Rechizitoriu constantinian la adresa persecutorilor, a păgânilor și a ereticilor

Abstract

The Constantinian Indictment against the Persecutors, Pagans and Heretics. In the historical literature dedicated to emperor Constantine the Great, we observe he was apprehended as an apologist of Christianity. Starting from such premises, we propose an analysis of the position the faithful basileus adopted towards the ones that previously persecuted the Christians, towards the ones that were still not converted to Christianity, and towards the ones that distorted the Christian teachings. In this sense, we will make use of the springs, orations and official acts fr om Eusebian corpus and we will synthesize the accusations the emperor brought to the opponents of the Christian religion, his arguments and personal spiritual motivations. As an apologist in front of the pagans, persecutors and heretics, Constantine the Great precisely identified the elements that generated conflicts in the relationships between Christianity, the pagan religions and the heretic manifestation. His indictment against the adversaries of Christianity perceived as a vehicle of imperial unity and path towards personal salvation is unsparing, and the imperial legislative measures are explicit.