Answer:
C) the blending of church and state.
Step-by-step explanation:
One of the most common characteristics of civilizations in the past was the fact that the state and the church were not considered two separate entities. Instead, the church and the state were usually united in one single character, such as a king or an emperor. This was also the case in Ancient Rome, where emperors were often considered to be equivalent to gods (such as in the example of Emperor Justinian). This blending of church and state was very effective when it came to legitimizing the power of the leader.