Module 8 - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages... nards, from whence the cryptic prediction came that “the enemy of Rome will be defeated.” Naturally, Maxentius took this to mean that Constantine, the other Western emperor and who marches against him, will be defeated as the foretold enemy of Rome. Maxentius equated himself to Rome, and his enemy Constantine as the enemy of Rome.
From this brief glimpse of Maxentius’ personality, one may deduce that character flaws in the person of the nation’s leader may have a defining impact on the future not only of the leader as an individual, but also upon the nation he leads. The moral ascendancy of the person who stands as father (mother) to an entire nation should be without question, else he would tend to lead his countrymen to perdition (Giovanni Milani-Santarpia, Moral Principles of the Ancient Romans, 2009). In the case of Maxentius, his hubris and tyranny were the causes for his misguided leadership that eventually spelled out the end of his reign as emperor of Rome (Edward Gibbon, Decline and fall of the Roman empire, 1998). This gives us something to think about, particularly in the persons of our own leaders. For instance, many of our political leaders, a former US President, and a leading golf player who served as role model for many aspiring young people, were compelled to admit before the public their illicit relationships with women. If such is the moral fibre of our leaders, then it is time to ask ourselves if the fall of our nation is not too far off.
The story of how Christianity became the official religion of 4th century Rome and the world religion it is today has assumed the status of legend. Christianity entailed the worship of an executed Jewish criminal; it was the religion of Jews and slaves. Therefore, its attribution to Constantine, 4th century Roman emperor, stretches the imagination and makes the story more intriguing. Two early Christian narrators tie the conversion of Constantine directly to his triumph in a military campaign ...Download file to see next pagesRead More