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Constantine and the Christian Empire

By Charles Odahl

Published August 5th 2004 by Routledge – 424 pages

Series: Roman Imperial Biographies

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Description

The most substantial biography ever written on the most important Roman emperor, Professor Charles M. Odahl has written a fascinating account of the life and reign of the first Christian emperor of the Roman world.

Drawing on over a quarter of a century of research on sources relevant to the period and retracing the journeys made by Constantine across Europe and around the Mediterranean basin, this up-to-date biography provides students with a comprehensive knowledge of literary sources and research into the archaeology of the Constantinian era, and enables a more rounded and accurate portrait than has previously been available.

Illustrated with ninety-two photographs and eight maps, Constantine and the Christian Empire is the standard work on the man and his life for scholars, students, and all those interested in Roman imperial, early Christian, and Byzantine imperial history.

Reviews

'A splendid, solid Constantine … whose many illustrations invite the reader to enter and be carried along with the story.' - Yale University, USA

'A splendid volume, an opus praeclare as well as a magnum opus … the scholarship is impeccable … The layout, the quality of the photographs and the graphics are all excellent.' - State University of New York, USA

'[This] book will undoubtedly remain the standard account of the reign for many years to come.' - University College Cork, Ireland

'Charles Matson Odahl offers a wide-ranging assessment … [his] perspective in panoramic … clearly and often engagingly written [the book] offers a splendid account of Constantine and his legacy.' - The Record

Contents

1. The Subject and Ancient Sources 2. The Imperial Crisis and Illyrian Emperors 3. The First Tetrarchy and the Caesar's Son 4. The Gallic Emperor and the Dying Persecutors 5. The Italian Campaign and Constantine's Conversion 6. Religious Concerns and Apostolic Rome 7. The Eastern Crusade and the Nicene Council 8. The Dynastic Tragedy and Helena's Pilgrimage 9. Imperial Concerns and Christian Constantinople 10. The Final Campaigns and the Emperor's Heirs 11. The Thirteenth Apostle and the Christian Empire 12. The Legacy and Modern Interpretations

Author Bio

Charles Matson Odahl is Professor of Ancient and Medieval History, and Classical and Patristic Latin at Boise State University. His main research interests are Cicero and the late Republic, early Christianity, and Constantine and Late Antiquity. Previous publications include fifteen articles on Constantine and a textbook on Early Christian Latin Literature (1993). He has travelled extensively in Europe and the Mediterranean basin examining extant texts, coins, monuments and historical sites of the Constantinian era.

Name: Constantine and the Christian Empire (Hardback) – Routledge 
Description: By Charles Odahl. The most substantial biography ever written on the most important Roman emperor, Professor Charles M. Odahl has written a fascinating account of the life and reign of the first Christian emperor of the Roman world. Drawing on over a quarter of a century...
Categories: Classical Studies, Greek History & Culture