Edict of Milan

Edict of Milan

The Edict of Milan was an important agreement made on February 13, 313 AD, to treat Christians kindly in the Roman Empire. The Western Roman Emperor Constantine I and Emperor Licinius, who ruled the Balkans, met in Mediolanum (now called Milan) and decided to change the rules about Christians. This happened after another ruler, Emperor Galerius, had already allowed Christians to practice their religion freely two years earlier.

This new agreement gave Christianity legal status and stopped people from being hurt for believing in it, but it did not make Christianity the main religion of the Roman Empire. That happened much later, in the year 380, with a different rule called the Edict of Thessalonica.

We know about the Edict of Milan mostly from two old books: one by Lactantius called De mortibus persecutorum and another by Eusebius of Caesarea called History of the Church.

Background

The Romans were very religious and thought their success came from respecting the gods. They honored many gods and even added new ones, like the Greek god Apollo, to their religion. They tried to mix their beliefs with those of other people they conquered.

Christians believed in only one God and did not follow the Roman ways. They also refused to pay certain taxes, which upset Roman leaders. This led to times when Christians were treated badly. But later, under Emperor Gallienus, Christians were allowed to practice their religion more freely. Then in 311, Galerius decided to stop the bad treatment of Christians.

Edict of Toleration by Galerius

After the Severan dynasty ended in AD 235, some leaders tried to become emperor by either helping or hurting Christians. Emperor Galerius issued the Edict of Toleration from Serdica and posted it in Nicomedia on April 30, 311. This edict let Christians, who had been following their beliefs even when rules said not to, practice freely again.

The edict said that Christians could pray to their God for the safety of the empire, the government, and themselves, so that everyone could live safely and the country could stay strong.

Text

The actual letters of the Edict of Milan have never been found. But writers like Lactantius and Eusebius wrote down what they said. In these letters, Emperors Constantine and Licinius agreed that people could follow any religion they wanted.

The Edict of Milan was made to stop Maximinus Daza from causing trouble for Christians. It allowed all religions to be practiced freely, not just Christianity. It did not make Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire—that happened later, with the Edict of Thessalonica.

Religious statement

The Edict of Milan is seen as Emperor Constantine's first big move as a Christian ruler. Some people wonder if it was really about his faith. Others think he made the edict to make an alliance with the Christian God, whom he believed was powerful. At the time, Constantine was worried about keeping peace in his empire. Because of this, some believe the edict was a smart political choice. However, most historians think Constantine really did believe in Christianity and that the Edict of Milan was his first official act as a Christian ruler. This is supported by the many ways Constantine helped Christianity during his time as emperor.

Peace of the Church

The Edict of Milan helped Christians by telling leaders to return places where Christians could meet and other property that had been taken away. The government would pay for this, and Christians did not have to pay to get their things back. This change let Christians meet openly and follow their beliefs without hiding. It was an important time for Christians because they could now practice their faith publicly.

This time is called the "Peace of the Church". The leaders wanted to make things right so there would be less trouble and more peace in the empire. The term "Peace of the Church" is also used in places like Great Britain and Ireland to describe when people were no longer treated badly for their beliefs, and in Germany after a difficult time called the Kulturkampf.