palaces and temples, as well as the new castle was Byzantium, who in May of 330 years was consecrated under the name Constantinople.

Photo — «Konstantin»

This was svezeno many splendid monuments of ancient art: the city has become the keeper of Greek traditions in art, literature, architecture, and at the same time became the first powerful bulwark of Christianity.

. . . The cycle of short stories and novels of Austrian writer Stefan Zweig Star Hours of mankind "is the story" a genius of the night "about the creator of" Marseillaise "Rouget de Lille. Thus, Constantine was properly can be considered a genius decision, because it was one of the very few acts, which predetermined the development of the whole world civilization. Moving to the outskirts of the capital of the empire, he founded the Center for antique, not just the Christian culture, where not so badly affected by the spiritual expansion of Roman society.

It may seem strange that the Hellenic tradition is not preserved in most of Greece. After all, could make the capital, for example, the once glorious Athens. What Constantine did not make such a choice?

The answer to the question could prompt a historian Polybius II century: "In our time all Greece upon neplodie and general scarcity of the population, leaving the city and neglected, and crop failures have occurred, although we did not have any long war, or contagious diseases. " So here was the same problem as in Italy, related primarily to the depletion of natural resources (forests, soils, rivers). A further impact and spiritual factors. "When people have lost the simplicity and became lyubostyazhatelnymi and profligate, - explains Polybius - and longer to marry and, if entered, then in order not to have more than one or, at most, two children, leaving them with substantial wealth and educate them in the lap of luxury - these under any circumstances, gradually increasing distress. "

Hard to say how well understood and took into account all that, Konstantin, but his choice has been important not only for Christianity as a state religion, to identify the main features of the European Middle Ages, but to complete this during the Renaissance, the assimilation of ancient culture, the repository of many centuries was the Byzantium.

Photo — «Konstantin»

It moved to the Eastern Orthodox Slavs and became one of the most reliable pillars of the Kievan Rus, the principality of Moscow, and finally, the Russian Empire.

As far as the Constantine the Great, then we have to admit that he, unlike his mother Helena, numbered canonized, was not executed the Christian virtues, was at times unnecessarily cruel and Kovar, and neposledovatelen in matters of faith. According to a major historian of Byzantium FI Assumption: "There is . . . unclear whether Constantine himself was raised evangelical doctrine, and the extent of his ecclesiastical policy was paid to place moral principles derived from the preaching of Christ. All, apparently, leads to the conclusion that ravnoapostolny Constantine took advantage of the new doctrine as a tool for mirovlastitelstva and as a political tool, and that the divinity of evangelical doctrine little touched his attitudes and beliefs. "

Indeed, it was primarily a statesman and military leaders for whom the spiritual life - and the personal and the public - subject to the requirements of sovereign, the need to strengthen the authority of rulers. Byzantine Empire, embodied the fusion of Greek culture, Roman law and government, the Christian religion. The same in different proportions was in the time characteristic of an increasing number of European countries.