Medieval Sourcebook: Galerius and Constantine: Edicts of Toleration
311/313
Both in the case of the edict of toleration by Galerius and that by
Constantine and Licinius, the original Latin text is to be found in Lactantius,
and merely a Greek translation in Eusebius, (H. E., Bk. VIII, 17, and X, 5).
Both Mason and Allard take this view. (For discussion of the authorship of the
De more. Pers. and the genuineness of the Edict of Milan see appendix to
Vol. 11 of Gibbon, ed. by Bury.. 1896.)
EDICT OF TOLERATION BY GALERIUS- 311 A. D.
(Ch. 34.) Among other
arrangements which we are always accustomed to make for the prosperity and
welfare of the republic, we had desired formerly to bring all things into
harmony with the ancient laws and public order of the Romans, and to provide
that even the Christians who had left the religion of their fathers should come
back to reason ; since, indeed, the Christians themselves, for some reason, had
followed such a caprice and had fallen into such a folly that they would not
obey the institutes of antiquity, which perchance their own ancestors had first
established; but at their own will and pleasure, they would thus make laws unto
themselves which they should observe and would collect various peoples in
diverse places in congregations. Finally when our law had been promulgated to
the effect that they should conform to the institutes of antiquity, many were
subdued by the fear of danger, many even suffered death. And yet since most of
them persevered in their determination, and we saw that they neither paid the
reverence and awe due to the gods nor worshipped the God of the Christians, in
view of our most mild clemency and the constant habit by which we are accustomed
to grant indulgence to all, we thought that we ought to grant our most prompt
indulgence also to these, so that they may again be Christians and may hold
their conventicles, provided they do nothing contrary to good order. But we
shall tell the magistrates in another letter what they ought to do.
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 republic may
continue uninjured on every side, and that they may be able to live securely in
their homes.
(c.35)This edict is published at Nicomedia on the day before the Kalends of
May, in our eighth consulship and the second of Maximinus.
from Lactantius, De Mort. Pers. ch. 34, 35. Opera, ed. O. F.
Fritzsche, II, P. 273. (Bibl. Patt. Ecc. Lat. XI, Leipzig, 1844.)
The "Edict of Milan " (313 A. D.)
When I, Constantine Augustus, as well
as I Licinius Augustus d fortunately met near Mediolanurn (Milan), and were
considering everything that pertained to the public welfare and security, we
thought -, among other things which we saw would be for the good of many, those
regulations pertaining to the reverence of the Divinity ought certainly to be
made first, so that we might grant to the Christians and others full authority
to observe that religion which each preferred; whence any Divinity whatsoever in
the seat of the heavens may be propitious and kindly disposed to us and all who
are placed under our rule And thus by this wholesome counsel and most upright
provision we thought to arrange that no one whatsoever should be denied the
opportunity to give his heart to the observance of the Christian religion, of
that religion which he should think best for himself, so that the Supreme Deity,
to whose worship we freely yield our hearts) may show in all things His usual
favor and benevolence. Therefore, your Worship should know that it has pleased
us to remove all conditions whatsoever, which were in the rescripts formerly
given to you officially, concerning the Christians and now any one of these who
wishes to observe Christian religion may do so freely and openly, without
molestation. We thought it fit to commend these things most fully to your care
that you may know that we have given to those Christians free and unrestricted
opportunity of religious worship. When you see that this has been granted to
them 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 is made we that we may not seem to detract from any
dignity or any religion.
Moreover, in the case of the Christians especially we esteemed it best to
order that if it happems anyone heretofore has bought from our treasury from
anyone whatsoever, those places where they were previously accustomed to
assemble, concerning which a certain decree had been made and a letter sent to
you officially, the same shall be restored to the Christians without payment or
any claim of recompense and without any kind of fraud or deception, Those,
moreover, who have obtained the same by gift, are likewise to return them at
once to the Christians. Besides, both those who have purchased and those who
have secured them by gift, are to appeal to the vicar if they seek any
recompense from our bounty, that they may be cared for through our clemency,.
All this property ought to be delivered at once to the community of the
Christians through your intercession, and without delay. And since these
Christians are known to have possessed not only those places in which they were
accustomed to assemble, but also other property, namely the churches, belonging
to them as a corporation and not as individuals, all these things which we have
included under the above law, you will order to be restored, without any
hesitation or controversy at all, to these Christians, that is to say to the
corporations and their conventicles: providing, of course, that the above
arrangements be followed so that those who return the same without payment, as
we have said, may hope for an indemnity from our bounty. In all these
circumstances you ought to tender your most efficacious intervention to the
community of the Christians, that our command may be carried into effect as
quickly as possible, whereby, moreover, through our clemency, public order may
be secured. Let this be done so that, as we have said above, Divine favor
towards us, which, under the most important circumstances we have already
experienced, may, for all time, preserve and prosper our successes together with
the good of the state. Moreover, in order that the statement of this decree of
our good will may come to the notice of all, this rescript, published by your
decree, shall be announced everywhere and brought to the knowledge of all, so
that the decree of this, our benevolence, cannot be concealed.
from Lactantius, De Mort. Pers., ch. 48. opera, ed. 0. F. Fritzsche,
II, p 288 sq. (Bibl Patr. Ecc. Lat. XI).
Both texts translated in University of Pennsylvania. Dept. of History:
Translations and Reprints from the Original Sources of European history,
(Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press [1897?-1907?]), Vol 4:, 1,
pp. 28-30
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(c)Paul Halsall Jan 1996
halsall@murray.fordham.edu