This lecture explores the enduring influence of the Council of Nicaea on Byzantine conceptions of imperial authority and Christian orthodoxy. By examining Nicaea’s role as a place of memory, the council’s evolving reception, and Constantine the Great’s portrayal as a model for later emperors, the talk reveals how the event shaped both religious and political narratives in Byzantium. It underscores Constantine’s agency in establishing patterns of leadership and legitimacy within the Byzantine Empire.

Prof Michael Grünbart, Institut für Byzantinistik und Neogräzistik, für Interdisziplinäre Zypern-Studien und Arbeitsstelle Griechenland, University of Münster.