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. These books tell the story a little differently, and many experts today think there might not have been a formal edict at all. Instead, what Licinius sent was a letter to leaders in the areas he had recently taken over after defeating Maximinus later that same year, and this letter was written in Nicomedia.

Background

The Romans were very religious and believed 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, however, believed in only one God and wouldn’t follow the Roman ways. They also refused to pay certain taxes, which made the Roman leaders unhappy. 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 made a decision to stop the bad treatment of Christians.

Edict of Toleration by Galerius

After the Severan dynasty ended in AD 235, leaders who wanted to be emperor tried to get support 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 allowed Christians, who had been following their beliefs despite past rules, to practice freely again.

The edict said that Christians should 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. This was important because Christians had been treated badly for a long time.

The Edict of Milan was made to stop Maximinus Daza, a leader in the eastern part of the Roman Empire, from hurting Christians. After another emperor named Galerius died, Maximinus started causing trouble for Christians again. The Edict of Milan 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, in the year 380, with the Edict of Thessalonica.

Religious statement

The Edict of Milan is often seen as Emperor Constantine's first big move as a Christian ruler, but some people wonder if it was really about his faith. Some think he made the edict to form an alliance with the Christian God, whom he believed was very powerful. At the time, Constantine was worried about keeping peace in his empire and protecting it from any anger from the Christian God. Because of this, some believe the edict was more of a smart political choice than a true change in his beliefs. However, most historians think Constantine really did believe in Christianity and that the Edict of Milan was just his first official act as a devoted Christian ruler. This idea is backed up by the many ways Constantine supported Christianity throughout the rest of his time as emperor.

Peace of the Church

The Edict of Milan helped Christians by telling leaders to give back 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.