457:. Eusebius says that it stated that "it has pleased us to remove all conditions whatsoever." The edict further demanded that individual Romans right any wrongs towards Christians: "...the same shall be restored to the Christians without payment or any claim of recompense and without any kind of fraud or deception." The exhortation to right historic wrongs may also reflect the leaders' desires to avoid unfavourable consequences such as social unrest and further conquests. Koszarycz says that Constantine was superstitious and believed in the existence of the non-Christian gods enough that they did not want to offset the balance of good and evil. It was believed that the sooner that balance was restored by the Romans establishing a state of justice with the Christians, the sooner the state would become stable.
432:
the strongest deity. At that time, he was concerned about social stability and the protection of the empire from the wrath of the
Christian God: in this view, the edict could be a pragmatic political decision rather than a religious shift. However, the majority of historians believe that Constantine's adoption of Christianity was genuine, and that the Edict of Milan was merely the first official act of Constantine as a dedicated Christian. This view is supported by Constantine's ongoing favors on behalf of Christianity during the rest of his reign.
40:
722:, "What is significant is that the document, once wrongly known as the Edict of Milan (there was never such a thing) and attributed to Constantine, is the product of a pagan emperor who had decided that Constantine's approach to the "Christian question" was correct. Although the 'Edict of Milan' is really a letter of Licinius to the governors of the eastern provinces, it still represents an important sea change in the direction of imperial policy." Potter p. 149
280:
450:
the state. For
Christians, the immunities and guaranties contained in the act had most important results. For the first time, it became possible to observe publicly the liturgy in its fullness and to attempt seriously and earnestly to mould the life of the empire according to Christian ideals and standards. The joy of the Christians at this change in their public status is expressed by Eusebius in his "Church History" (X, ii).
388:, the Caesar in the East who styled himself as Augustus. Having received Emperor Galerius's instruction to repeal the persecution in 311, Maximinus had instructed his subordinates to desist, but he had not released Christians from prisons or virtual death sentences in the mines, as Constantine and Licinius had both done in the West.
403:
When you see that this has been granted to by us, your
Worship will know that we have also conceded to other religions the right of open and free observance of their worship for the sake of the peace of our times, that each one may have the free opportunity to worship as he pleases; this regulation
449:
It directed the provincial magistrates to execute the order at once with all energy so that public order may be restored and the continuance of divine favour may "preserve and prosper our successes together with the good of the state." Constantine ordered for the restitution to be at the expense of
431:
Although the Edict of Milan is commonly presented as
Constantine's first great act as a Christian emperor, it is disputed whether the Edict of Milan was an act of genuine faith. The document could be seen as Constantine's first step in creating an alliance with the Christian God, whom he considered
349:
When we, Constantine
Augustus and Licinius Augustus, met so happily at Milan, and considered together all that concerned the interest and security of the State, we decided ... to grant to Christians and to everybody the free power to follow the religion of their choice, in order that all that is
391:
After
Galerius's death, Maximinus was no longer constrained and enthusiastically took up renewed persecutions in the eastern territories under his control, encouraging petitions against Christians. One of those petitions, addressed not only to Maximinus but also to Constantine and Licinius, is
422:
Since
Licinius composed the edict with the intent of publishing it in the east upon his hoped-for victory over Maximinus, it expresses the religious policy accepted by Licinius, a pagan, rather than that of Constantine, who was already a Christian. Constantine's own policy went beyond merely
392:
preserved in a stone inscription at
Arycanda in Lycia, and is a "request that the Christians, who have long been disloyal and still persist in the same mischievous intent, should at last be put down and not be suffered by any absurd novelty to offend against the honour due to the gods."
440:
Galerius's earlier edict did nothing to restore the confiscated property of
Christians. That was left to the Edict of Milan. Instructions were given for Christians' meeting places and other properties to be returned and compensation to be paid by the state to the current owners:
345:), which gives the Latin text of both Galerius's edict of toleration as posted at Nicomedia on 30 April 311 and of Licinius's letter of toleration and restitution addressed to the governor of Bithynia and posted at Nicomedia on 13 June 313. The latter states:
731:
For an overview of the representation of Roman religion in early
Christian authors, see R.P.C. Hanson, "The Christian Attitude to Pagan Religions up to the Time of Constantine the Great" and Carlos A. Contreras, "Christian Views of Paganism" in
323:
Wherefore, for this our indulgence, they ought to pray to their God for our safety, for that of the republic, and for their own, that the commonwealth may continue uninjured on every side, and that they may be able to live securely in their
375:) in the late summer or early autumn of 313, but the origin of his copy of Galerius's edict of 311 is unknown since that does not seem to have been promulgated in Caesarea. In his description of the events in Milan in his
142:
with marked divergences between the two. Whether or not there was a formal 'Edict of Milan' is no longer really debated among scholars, who generally reject the story as it has come down in church history.
