An Alternate Theory of the History of Christianity
Article 2: Constantine - supreme imperial mafia thug
Web Publication by Mountain Man Graphics, Australia

"It is, I think, expedient
to set forth to all mankind
the reasons by which I was convinced
that the fabrication of the Galilaeans
is a fiction of men
composed by wickedness.

Though it has in it nothing divine,
by making full use of that part of the soul
which loves fable and is childish and foolish,
it has induced men to believe
that the monstrous tale is truth."

Flavius Claudius Julianus (331-363 CE)
Against the Galilaeans

Introduction

The following brief sketch of the life and times of Constantine has been prepared based on a number of sources for the purpose of providing a background to perhaps the most intelligent supreme imperial mafia thug that the world had ever seen, or has ever seen since. It is our thesis that Constantine sponsored a number of initiatives during his reign, including the creation from the whole cloth the gospels, the acts of the apostles and the entire new testament, equipped with quick-reference canon tables, a comprehensive history of the new Roman religion, and a host of other fictitious literature to support many of the various events mentioned in the history.

Additionally, our thesis is that Constantine sponsored the perversion of the extant patristic literature and manuscripts, of Jewish and Roman historians and writers, by the fraudulent interpolation of "christian references" into these extant manuscripts, during the early part of the fourth century.

The purpose of this sketch is to provide a background to some of the more relevant initiatives that Constantine implemented, that are accepted more or less by most modern historians.

Here is a very brief summary time-line for Constantine:

Event-Date  Description of Event ........................................


272-282?    Born son of Constatius Chlorus ("Son of a goat-herder from the Danube lands")
293         Father ascends to Tetrarchy (293-306) ... Briton
306         Acclaimed as "Augusta" by his army in Briton.

312         Defeats Maxentius and takes Rome.
313         Edict of Christianity first appears in Rome as a beta-site.
311-317     Massive literature generation program for new Roman religion
318         Literature and propaganda sent to the Eastern empire - Arian Controversy

324         Defeats Lucinius - becomes supreme imperial ruler of the empire.
325         Personal summons issued by Constantine to attendees at Council of Nicaea.
325         Council of Nicaea.

326         Founding of Constantinople - "The City of Constantine" (remained unconquered 1453 CE)
337         Death of Constantine (Buried in his Church of the Holy Apostles)

1) Letters of Constantine
2) What contemporary historians said

Constantine wanted to reform the entire Roman political system into a new order and arrangement
which was suitable for himself at the time and set about achieving this by a number of reforms:

Separation of Military and Civilian management

Under the traditional political order, power was distributed across many provincial regions of the empire, by means of provincial governors, who reported directly to the emperor. These governors previously were responsible for both the civilian and the military matters within that province. Constantine separated the civilian and military management at the provincial level by creating a separate position for each task, both of whom reported separately and directly to the emperor. The regional imperial power was purposefully thus divided by Constantine in order to rule and at the same time strengthen the empire from siezure (challenges from other mafia thugs with large armies).

Dismantled the Praetorian Guard

The Praetorian guard traditionally protected the emperor, and represented one of the top echalons of service in the system of the Roman army. This system was disbanded by Constantine, and prefects who once acted as Constantine's personal bodyguard were deployed in these roles of civil administration across the empire. A new select number of personal bodyguards were appointed, largely from his mercanery barbarian chieftans, to surround him on practically all occassions.

Newly created Civil Service posts

An entirely new series of personal "Counts" (comites) were appointed throughout the empire who personally reported to Constantine, in various matters. A Count of the Private Purse managed Constantine's private revenue, while Counts of the Church Purse managed income from the newly created churches throughout the empire (See below). A Master of Offices was required to manage the explosion of imperially appointed administrative positions created by Constantine. A further series of Counts were appointed to posts of spies and agents throughout the empire, and beyond, while another series of Counts were commissioned to administer the function of tax collectors. (See TAX below). Additionally, Constantine increased the number in the Rome Senatorial class from 600 to 2000. The net effect of all this was a massively increased administration layer, within which corruption was inevitable. These changes thus had within them the seeds of an inevitable breakdown of the traditional law and order of the empire.

New Personal Taxation initiatives

The traditional system of taxation under Diocletian involved a fixed annual payment assessed according to the amount of land, which was payable each four years. To this tax Constantine introduced a new poll tax per citizen of the empire. The newly expanded and wealthy Senatorial class was also subjected to an extra tax. Tax collection officials were thus required to police the new taxation system. The tax evasion penalties were severe: 5 times the required amount became payable on failure to pay the default tax, and in other cases, the penalty was death.

