The Life and Legacy of Constantine

Interpretations of the motives and sincerity of Constantine’s conversion to Christianity have characterized explanations of everything from the religious culture of the late Roman state to the dynamics of ecclesiastical politics. What receives less-frequent attention is the fact that our modern appreciation of Constantine is itself a direct result of the manner in which Constantine’s memory was constructed over the course of centuries. The book examines Constantine and his memory in the fourth century; the reception of Constantine in early-medieval contexts from the sixth century to the Carolingian period; and Constantine’s representation from the High Middle Ages to the Renaissance.