Edict of Milan (extra credit)
The reign of Constantine is certainly an important turning point in the history of Rome and in the history of the church. Please read through the Edict of Milan (either the hard-copy I gave you, or the online edition here. Cite one line that particularly well shows a way in which Constantine changes things for the church.
posted by Ancient Art at 12:19 PM
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The Edict of Milan gave the early Christian Church legitimacy in the Roman Empire. Constantine removes the restrictions of worship placed on the Christians. "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."
Before Constantine became emperor, the Romans thought that the Christians were the ones bringing down the empire because they did not worship the Roman religion or the emperor. With the Edict of Milan, the Christian are on parity with Roman paganism and other Roman religions in terms of equality and allowed to worship free from persecution.
Constantine legitimized Christianity, which created a major turning point in world history. if Constantine had not issued the "Edict of Milan," our world would be a very different place today.
"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 whishes to observe Chrisitian religion may do so freely and openly, without molestation."
Upon this action, Christians were no longer persecuted. In fact, Christians were allowed to openly worship and have their churches restored.
I found the part regarding places of worship most interesting. Property seized in prior persecutions was to be returned to the Christians. This action would not have occurred had the Christians done something wrong in the first place. Essentially, Rome was to blame for the empire's problems, not these upstart Christians.
The only thing I could think of when reading this was, "If the German leader after Hitler was Jewish, i'm sure something like this would have been decreed." True, the Jews had it a tremendous bit more harsh than Christians who had to be tried and convicted before persecution, but it would have been a parallel.
The phrase :"Christians and now any one of these who wishes to observe Christian religion may do so freely and openly" continued to be mentioned over and over again. Roughly 5 times did he mention that Christians were to worship as they wanted! I found it most interesting how often he did this so as to remind the people reading it that he means what he says.
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.
This passage says the people have the right to own property and thgey have the right to worship on the said property. This is fine as long as its done in public and open to public. Christians have the right to worship, and as long as they own the land, pagan vices are not allowed to disturb the area. All property previously taken were to be returned.
"Moreover, in the case of the Christians especially we esteemed it best to order that if it happens 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"
Constantine is restoring to the Christians what was taken from them and decrees that there should be no deception in this. This changes things for the Christians because up until this time, peopel could conviscate the property of Christians and treat them horribly without any fear of punishment. But, now it is illegal to steal from the Christians, and not only that they are to be recompensed for their losses. If anyone dare to steal from the Christians they will be punished. This makes the Christians equal citizens to the everyone else and are to be treated the same, not differently. This mean that they are subject to the same rights and laws of Roman citizens.
concerning the Christians and now any one of these who wishes to observe Christian religion may do so freely and openly,without molestation
This shows now it was not longer illegal to pratice christianity therefore everyone of the practice christians did not have to do it in the privicy of there own home and Now it became romes leading religion thanks to constanine
"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." This line establishes the christian church as an accepted religion in the Roman empire. The key phrase is "without molestation". It basically granted christians the freedom to worship without fear of persecution and punishment. The Edict of Milan is but one of the reasons why Constantine helped to change world history.
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