Additionally, Constantine required payment of all taxes in either gold or silver, which forced great hardship on the lower classes, whom traditionally traded in bronze coins. Constantine melted down gold from the traditional Hellenic temples and sanctuaries to make gold coins. He devalued gold from 60 gold pieces per pound (under Diocletian) to 72 gold pieces per pound. Bronze coins lost all value in the empire, and in many parts of the empire the economy became devastated. In Campania, Italy, there were massive instances of bankruptcy and dispossession of lands.

A tax free status was enjoyed by all the new bishops and priests of the new Roman religion,
and in respect of all lands associated with the new Roman religion.

New Personal and Geographical Restrictions

Constantine's new policies resulted in a great restriction of movement within the empire, such that geographic and social fixity was promoted by the policies mentioned above, particularly taxation, and the availability of new vocations to the people of the empire. Family jobs were inherited. The positions of the fathers being filled by their sons, in trade, in administration and in the army. Movement within the empire was essentially forbidden. In this manner Constantine wished to seek an imperial controlled stability in the social order, to maximise the new taxation regimes, and to minimise the evolution of power which might rise up against his regimes.

Constantine enjoyed imperial power in the western empire for some 19 years before his supremacy over the entire east-west empire in 324 CE. At this time, he then summoned the Council of Nicaea, and set in place a supreme imperial administrative regime which was to remain and establish itself for the next 13 years until his death, and then be carried on by his son Constantius II, who ruled the empire, sometimes with assistance, for the next 24 years, when in 361 CE, the emperor Julian briefly ruled. These time spans represented a number of generations for the people of the empire, and during this period, the new political and social and religious orders initiated by Constantine, were imposed and maintained by imperial power.

Constantine wanted to reform the traditional Hellenic religious order into a new Roman religious order
and set about achieving this by converting his subjects to the new Roman religion by means of appeal to the people
in a number of very concrete ways:

Building of Churches (Basilicas)

Constantine constructed hundreds of brand new churches throughout the empire, usually on separate lands outside the walls of existent cities and towns. Examples of these brand new churches constructed by Constantine are:
• Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, Israel
  
• Basilica of the Holy Apostles, Constantinople
  
• Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, Rome
  
• Basilica of St. Peter, Vatican Valley, Rome
  
• Basilica of St. Lorenzo, Rome
  
• Basilica of St. Sebastiano
  
• Basilica of St. Marcellino
  
• Basilica of St. Pietro
  
• Basilica of St. John, Laterano (over barracks of Maxentius' soldiers)
  
• Basilica of St. Maxentius
  
• Basilica of Santa Sophia
  
• Basilica of St. Constantine, Rome

Personal Appointment of his Bishops

Constantine personally appointed his Bishops in the new Roman religion. Each Bishop was responsible for a small region called a diocese, and enjoyed the local control of the area in all matters of Roman religion. The more important administration responsibilities was work involving financial and administration duties. In total it has been estimated that the empire hosted in this fashion as many as 1800 of Constantine's new bishops. Constantine often referred to himself as "Bishop of bishops", the reference having twofold significance in that the Greek "episkopos" (bishop) also means "spy".

That he was perceived to be involved in their activities, was also associated with the extremely desireable tax-free status that this new Roman religious order enjoyed. Promotions to the positions available in the new Roman religious order were thus advantageous for the wealthy.

Bribery to accept the new Roman religious order and Roman rule

When he came into conflict with barabarians such as the Samatians Constantine bribed them with gold to accept the new Roman religion and Roman rule. These tactics were very expensive and rarely succeeded in preventing trouble. This conversion to the new Roman religious order (ie: christianity) of the barbarians gave them automatic admission into Constantine's armies. As a result the Roman armies consisted of an increasing number of Germanic tribesmen.

Plunder of traditional Hellenic temples and shrines

Constantine needed gold to pay for his construction of new churches for his new Roman religious order, for the construction of his new imperial city Constantinople, for the massive empire wide administration payroll for both the civilian posts and the military posts, for the bribes in gold given to the barbarians, and for other general expenses.

Constantine commenced a plunder on the ancient Hellenic traditional temples, shrines, lands and literature, which was to last well beyond his lifetime. The gold was melted down to gold coins. Further details, tracking the continued plunder of the ancient traditional Hellenic religious order and its treasures, from Constantine through the next few hundred years, by the new Roman religious order, may be found here.

Execution of Hellenic priest/philosopher and others ...

Constantine had the Hellenic philosopher Sopater executed in 332 CE in the new city of Constantinople. In 310 he was responsible for the suicide of his father-in-law Maximian, in 325 he had his brother-in-law Lucinius strangled. In 326, within a year of the Council of Nicaea, he ordered the killing of his eldest son Crispus, and then in the same year, had his wife Fausta strangled.

The reason for the murders is unclear, but what is clear is the fact that Constantine's authority
over all other people in the empire was total and that,
during his supremacy, he wielded an absolute power.

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