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The Colossus of Constantine
Once located in the west apse of the Basilica of Maxentius, fragments of the Colossus of Constantine are now located in the courtyard of the Palazzo dei Conservatori of the Musei Capitolini on the Capitoline Hill, Rome. Marble, 312 CE.
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Byzantine Government
The government of the Byzantine Empire was headed and dominated by the emperor, but there were many other important officials who assisted in operating the finances, judiciary, military, and bureaucracy of a huge territory. Without elections...
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The Hippodrome of Constantinople
The Hippodrome of Constantinople was an arena used for chariot racing throughout the Byzantine period. First built during the reign of Roman emperor Septimius Severus in the early 3rd century CE, the structure was made more grandiose by emperor...
Definition
Byzantine Coinage
The coinage of the Byzantine Empire continued that of its more ancient predecessors and functioned as a convenient method of payment for goods and services, especially to soldiers and officials, and as a means for people to pay their taxes...
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Early Christianity
Emerging from a small sect of Judaism in the 1st century CE, early Christianity absorbed many of the shared religious, cultural, and intellectual traditions of the Greco-Roman world. In traditional histories of Western culture, the emergence...
Definition
Mystras
The city of Mystras (or Mistras) in southern Greece was the provincial capital of the Byzantine Despotate of the Morea from the 13th through the 15th centuries CE. It was founded in 1249 CE by William II of Villehardouin, and it served as...
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Constantine's Conversion
The Emblem of Christ Appearing to Constantine / Constantine's conversion, oil on panel painting by Peter Paul Rubens, 1622.
Philadelphia Museum of Art.
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Inscription, Arch of Constantine I
The inscription which appears on both sides of the Arch of Constantine I in Rome. Dedicated in 315 CE, the triumphal arch celebrates the emperor's victory over the Roman tyrant Maxentius in 312 CE. The inscription reads: IMP CAES FL CONSTANTINO...
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Gold Coin Pendant of Constantine
Gold pendant set with a coin of Constantine the Great, c 320s CE. The British Museum, London. The pendant is made in a pierced metalwork technique popular in fine jewellery of the time. The obverse of the coin depicts a bust of Constantine...
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Gold Medallion of Constantine the Great
Medallions with designs similar to coins could be worn as a symbol of allegiance, or given as prestigious gifts. They were specifically to be attractive, as display or presentation pieces. Gold medallion of the Roman Emperor Constantine I...