CITY OF ECHOES

A new history of Rome through the lens of the papacy.

Readers searching for a broader history of Rome should turn to Mary Beard, but Wärnberg, a historian of the religious and political history of Europe, provides a worthwhile account examining the many “layers of legend” about this ancient city. The author begins with the mid-first-century arrival of the Apostle Peter. Dismissed as a Jewish cult for more than 200 years, Christianity hit the jackpot under Emperor Constantine, who promoted it to a quasi-state religion. Historians still debate whether this was strictly a political move but agree on its consequences; by the fifth century, Rome was the preeminent Christian city. Constantine’s transfer of his government to Constantinople began a 1,000-year decline of the city but left the bishops of Rome as its most powerful figures. During the following centuries, they persuaded other bishops that Peter’s heir must rule Christianity and, as God’s representative on Earth, guide secular leaders as well. By 1000, emperors and kings acknowledged papal influence but exerted their own, rigging elections, sending armies, and attacking Rome itself, whose citizens considered the pope one of their own even if they often treated him poorly. Wärnberg is at her best during the Renaissance period, when “the papacy and the Church had become a state-like institution: organized, largely self-sufficient, and recognized by political powers.” However, she writes, “with authority and wealth came careers, ambition and corruption, as well as lackadaisical clergy and an errant flock.” The Reformation delivered a painful blow, but perhaps worse arrived with the Enlightenment, which greatly diminished the role of religion. Most 19th-century popes took a dim view of both the scientific and democratic revolutions but have since accepted them—mostly. Wärnberg’s mildly upbeat conclusion affirms that both Rome and the papacy remain inextricably entwined despite their diminished roles and that recent popes have exerted a positive influence.

A useful resource for students of Christian history and papal aficionados.