633:
This Edict is the first which definitely introduces Catholic orthodoxy as the established religion of the Roman world. Acknowledgment of the true doctrine of the Trinity is made the test of State recognition.
235:
insistence on their god being the only God and in believing all other gods were false gods could not be fitted into the system. Their scruples prevented them swearing loyalty oaths directed at the
399:
in 380). Indeed, the edict expressly grants religious liberty to Christians, who had been the object of special persecution, but also goes even further and grants liberty to all other religions:
319:
on 30 April 311. By its provisions, Christians who had "followed such a caprice and had fallen into such a folly that they would not obey the institutes of antiquity" were granted an indulgence.
146:
The version found in Lactantius is not in the form of an edict. It is a letter from Licinius to the governors of the provinces in the Eastern Empire that he had just conquered by defeating
554:
291:) was a large complex with several buildings, gardens, and courtyards, used for the Emperor's private and public activities, and for his court, family, and imperial bureaucracy.
592:
In the most common sense, "mainstream" refers to Nicene Christianity, or rather the traditions which continue to claim adherence to the Nicene Creed.
395:
The edict is popularly thought to concern only Christianity and even to make it the official religion of the Empire (which did not occur until the
1055:
1035:
884:
300:
251:(r. 249–251) issued edicts that imposed hard restrictions on Christians, a policy continued by his successor Valerian. With the accession of
244:
620:
980:
445:
the same shall be restored to the Christians without payment or any claim of recompense and without any kind of fraud or deception.
489:
587:
162:
The Romans thought of themselves as highly religious and attributed their success as a world power to their collective piety
570:. Quote: "...Emperor Theodosius I (reigned 379–395), who made Catholic Christianity the official religion of the empire..."
17:
557:: "Christianity did not become the official religion of the empire under Constantine, as is often mistakenly claimed..."
567:
372:
1110:
1105:
1065:
799:
778:
766:
614:
75:) was the February, AD 313 agreement to treat Christians benevolently within the Roman Empire. Western Roman Emperor
108:
255:(r. 253–268), the Church enjoyed a period of nearly 40 years with no official sanctions against Christians, which
1070:
696:
2013 p. 148. He refers to the "Edict of Milan" as the so-called Edict of Milan in note 10 at the top of p. 329.
1060:
107:. The Edict of Milan gave Christianity legal status and a reprieve from persecution but did not make it the
1095:
236:
1115:
769:, pp. 33–34.; Boatwright, Mary Taliaferro & Gargola, Daniel J & Talbert, Richard John Alexander,
381:, Eusebius eliminated the role of Licinius, whom he portrayed as the evil foil to his hero Constantine.
852:
423:
tolerating Christianity. He tolerated paganism and other religions but actively promoted Christianity.
260:
1075:
1023:
363:
350:
divine in the heavens may be favorable and propitious towards all who are placed under our authority.
137:
746:
504:
128:
283:
Remains of the Imperial palace of Mediolanum (Milan). The imperial palace (built in large part by
208:, "the way of the ancestors" or simply "tradition", viewed as central to Roman identity. Through
186:. The Romans looked for common ground between their major gods and those of the Greeks, adapting
1090:
1085:
965:"Paul Halsall, "Galerius and Constantine: Edicts of Toleration 311/313", Fordham University;
469:
396:
175:
112:
76:
44:
645:
Lenski, Noel (2017). "The Significance of the Edict of Milan". In Siecienski, Edward (ed.).
606:
Church and State Through the Centuries: A Collection of Historic Documents with Commentaries
604:
988:
367:). His version of the letter of Licinius must derive from a copy posted in the province of
219:
211:
133:
903:
243:
was perceived as a threat not just to the state cult but to the state itself. That led to
8:
1013:
494:
377:
116:
966:
757:
in 96. From then on, practicing Jews but not Christians paid the tax. Dunn, James D.G.,
1080:
795:
774:
762:
610:
583:
299:
in AD 235, rivals for the imperial throne had bid for support by either favouring or
333:
The actual letters have never been retrieved. However, they are quoted at length in
368:
304:
199:
96:
95:) and, among other things, agreed to change policies towards Christians following
39:
754:
296:
240:
232:
187:
530:
385:
64:
56:
1049:
461:
179:
745:
Historians debate whether or not the Roman government distinguished between
1100:
499:
225:
147:
31:
920:
477:
404:
is made that we may not seem to detract from any dignity of any religion.
