In the ancient world, "religion" and society were not separate entities. Various gods dictated covenants, "law-codes," and social conventions. Such law-codes were most often the responsibility of the king, endowing him with authority to punish any violations. The rationalization for this concept was that the gods or God endowed the ruler with a share of "divinity," as a unified society and political order where the secular government protects each community and provides moral guidance for everyday life. It was a symbiotic authority, the belief that spiritual and temporal leaders complement one another. Cultural uniformity and national borders were transcended under a common spiritual overlay. In many ancient cultures, the king simultaneously served as "the high-priest."
This is a companion discussion topic for the original article at https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2966/the-integration-of-church-and-state-in-the-roman-e/.
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