Download Though the early Christians were persecuted under

Though the early Christians were persecuted under earlier emperors
such as Nero, Constantine's conversion to Christianity after the Battle
of Milvian Bridge allowed the religion more legitimacy and room to
grow.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES [ edit ]
Understand the reasons for which Diocletian established the Tetrarchy
Describe the structure and features of the Tetrarchy
KEY POINTS [ edit ]
Christians suffered from sporadic and localized persecutions over a period of two and a half
centuries, as their refusal to participate in Imperial Cult of Rome was considered an act
oftreason and was thus punishable by execution.
Galerius issued an edict of toleration in 311, which granted the Christians the right to practice
their religion, but did not restore any taken property back to them.
According to Christian sources, Constantine looked up to the sun before the Battle of Milvian
Bridge in 312 and saw a cross of light above it, with it the Greek words "Ἐ Τ Ν" ("in this sign you
shall conquer"). Constantine commanded his troops to adorn their shields with a Christian
symbol (the Chi­Rho), and was victorious in the ensuing battle.
The Edict of Milan in 313 made the empire officially neutral with regard to religious worship; it
neither made the traditional religions illegal nor made Christianity the state religion.
TERMS [ edit ]
Edict of Milan
an agreement in 313 CE by Constantine and Licinius to treat Christians benevolently within the
Roman Empire.
Battle of Milvian Bridge
a battle in 312 between Constantine and Maxentius. Constantine purportedly saw the Christian
cross in the sun, adorned the shields of his men with the Christian Chi­Rho, and won the battle.
Give us feedback on this content: FULL TEXT [edit ]
Persecution of Early Christians
Christianity posed a serious threat to the
traditional Romans. The idea
of monotheism was considered offensive
against the (polytheistic) Roman pantheon
and came into further conflict with the
Imperial Cult, in which emperors and
some members of their families were
worshipped as divine. As such,
Christianity was considered criminal and
Register for FREE to stop seeing ads
was punished harshly.
The first recorded official persecution of Christians on behalf of the Roman Empire was in 64
CE, when, as reported by the Roman historian Tacitus, Emperor Nero blamed Christians for
the Great Fire of Rome. According to Church tradition, it was during the reign of Nero that
Peter and Paul were martyred in Rome. However, modern historians debate whether the
Roman government distinguished between Christians and Jews prior to Nerva's modification
of the Fiscus Judaicus in 96, from which point practicing Jews paid the tax and Christians did
not.
Christians suffered from sporadic and localized persecutions over a period of two and a half
centuries. Their refusal to participate in Imperial Cult of Rome was considered an act of
treason and was thus punishable by execution. The most widespread official persecution was
carried out by Diocletian, who ordered Christian buildings and the homes of Christians torn
down and their sacred books collected and burned during the Great Persecution (303­311
CE). Christians were arrested, tortured, mutilated, burned, starved, and condemned to
gladiatorial contests to amuse spectators. The Great Persecution officially ended in April of
311, when Galerius, senior emperor of the Tetrarchy, issued an edict of toleration which
granted Christians the right to practice their religion, though it did not restore any property
to them. Constantine, Caesar in the Western empire and Licinius, Caesar in the East, also
were signatories to the edict of toleration. It has been speculated that Galerius' reversal of his
long­standing policy of Christian persecution has been attributable to one or both of these co­
Caesars.
Constantine's Conversion
The Emperor Constantine was exposed to Christianity by his mother, Helena, but he had
already been in power for several years as Caesar before his official conversion. Writing to
Christians, Constantine made clear that he believed his successes were owed to the protection
of the Christian God alone.
Battle of Milvian Bridge
Eusebius of Caesarea and other Christian sources record that Constantine experienced a
dramatic event in 312 CE at the Battle of Milvian Bridge, after which Constantine claimed the
emperorship in the West. According to these sources, Constantine looked up to the sun
before the battle and saw a cross of light above it, and with it the Greek words "Ἐ Τ Ν" ("in
this sign you shall conquer"), often rendered in the Latin "in hoc signo vinces"). Constantine
commanded his troops to adorn their shields with a Christian symbol (the Chi­Rho), and was
victorious in the ensuing battle.
Missorium of Constantius II
Missorium depicting Emperor Constantine's son Constantius II accompanied by a guardsman with the
Chi­Rho depicted on his shield.
Following the battle, the new emperor ignored the altars to the gods prepared on the
Capitoline and did not carry out the customary sacrifices to celebrate a general's victorious
entry into Rome. Most influential people in the empire, however, especially high military
officials, had not converted to Christianity and still participated in the traditional religions of
Rome; Constantine's rule exhibited at least a willingness to appease these factions. The
Roman coins minted up to eight years after the battle still bore the images of Roman gods,
and the monuments he first commissioned, such as the Arch of Constantine, contained no
reference to Christianity.
The Edict of Milan
In 313, Constantine and Licinius announced in the Edict of Milan "that it was proper that the
Christians and all others should have liberty to follow that mode of religion which to each of
them appeared best," thereby granting tolerance to all religions, including Christianity. The
Edict of Milan went a step further than the earlier Edict of Toleration by Galerius in 311 and
returned confiscated Church property. This edict made the empire officially neutral with
regard to religious worship; it neither made the traditional religions illegal nor made
Christianity the state religion (as did the later Edict of Thessalonica in 380 CE). The Edict of
Milan did, however, raise the stock of Christianity within the empire and it reaffirmed the
importance of religious worship to the welfare of the state.