204:
334:
288:
171:
123:
88:
857:. New York: G. Braziller. p. 11 – via the Internet Archive.
279:
652:
316:
268:
252:
191:
151:
646:
354:
308:
284:
264:
256:
100:
80:
473:
465:
312:
104:
84:
987:. The Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies. Archived from
248:
198:, most of Rome's religious institutions could be traced to its
195:
183:
165:
750:
460:
The term "Peace of the Church" has sometimes been applied in
92:
759:
Jews and Christians: The Parting of the Ways, A.D. 70 to 135
1014:
Galerius and Constantine's Edicts of Toleration 311 and 313
538:
411:
On the Deaths of the Persecutors (De Mortibus Persecutorum)
1031:, from The Roman Law Library at the University of Grenoble
580:
World Encyclopaedia of Interfaith Studies: World religions
239:. More particularly, the refusal of Christians to pay the
357:
of Caesarea translated both documents into Greek in his
182:
introduced some religious practices such as the cult of
224:, the religions of other peoples incorporated into the
568:"Christianity: The Alliance Between Church and Empire"
413:, ch. 48. opera, ed. 0. F. Fritzsche, II, p 288 sq. (
27:
Legalization of Christianity in the Roman Empire, 313
544:
927:
Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1994. p. 134.
453:This period of Church history is also known as the
228:co-existed within the Roman theological hierarchy.
384:The Edict of Milan was in effect directed against
274:
202:; this archaic religion was the foundation of the
940:. Grand Rapids: Kegel Publications, 1999. p. 374.
1047:
648:Constantine: Religious Faith and Imperial Policy
603:Ehler, Sidney Zdeneck; Morrall, John B. (1967).
866:
864:
792:The Jews in the Time of Jesus: An Introduction
681:The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church
861:
854:Early Christian & Byzantine architecture
602:
468:to the ending of persecution that followed
217:
209:
978:
961:
959:
734:Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt
675:
673:
850:
638:
560:
190:and iconography for Latin literature and
718:As David Potter states in his 2013 book
278:
271:that officially ended the persecutions.
38:
956:
670:
526:
524:
522:
520:
14:
1056:Constantine the Great and Christianity
1048:
901:
644:
596:
490:Constantine the Great and Christianity
435:
426:
969:; Internet, accessed 13 October 2014.
897:
895:
893:
870:Inscription printed in Stevenson, J.
761:, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing (1999),
551:The Cambridge History of Christianity
925:The Christians and the Roman Empire.
517:
111:, which occurred in AD 380 with the
1020:(Lactantius's version of the Edict)
178:that they honored. The presence of
150:later that same year and issued in
24:
890:
773:, Oxford University Press (2004),
771:The Romans: From Village to Empire
665:Differences tabulated on pp. 39–40
25:
1127:
1007:
851:MacDonald, William Lloyd (1962).
699:
476:, it can refer to life after the
623:from the original on 15 May 2016
339:On the Deaths of the Persecutors
174:. The Romans were known for the
109:state church of the Roman Empire
1036:Imperial Decrees of Constantine
972:
943:
930:
914:
902:Ollero, Marisa (15 June 2018).
877:
844:
831:
818:
805:
784:
739:
725:
712:
307:had been issued by the emperor
305:Edict of Toleration by Galerius
275:Edict of Toleration by Galerius
180:Greeks on the Italian peninsula
686:
573:
553:. Cambridge University Press.
409:"Edict of Milan", Lactantius,
13:
1:
510:
157:
981:"Constantinian Christianity"
938:Eusebius: The Church History
683:1974 art. "Milan, Edict of."
261:"little" peace of the Church
245:various forms of persecution
172:good relations with the gods
7:
582:. Jnanada Prakashan. 2009.
483:
119:received normative status.
10:
1132:
472:between 1778 and 1926. In
371:(probably at its capital,
29:
566:Encyclopedia Britannica.
122:The document is found in
68:
1111:4th-century Christianity
1106:310s in the Roman Empire
1066:Diocletianic Persecution
1029:De mortibus persecutorum
839:De mortibus persecutorum
794:, Paulist Press (1995),
736:II.23.1 (1980) 871–1022.
505:Papacy in late antiquity
343:De mortibus persecutorum
267:published an edict from
129:De mortibus persecutorum
30:Not to be confused with
753:'s modification of the
720:Constantine the Emperor
694:Constantine the Emperor
679:Cross and Livingstone.
