<P> In doing this, however, Constantine required those who had not converted to Christianity to pay for the new city . Christian chroniclers tell that it appeared necessary to Constantine "to teach his subjects to give up their rites...and to accustom them to despise their temples and the images contained therein," This led to the closure of temples because of a lack of support, their wealth flowing to the imperial treasure; Constantine did not need to use force to implement this . Only the chronicler Theophanes has added that temples "were annihilated", but this was considered "not true" by contemporary historians . </P> <P> Many times imperial favor was granted to Christianity by the Edict; new avenues were opened to Christians, including the right to compete with other Romans in the traditional cursus honorum for high government positions, and greater acceptance into general civil society . Constantine respected cultivated persons, and his court was composed of older, respected, and honored men . Men from leading Roman families who declined to convert to Christianity were denied positions of power yet still received appointments; even up to the end of his life, two - thirds of his top government were non-Christian . </P> <P> Constantine's laws enforced and reflected his Christian attitudes . Crucifixion was abolished for reasons of Christian piety, but was replaced with hanging, to demonstrate the preservation of Roman supremacy . On March 7, 321, Sunday, already sacred to Christians and to the Roman Sun God Sol Invictus, was declared an official day of rest . On that day markets were banned and public offices were closed, except for the purpose of freeing slaves . There were, however, no restrictions on performing farming work, which was the work of the great majority of the population, on Sundays . </P> <P> Some laws made during his reign were even humane in the modern sense, possibly inspired by his Christianity: a prisoner was no longer to be kept in total darkness but must be given the outdoors and daylight; a condemned man was allowed to die in the arena, but he could not be branded on his "heavenly beautified" face, since God was supposed to have made man in his image, but only on the feet . Publicly displayed Gladiatorial games were ordered to be eliminated in 325 . </P>

When was christianity introduced to the roman empire