Editing Pope Damasus I (section)

==Background==
His life coincided with the rise of [[Constantine I and Christianity|Emperor Constantine I]] and the reunion and re-division of the [[Western Roman Empire|Western]] and [[Eastern Roman Empire]]s, which is associated with the [[Edict of Milan|legitimization of Christianity]] and its later [[State church of the Roman Empire|adoption as the official religion of the Roman state in 380]].

The reign of [[Gratian]], which coincided with Damasus' papacy, forms an important epoch in ecclesiastical history, since during that period (359–383), [[Catholic Church|Catholic Christianity]] for the first time became dominant throughout the empire. Under the influence of Ambrose, Gratian refused<ref>McGuire, M. (1936). A new study on the political role of St. Ambrose. ''The Catholic Historical Review, 22''(3), 304-318. {{JSTOR|25013506}}</ref> to wear the insignia of the ''[[pontifex maximus]]'' as unbefitting a Christian, removed the [[Altar of Victory]] from the [[Roman Senate|Senate]] at [[Rome]], despite protests from the pagan members of the Senate. Emperor Gratian also forbade legacies of real property to the [[Vestals]] and abolished other privileges belonging to them and to the pontiffs.