Medieval church officials cited a fake imperial decree for centuries
Scholars note that medieval church leaders relied on a forged document claiming Emperor Constantine gave Rome to Pope Sylvester I in the early 300s.
A fraudulent claim shaped papal power
At least 10 popes throughout the Middle Ages referenced this specific forgery. The text asserted that Emperor Constantine transferred authority over Rome and the western Roman Empire to Pope Sylvester I. Officials used the document to justify expanding control across the Italian peninsula.
The Donation of Constantine emerged
Historians eventually identified the forgery as the Donation of Constantine. This fabricated imperial decree circulated widely before modern technology could create similar deceptions. The impulse to fabricate evidence existed long before artificial intelligence.
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