Theodosius ignores Ambrose in 390.

In 390 Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan, excommunicated Theodosius for ordering the massacre of innocent people following a riot in Thessalonica. After eight months of pondering what to do, in the end Theodosius decided to admit his mistake to Ambrose and beg his forgiveness.

What if he had decided to challenge Ambrose's authority? The church's authority in general would surely take a hit, and there wouldn't have been as close a relationship between Empire and church. In the short term, perhaps paganism is persecuted less, perhaps the Olympics Games aren't banned.

But in the long term, does the Empire need a close relationship with christianity to survive? Does its collapse come sooner?
 
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In some books I've read it said that Rome was falling apart largely because not everyone in the Empire saw themselves as Roman anymore, and that many Emperors aligned with christianity as a way of bringing badly needed unity to the empire.
 
Constantine did think clad opting Christianity would bring unity yes (though he was sorely mistaken, for it had a religious split every other day), but people in for example Gaul still though themselves as roman into the 6th century.
 
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