Term
Donation of Constantine
An 8th-century forgery claiming Constantine granted Pope Sylvester I imperial rights over Italy and the West. It was used in the late Middle Ages to support papal supremacy.
Filed underChurch History
Definition
A document forged in the 8th century purporting to be a testament of Constantine granting to Pope Sylvester I the imperial rights over Italy and the "western regions." The asserted the pope's supremacy over the West and his primacy over the other patriarchs. It was used in the late Middle Ages to support the claims of papal supremacy.
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Sources
- 1.Jerald C. Brauer and B. A. Gerrish, ed. The Westminster Dictionary of Church History. (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1971). 274Original citation: Brauer, Jerald C., and B. A. Gerrish, eds. The Westminster Dictionary of Church History. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1971, 274.
Last revised August 14, 2026