328:
176:great number of deities
97:the edict of toleration
73:Diatagma tōn Mediolanōn
69:Διάταγμα τῶν Μεδιολάνων
1040:Ecclesiastical History
951:Ecclesiastical History
447:
420:
364:Historia Ecclesiastica
352:
326:
301:persecuting Christians
295:Since the fall of the
292:
218:
210:
60:
48:
1071:Christian terminology
470:Catholic emancipation
455:"Peace of the Church"
443:
401:
397:Edict of Thessalonica
359:History of the Church
347:
321:
282:
139:History of the Church
113:Edict of Thessalonica
103:two years earlier in
83:, who controlled the
42:
1061:Edicts of toleration
1027:, as in Lactantius,
1025:Edictum Mediolanense
415:Bibl Patr. Ecc. Lat.
220:interpretatio romana
212:interpretatio graeca
134:Eusebius of Caesarea
61:Edictum Mediolanense
47:, Roman, 4th century
1096:Freedom of religion
1018:Medieval Sourcebook
991:on 15 February 2015
790:Wylen, Stephen M.,
747:Christians and Jews
495:Constantinian shift
436:Peace of the Church
427:Religious statement
378:Life of Constantine
117:Nicene Christianity
18:Peace of the Church
1116:4th century in law
841:34.1–35.1, 48.1–12
315:and was posted at
293:
237:emperor's divinity
99:issued by Emperor
49:
904:"The Milan Edict"
883:And similarly in
874:SPCK 1965, p. 297
828:SPCK 1965, p. 296
815:SPCK 1965, p. 135
709:SPCK 1965, p. 302
588:978-81-7139-280-3
259:described as the
16:(Redirected from
1123:
1076:History of Milan
1038:from Eusebius's
1001:
1000:
998:
996:
979:Yuri Koszarycz.
976:
970:
963:
954:
947:
941:
934:
928:
918:
912:
911:
899:
888:
881:
875:
868:
859:
858:
848:
842:
835:
829:
822:
816:
813:The Early Church
809:
803:
788:
782:
743:
737:
729:
723:
716:
710:
703:
697:
690:
684:
677:
668:
667:
662:
660:
655:. pp. 27–56
642:
636:
635:
630:
628:
600:
594:
577:
571:
564:
558:
548:
542:
535:The Early Church
528:
418:
369:Palaestina Prima
223:
215:
70:
43:Bust of Emperor
21:
1131:
1130:
1126:
1125:
1124:
1122:
1121:
1120:
1046:
1045:
1010:
1005:
1004:
994:
992:
977:
973:
964:
957:
948:
944:
936:Maier, Paul L.
935:
931:
919:
915:
908:Vcoin Community
900:
891:
882:
878:
869:
862:
849:
845:
836:
832:
823:
819:
810:
806:
789:
785:
755:Fiscus Judaicus
744:
740:
730:
726:
717:
713:
704:
700:
691:
687:
678:
671:
658:
656:
643:
639:
626:
624:
617:
609:. p. 6-7.
601:
597:
578:
574:
565:
561:
549:
545:
531:Frend, W. H. C.
529:
518:
513:
486:
438:
429:
419:
408:
331:
297:Severan dynasty
287:, colleague of
277:
233:Judeo-Christian
194:. According to
170:in maintaining
160:
35:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1129:
1119:
1118:
1113:
1108:
1103:
1098:
1093:
1088:
1083:
1078:
1073:
1068:
1063:
1058:
1044:
1043:
1033:
1021:
1009:
1008:External links
1006:
1003:
1002:
971:
955:
942:
929:
913:
889:
876:
872:A New Eusebius
860:
843:
830:
826:A New Eusebius
824:Stevenson, J.
817:
811:Frend, W.H.C.
804:
802:, pp. 190–192.
783:
738:
724:
711:
707:A New Eusebius
705:Stevenson, J.
