CHT | Deep Dive #13 - Corrupting Lies: The Donation of Constantine

c. 750 AD

This episode will find us in the recesses of the Medieval Era, learning something about a church so desperate for power that it told one of history's greatest lies to get it.

The Roman church's forgery known as "The Donation of Constantine" was used for 700 years to legitimize the temporal powers of the church in Rome. Once proven to be a lie, it was quickly put to the side. But the damage had been done and Rome had stolen its corrupting power. With such power, no internal mechanism for reform or balance could ever be introduced.

The text we are using is found at the following link:
https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/donatconst.asp