From persecutions to domination : shaping the identities of early Christians. An archaeological-historical perspective in the Northern Illyricum

Abstract

Archaeological testimonies and historical sources on the presence and traces of Early Christians in the area of Northern Illyricum come from a relatively late period in regard to the edge of the Mediterranean basin, in which Christianisation had already begun during the time of the apostles. With their edicts, issued in the first decades of the 4th century, willingly or otherwise, two emperors, Galerius and Constantine I, who originated from these areas, set the foundation for free institutional shaping of the Christian community, which they recognised as a growing force in the Late Antique society. Manners in which the Christian community was shaped and manners in which it reacted to the complex social-economic conditions during this forming period, can be seen from archaeological traces registered, most prominently, in larger urban centres of Northern Illyricum. The decline of the imperial and administrative power of the state, especially during the 5th and the 6th centuries, led to a loss of territories and concessions under the pressure to allow barbarian tribes to settle on Roman soil, with the inclusion of barbarians in the top of the chain of command of the Roman army, led to a loss of control in managing complex relations, in which the Christian Church appeared as a mediator and a factor which brought together all members of the Roman society. This Church–state alliance enabled the stability of sensitive zones of the Empire. The aggressive policy of Christianisation and taking over certain administrative-governing jurisdictions only increased the power of the Church in Late Antiquity and led to its domination in Roman society, the materialisation of which can be traced through the construction and maintenance of numerous church buildings, in both urban and rural milieux.