698:
685:
669:
637:
615:
595:
572:
559:
543:
515:
514:
512:
509:
508:
507:
502:
497:
492:
485:
482:
437:
434:
428:
425:
406:
386:Maximinus Daza
330:
327:
276:
273:
159:
156:
53:Edict of Milan
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1128:
1117:
1114:
1112:
1109:
1107:
1104:
1102:
1099:
1097:
1094:
1092:
1089:
1087:
1084:
1082:
1079:
1077:
1074:
1072:
1069:
1067:
1064:
1062:
1059:
1057:
1054:
1053:
1051:
1041:
1037:
1034:
1032:
1030:
1026:
1022:
1019:
1015:
1012:
1011:
990:
986:
982:
975:
968:
962:
960:
952:
946:
939:
933:
926:
922:
917:
909:
905:
898:
896:
894:
886:
880:
873:
867:
865:
856:
855:
847:
840:
834:
827:
821:
814:
808:
801:
800:0-8091-3610-4
797:
793:
787:
780:
779:0-19-511875-8
776:
772:
768:
767:0-8028-4498-7
764:
760:
756:
752:
748:
742:
735:
728:
721:
715:
708:
702:
695:
689:
682:
676:
674:
666:
654:
650:
649:
641:
634:
622:
618:
616:9780819601896
612:
608:
607:
599:
593:
589:
585:
581:
576:
569:
563:
556:
552:
547:
540:
536:
532:
527:
525:
523:
521:
516:
506:
503:
501:
498:
496:
493:
491:
488:
487:
481:
479:
475:
471:
467:
463:
462:Great Britain
458:
456:
451:
446:
442:
433:
424:
416:
412:
405:
400:
398:
393:
389:
387:
382:
380:
379:
374:
370:
366:
365:
360:
356:
351:
346:
344:
340:
336:
325:
320:
318:
314:
310:
306:
302:
298:
290:
286:
281:
272:
270:
266:
262:
258:
254:
250:
246:
242:
238:
234:
229:
227:
222:
221:
214:
213:
207:
206:
201:
197:
193:
189:
185:
181:
177:
173:
169:
167:
155:
153:
149:
144:
141:
140:
135:
131:
130:
125:
120:
118:
114:
110:
106:
102:
98:
94:
90:
86:
82:
78:
77:Constantine I
74:
66:
62:
58:
54:
46:
45:Constantine I
41:
37:
33:
19:
1091:Human rights
1086:Religion law
1039:
1028:
1024:
1017:
993:. Retrieved
989:the original
984:
974:
950:
945:
937:
932:
924:
921:Sordi, Marta
916:
907:
879:
871:
853:
846:
838:
837:Lactantius,
833:
825:
820:
812:
807:
791:
786:
770:
758:
741:
733:
727:
719:
714:
706:
701:
693:
688:
680:
664:
657:. Retrieved
647:
640:
632:
627:28 September
625:. Retrieved
605:
598:
591:
579:
575:
562:
550:
546:
534:
500:Peace of God
459:
454:
452:
448:
444:
439:
430:
421:
414:
410:
402:
394:
390:
383:
376:
362:
358:
353:
348:
342:
338:
332:
322:
294:
230:
226:Roman Empire
203:
163:
161:
145:
138:
127:
121:
91:(modern-day
79:and Emperor
72:
52:
50:
36:
32:Milan Decree
1016:, from the
985:The-orb.net
967:Fordham.edu
692:Potter, D.
478:Kulturkampf
205:mos maiorum
188:Greek myths
1050:Categories
995:14 October
949:Eusebius,
651:. London:
511:References
335:Lactantius
289:Diocletian
263:. In 311,
247:. Emperor
241:Jewish tax
158:Background
124:Lactantius
89:Mediolanum
1081:Roman law
749:prior to
653:Routledge
541:, p. 137.
317:Nicomedia
269:Nicomedia
253:Gallienus
192:Roman art
152:Nicomedia
148:Maximinus
87:, met in
885:Eusebius
781:, p. 426
621:Archived
533:(1965).
484:See also
407:—
373:Caesarea
355:Eusebius
309:Galerius
285:Maximian
265:Galerius
257:Eusebius
200:founders
101:Galerius
81:Licinius
953:5.15–17
474:Germany
466:Ireland
313:Serdica
196:legends
132:and in
115:, when
105:Serdica
85:Balkans
798:
777:
765:
659:21 May
613:
586:
324:homes.
303:. The
249:Decius
184:Apollo
166:pietas
751:Nerva
555:Quote
311:from
93:Milan
65:Greek
57:Latin
997:2014
796:ISBN
775:ISBN
763:ISBN
661:2021
629:2016
611:ISBN
584:ISBN
539:SPCK
464:and
417:XI).
329:Text
231:The
216:and
51:The
1101:313
337:'s
136:'s
126:'s
1052::
983:.
958:^
923:.
906:.
892:^
863:^
672:^
663:.
631:.
619:.
590:.
537:.
519:^
480:.
154:.
71:,
67::
63:;
59::
1042:.
999:.
910:.
887:.
361:(
341:(
168:)
164:(
55:(
34:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
