agan beliefs and practices persisted longest.
However, between the fifth and the ninth centuries paganism practically
disappeared within the lands of the empire.

The long association with paganism and the rapid incorporation of large
numbers of new converts into the ranks of the church were not without
influence upon the character of Christianity itself. The ancient belief in
magic contributed largely to the spread of the belief in miracles, and the
development of the cult of the saints was stimulated by the pagan
conception of inferior divinities, demigods, and daemons, while many pagan
festivals were Christianized and made festivals of the church.

II. THE CHURCH IN THE CHRISTIAN EMPIRE

*The emperor and the church.* The religious policy of Constantine the
Great had the effect of making Christianity a religion of state and
incorporating the Christian church in the state organism. Thereby the
clergy gained the support of the imperial authority in spreading the
belief of the church and in enforcing its ordinances throughout the
empire. Yet this support was won at the price of the recognition of the
autocratic power of the emperor over the church as well as in the
political sphere. Subsequently, however, this recognition was only
accorded to orthodox emperors; that is those who supported the traditional
doctrine of the church as sanctioned in its general councils.

Constantine made use of his supremacy over the church to enforce unity
within its ranks. However, he did not champion any particular creed but
limited his interference to carrying into effect the decisions of the
church councils or synods which he summoned to pass judgment upon
questions which threatened the unity of the church and the peace of the
state.

These councils were a development from the provincial synods, which had
previously met to decide church matters of local importance. Procedure in
the councils was modelled upon that of the Roman Senate; the meetings were
conducted by imperial legates, their decisions were issued in the form of
imperial edicts, and it was to the emperor that appeals from these decrees
were made. The first of the great councils was the Synod of Arles, a
council of the bishops of the western church, summoned by Constantine in
314 to settle the Donatist schism in the church in Africa. This was
followed in 325 by the first universal or ecumenical council of the whole
Christian church which met at Nica