6 How may one explain the Roman government s changing attitudes towards Christians and Christianity
This brief discussion alone is not capable of fully explaining the many fluctuations that the attitude of Roman governments took as the Empire confronted the growth of Christianity. Consequently, the following will concentrate on the general conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity in the first four centuries AD and attempt to explain the reasons why the Roman government moved from a position of persecuting Christians to accepting Christianity as the state religion. ... When analysing the historiographical arguments concerning this issue, one may discern two lines of thinking in particular that claim to offer the correct explanation for the acceptance of Christianity by Roman governments. The first maintains that change was secured by a Christian victory over the “polytheistic beliefs, practices and institutions” of Paganism whilst the second claims that the assent of Christianity to the position of state religion within the Empire was only made possible because of what it had in common with Paganism. ... Finally, for the most part it will be Constantine who is referred to instead of “Roman government” as it was he who effectively “Christianized” the empire following his vision before the battle of Milvian Bridge.