If indeed Christianity is the main characteristic of Byzantium, the one we should use to determine, even conventionally, the start of its history, then 395 can not be accepted. I think we are right to say that Byzantium starts (or, that the Roman empire starts to become the Byzantine empire) when persecutions of Christians stop and Christianity is recognised as the official religion of the empire. Since this transition is identified with the foundation of Constantinople, I believe the most convenient date for the start of the Byzantine history would be the foundation of Constantinople (324 or 330).
We must also not forget that during the 4th century, precisely in the East, we have the foundations of Christian theology, with Athanasius and the Cappadocian Fathers, even the great development of organised Christian monasticism and the first Ecumenical Synods of Christianity – where the Roman emperor himself was involved! Although mindful of the whole history of Byzantium, Zakythinos is mistaken by the greater importance that he places on the narrow political side. This side may not be yet, in the 4th century, “Byzantine”, but the main causes leading to the transformation and new character of the Roman Empire are already at play here, in this century.
This way we recognize Christianity as the principal feature of Byzantium and at the same time we don’t ignore the political developments brought forth by the foundation of the Eastern capital of the empire in the New Rome or Constantinople.
Page 12
