WI First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea never convoked?

In OTL Emperor Constantine I convoked the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in order to deal with the Arian herecy (He presided over the Council in his capacity as Pontifex Maximus)
WI Constantine never convokes the Synod and attempts to deal with Arians by himself? How is that affecting Church and Roman History?
 
In OTL Emperor Constantine I convoked the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in order to deal with the Arian herecy (He presided over the Council in his capacity as Pontifex Maximus)
WI Constantine never convokes the Synod and attempts to deal with Arians by himself? How is that affecting Church and Roman History?

Is there any chance at all that Constantine himself could have become an Arian??
 
Is there any chance at all that Constantine himself could have become an Arian??

Dont think so... Besides Constantine was kinda busy at the time with the raiding Sarmatians... I think (if he dealt alone with the Arian/orthodox controversy) that he would just issued an edict which would get everyone happy...
 
Dont think so... Besides Constantine was kinda busy at the time with the raiding Sarmatians... I think (if he dealt alone with the Arian/orthodox controversy) that he would just issued an edict which would get everyone happy...

Apparently his son Constantius II was sympathetic to Arianism unlike Constantine II, possibilities for a civil war between the brothers on religious grounds???
 
Apparently his son Constantius II was sympathetic to Arianism unlike Constantine II, possibilities for a civil war between the brothers on religious grounds???

Oh yes i agree on that... Dont forget that at the time Eastern parts of the Empire were shaken by herecies while the West was firmly "orthodox"...
Perhaps we might see a different Emperor... other than Constantius II...
 
Oh yes i agree on that... Dont forget that at the time Eastern parts of the Empire were shaken by herecies while the West was firmly "orthodox"...
Perhaps we might see a different Emperor... other than Constantius II...

Well the third brother Constans was quite orthodox so if Constantius got too favourable towards Arianism Constantine II might try and replace him with Constans.

BTW Constantine I wasn't very imaginative when naming his sons was he??
 
The problem is that Constantine II was too greedy for power... so in this scenario i guess that he might have attacked Constantius II instead of Constans... The only way to keep balance (in my point of view) is that somehow Crispus survives... He would have been something like a neutral party... an intermediate between the brothers...
 
The problem is that Constantine II was too greedy for power... so in this scenario i guess that he might have attacked Constantius II instead of Constans... The only way to keep balance (in my point of view) is that somehow Crispus survives... He would have been something like a neutral party... an intermediate between the brothers...

Surely if Crispus survives (in the sense of not being killed by his father) then he would have become Emperor in his own name. His main trouble would be who to make his co-emperor. It would be too much trouble if he named one of his half-brother cos the other two would be more than slightly upset.

PS isn't there a suggestion that Crispus never became a Christian?? Mind you if there was a chance of him being raised to the purple I dare say he would have done Henri IV
 
Surely if Crispus survives (in the sense of not being killed by his father) then he would have become Emperor in his own name. His main trouble would be who to make his co-emperor. It would be too much trouble if he named one of his half-brother cos the other two would be more than slightly upset

If he doesnt spare his brothers they will be gone in the "Massacre of the Princes"... as in OTL happened with the relatives of Constantius II...
Besides If Crispus doesnt get the whole Empire but a portion of it we have a renewed all-in-the-family Tetrarchy where there are 4 Augusti instead of 2... And since every Augustus needs the others to maintain power (Barbars still continued to raid the Empire) things might have been calm for a while between brothers... with the exception of religious turmoil i guess...
 
We both know how much the Byzantines enjoyed discussions on the minutiae of religious dogma

In this case i see that First Council is convoked at least 20-30 years later than OTL since the 4 "Tetrarchs" (including Crispus) wouldnt want to break the fragile balances... And they would let Bishops solve this matter by themselves...
 
In this case i see that First Council is convoked at least 20-30 years later than OTL since the 4 "Tetrarchs" (including Crispus) wouldnt want to break the fragile balances... And they would let Bishops solve this matter by themselves...


I can see a two stage religious war:

1. Crispus (pagan) vs Constantine, Constantius and Constans (Christians) Assuming of course that Constantine and Constans aren't so Orthodox as to see Constantius as virtually a pagan

2 Constantine and Constans (Orthodox) vs Constantius (Arian)
 

Philip

Donor
In OTL Emperor Constantine I convoked the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in order to deal with the Arian herecy (He presided over the Council in his capacity as Pontifex Maximus)

He convened the Council, but had very little to do with actually running the meeting.

WI Constantine never convokes the Synod and attempts to deal with Arians by himself?

He convened the Council to learn which was correct. You would have to concoct a reason for him oppose the Arians.

Is there any chance at all that Constantine himself could have become an Arian??

He did. Even after Nicaea he waffled between the two positions. Eusebius of Ceasarea held a great deal of influence over Constantine and was quite sympathetic to the Arian position.
 
I can see a two stage religious war:

1. Crispus (pagan) vs Constantine, Constantius and Constans (Christians)

2 Constantine and Constans (Orthodox) vs Constantius (Arian)


Agree... But i think this would happened about 350-360... Not right after Constantine's I death...
 
Agree... But i think this would happened about 350-360... Not right after Constantine's I death...

If the war occurs towards the end of that 10 year period then Crispus might be able to count on the support of his cousin Julian (the Apostate) particularly if Constantius II has Julian's family killed as he did OTL
 
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