[German Version]

The papacy created the empire of the Latin West. While we possess many statements by the papacy itself on its own purposes from the early 5th century, corresponding statements concerning the emperor's authorities come only quite late. “Only to a limited degree did the empire in the Middle Ages have a firm, robust substance” (Kemp, Mittelalterliches Kaisertum, 225). The original prototype of the Christian emperor was Constantine the Great (306–337). After his victory at the Milvian Bridge (Oct 28, 312), he made Christianity a tolerated religion, mo…