Constantine no longer ruled the empire from Rome.

君士坦丁不再坐镇罗马进行统治。

In those days the chief threat came from the east, the Persians having once again become powerful.

当时帝国在东方受到最大的威胁，受到波斯人的威胁，波斯人又强大起来了。

So he chose as his seat the ancient Greek colony of Byzantium on the Black Sea, upon which it was renamed Constantine's City, or Constantinople.

于是他选中黑海附近的古希腊殖民地拜占庭为他的王室所在地，

Today we know it as Istanbul.

从此他便按他的名字叫君士坦丁市：君士坦丁堡。

By 395, the Roman empire didn't only have two capitals, it had two states: the Western Empire, consisting of Italy, Gaul, Britannia,

此后不久，自395年起，罗马帝国不仅有两个首都，而且分裂为两个国家：讲拉丁语的西罗马帝国，包括意大利、高卢不列颠、

Spain and North Africa, where people spoke Latin, and the Eastern Empire, consisting of Egypt, Palestine, Asia Minor, Greece and Macedonia, where they spoke Greek.

西班牙、北非；讲希腊语的东罗马帝国，包括埃及、巴勒斯坦、小亚细亚、希腊和马其顿。

In both states Christianity became the official religion from 380 onwards.

现在，自380年起，在这两个国家中基督教均成为国教。

This meant that bishops and archbishops became important dignitaries who wielded great influence in the affairs of state.

这就是说，主教和大主教是身居要职的显贵，他们在国家事务中也拥有很大的影响力。

Christians no longer met in underground passages, but in grand churches with fine pillars.

基督徒们不再在地下房间里，而是在华丽的、用柱子装饰起来的教堂里聚会

And the Cross, symbol of the deliverance from suffering, now became the legions' battle emblem.

而十字架这苦难中的拯救标志被作为战争标志，由人们扛着行进在军团的前列。