The Roman Revolution of Constantine

Raymond Van Dam is Professor of History and Director of the Interdepartmental Program in Greek and Roman History at the University of Michigan. A scholar of the later Roman empire, history, and religion, he is the author of numerous books, most recently Families and Friends in Late Roman Cappadocia and Becoming Christian: The Conversion of Roman Cappadocia.

• Introduction; Part I. A Roman Empire without Rome: 1. Constantine's rescript to Hispellum; 2. His favorite rooster: old Rome and new Rome; 3. 'Hope in His name': the Flavian dynasty; 4. Reading ahead; Part II. A Greek Roman Empire: 5. Constantine's dialogue with Orcistus; 6. 'The most holy religion': petitioning the emperor; 7. 'The Roman language': Latin and the Greek East; 8. Falling water; Part III. Emperor and God: 9. 'Begotten of the gods': the imperial tetrarchy; 10. 'Begotten from the Father': the Christian Trinity; 11. 'Only-begotten son': history becomes theology; 12. The search for the Christian doctrine of the emperor; Epilogue: one emperor.

'This diverse, far-reaching book is a penetrating, original study of a second Roman revolution, when the Roman Empire switched to a new universal religion within a generation. Highly recommended.' Choice