The Donation of Constantine
| The Donation of Constantine | |
|---|---|
| FALSE | |
| "The Roman emperor Constantine the Great issued a decree in the fourth century granting Pope Sylvester I and his successors authority over Rome and the western Roman Empire." | |
| Domain | Culture, Religion & Society |
| Tactic | Fabrication Imposture |
| Era | Historical |
| First seen | 8th century |
| Origin | A document forged in the eighth century, probably in Rome or the Frankish kingdom, and used for centuries to support papal claims to political authority |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-27 |
| Further reading: books on Culture, Religion & Society | |
The Donation of Constantine is one of the most consequential forgeries in history. The document claims that Constantine, grateful for being cured of leprosy by Pope Sylvester I, gave the pope authority over Rome, Italy and the western provinces. It was used during the Middle Ages to support the political power of the papacy. In 1440, the Italian humanist scholar Lorenzo Valla demonstrated that it was a forgery, showing that its Latin used words and expressions that did not exist in Constantine's time. Historians now date the document to the eighth century.
What the evidence shows
- Language. Valla showed that the document used terms and grammar of later centuries, including references to institutions and titles that did not exist in the fourth century.
- Historical errors. The document contains anachronisms, such as describing Constantinople as already established when the decree was supposedly issued.
- Absence of evidence. No contemporary source mentions the donation, and historical records of Constantine's reign are inconsistent with it.
- Earlier doubts. Some medieval writers, including Holy Roman Emperor Otto III's court in 1001, had questioned the document, and Nicholas of Cusa raised doubts shortly before Valla.
- Influence. The document was incorporated into collections of church law and cited in disputes between popes and emperors.
Why it persists
The Donation persisted for centuries because it served powerful interests and because few people had the scholarly tools to test it. Valla's work is often cited as a founding example of textual criticism, the method of examining language and context to authenticate documents.
Lessons for readers
- Anachronistic language can reveal a forgery.
- Documents that conveniently support those who possess them deserve scrutiny.
- Critical scholarship can overturn long-accepted claims.
- Forgeries can shape history even after they are exposed.
See also
- The Hitler Diaries
- The Protocols of the Elders of Zion
- The Shroud of Turin is the burial cloth of Jesus
Sources
- Lorenzo Valla, On the Donation of Constantine, translated by G. W. Bowersock (Harvard University Press, 2007).
- Johannes Fried, Donation of Constantine and Constitutum Constantini (De Gruyter, 2007).