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<p>[QUOTE="IMP Shogun, post: 7662048, member: 114683"]"It is a stupid clemency that spares the conquered foe" Constantine's Panegyrist. </p><p><br /></p><p>It always comes down to religion it seems, but for me the title Great follows a significant cultural change that lasts. That change can be territorial, societal, religious etc. The empire going from persecuting Christianity to adopting Christianity to then oppressing other religions in such a short period of time is a massive cultural shift that lasted for quite some time. Think about all of the resources Roman society put into religion and how that changed in short order - just the physical with the abandonment of temples and construction of new Churches. I however don't think that is why he is stylized as "the Great":</p><p><br /></p><p>So why is he Great - </p><p>1. Winners get to write the rules</p><p>2. He did reunite the Empire for arguably the last time - shout out Theodosius</p><p>3. Changed the Empire's /world's (31%!) religion, even if you don't like his choice</p><p>4. Secured the empire's borders, limiting invasions and reigned for a very long time</p><p>5. Established a dynasty - even if the apples didn't fall far from the family-killing tree</p><p>6. Building Constantinople as a second capitol was truly an amazing feat, and an amazing city to this day. It did rival Rome.</p><p><br /></p><p>I don't think of Constantine I in the modern terms where we question the likes of George Washington by applying our current world views, however I think many do with Constantine. That and a growing dislike of Christianity seems to form the two sides.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/media/sol-invicto-comiti.17645/full?d=1623426434" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p><br /></p><p><font size="4"><b><a href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=SOLI%20INVICTO" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=SOLI%20INVICTO" rel="nofollow">SOLI INVICTO</a> <a href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=COMITI" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=COMITI" rel="nofollow">COMITI</a></b></font></p><p><font size="4"><br /></font></p><p>Latin: to the unconquered Sun, minister [of the Emperor].</p><p><br /></p><p>While previous emperors dedicated the coins to "Soli Invicto," Constantine coins are dedicated to "Soli Invicto <a href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=COMITI" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=COMITI" rel="nofollow">Comiti</a>." The word <a href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=COMITI" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=COMITI" rel="nofollow">comiti</a>, during imperial ages indicated a minister of the emperor (That's how the feudal title "count" originated). Even the two consuls where called "comites" (check on Du Cange glossarium of mediae et infimae latinitatis). The <a href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Legend" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Legend" rel="nofollow">legend</a> therefore reads: "to the unconquered Sun, minister (of the Emperor)." Basically it indicated that Sun was the maximum agency in the sky, as Constantine was on the earth; but both where subordinated to God.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=soli%20invicto%20comiti" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=soli%20invicto%20comiti" rel="nofollow">soli invicto comiti - NumisWiki, The Collaborative Numismatics Project (forumancientcoins.com)</a>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="IMP Shogun, post: 7662048, member: 114683"]"It is a stupid clemency that spares the conquered foe" Constantine's Panegyrist. It always comes down to religion it seems, but for me the title Great follows a significant cultural change that lasts. That change can be territorial, societal, religious etc. The empire going from persecuting Christianity to adopting Christianity to then oppressing other religions in such a short period of time is a massive cultural shift that lasted for quite some time. Think about all of the resources Roman society put into religion and how that changed in short order - just the physical with the abandonment of temples and construction of new Churches. I however don't think that is why he is stylized as "the Great": So why is he Great - 1. Winners get to write the rules 2. He did reunite the Empire for arguably the last time - shout out Theodosius 3. Changed the Empire's /world's (31%!) religion, even if you don't like his choice 4. Secured the empire's borders, limiting invasions and reigned for a very long time 5. Established a dynasty - even if the apples didn't fall far from the family-killing tree 6. Building Constantinople as a second capitol was truly an amazing feat, and an amazing city to this day. It did rival Rome. I don't think of Constantine I in the modern terms where we question the likes of George Washington by applying our current world views, however I think many do with Constantine. That and a growing dislike of Christianity seems to form the two sides. [IMG]https://www.cointalk.com/media/sol-invicto-comiti.17645/full?d=1623426434[/IMG] [SIZE=4][B][URL='https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=SOLI%20INVICTO']SOLI INVICTO[/URL] [URL='https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=COMITI']COMITI[/URL][/B] [/SIZE] Latin: to the unconquered Sun, minister [of the Emperor]. While previous emperors dedicated the coins to "Soli Invicto," Constantine coins are dedicated to "Soli Invicto [URL='https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=COMITI']Comiti[/URL]." The word [URL='https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=COMITI']comiti[/URL], during imperial ages indicated a minister of the emperor (That's how the feudal title "count" originated). Even the two consuls where called "comites" (check on Du Cange glossarium of mediae et infimae latinitatis). The [URL='https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Legend']legend[/URL] therefore reads: "to the unconquered Sun, minister (of the Emperor)." Basically it indicated that Sun was the maximum agency in the sky, as Constantine was on the earth; but both where subordinated to God. [URL='https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=soli%20invicto%20comiti']soli invicto comiti - NumisWiki, The Collaborative Numismatics Project (forumancientcoins.com)[/URL][/QUOTE]
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