Following Emperor Constantine’s Edict of Milan in 313 C.E., Christianity was legalized and gradually institutionalized. While some defenders of orthodoxy combated Arianism and affirmed Christ’s deity (e.g., the Council of Nicaea, 325 C.E.), the alliance between Church and State brought worldly compromise. Over time, bishops sought political power, and the church hierarchy began mimicking Roman imperial structures. This era planted seeds of doctrinal corruption and laid the groundwork for Rome’s ecclesiastical dominance.