Laws Ending Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire

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Editor’s Note: The text of the two edicts is translated from Lactantius. The paragraph numbers are those given to the text of Lactantius. Additional material present in the text surviving in Eusebius is added in square brackets thus: […]. The more significant of Eusebius’s variations are indicated in square brackets preceded by a shilling stroke thus: […]

Edict of Galerius

[Emperor Caesar Galerius Valerius Maximianos, Unconquered Augustus, Pontifex Maximus, Germanicus Maximus, Egyptiacus Maximus, Thebaicus Maximus, Sarmaticus Maximus five times, Persicus Maximus twice, Carpicus Maximus six times, Armenicus Maximus, Medicus Maximus, Adiabenicus Maximus, in the 20th tenure of Tribunician Power, in the 19th year as Emperor, the 8th as Consul, Father of the Fatherland, Proconsul; and Emperor Caesar Flavius Valerius Constantinus, Pious, Fortunate, Unconquered Augustus, Pontifex Maximus, Holder of Tribunician Power, in the 5th year as Emperor, Consul, Father of the Fatherland, Proconsul; and Emperor Caesar Valerius Licinianus Licinius, Pious, Fortunate, Pontifex Maximus, in the 4th tenure of Tribunician Power, in the 3rd year as Emperor, Consul, Father of the Fatherland, Proconsul, to their provincials, Greeting !]

(1) Among other measures which we are always laying down for the benefit and usefulness of the public good, we had indeed previously wished to amend all things in accordance with the ancient laws and the public disciplina of the Romans and to make provision that even the Christians who had abandoned the way of the life (secta) of their ancestors should return to their right minds.

(2) For such great willfulness had by some means invaded those same Christians and such great stupidity had occupied them that they would not follow those practices which their own ancestors had perhaps been the first to institute, but they have made laws for themselves which they might observe in accordance with their own will and as it seemed pleasant to them and they have gathered various people together in various places.

(3) At length when our command along these lines had been issued, many were subjected to danger and many also were struck down [/were afflicted by various deaths].

(4) Since many, however, persevered in their determination [/senselessness] and we saw that they did not offer to the Gods the worship and religious duty they owed them nor reverence the God of the Christians, taking into consideration the observance of our most mild clemency and of our sempiternal custom, by which we are accustomed to indulge all men with prompt pardon, we have determined that our indulgence should be extended to these men also, so that they may once more be Christians and may construct their meeting places [/houses in which they used to meet], provided they do nothing contrary to disciplina.

(5) We shall signify through another letter to governors what they should do. In consequence, in accordance with this our indulgence they will be [/are] obliged to pray to their God for our safety and that of the state, and for their own, so that from every side the state may be preserved unharmed and that they may be able to live free from care in their homes.

Letter of Licinius

[As we have for a long time been considering that liberty of worship is not to be denied, but that the capacity to take care of divine matters should be given to the reason and wish of each man, in accordance with his own resolution, we have urged the Christians that they should observe the faith of their way of life and worship. But considering that many and various conditions appear clearly to have been imposed upon that rescript in which this same capacity was accorded to them, it is, all things considered, possible that certain of them within a short time were repelled from this observance.]

(2) When under fortunate auspices both I Constantine Augustus and also I Licinius Augustus had come together at Milan and were holding in discussion all affairs which have to do with advantages and the public security [/usefulness], we believed that, among other matters which we saw would be beneficial for many men, those which ought to be put in order first of all were those by which the reverence of divinity is sustained, so that we should give both to Christians and everyone the free power of following the religion which each wished, so that whatever there is of divinity in the heavenly place should be able to be placated and propitious to us and to all those who are established under our power.

(3) We have therefore believed [/decreed] with salutary and correct reasoning that this policy should be entered upon, that we should consider that the opportunity [/capacity] should be denied to no one who pays attention either to Christian observance or to that religion which he might feel was most suited to himself, so that the most high divinity, whose religion we obey with free minds, may be able to offer to us his accustomed favour and benevolence.

(4) Therefore it is appropriate that Your Dedicatedness should know that it has pleased us that all stipulations about the name of the Christians which were contained in documents previously given to your office should be entirely set aside, and that those things which seemed thoroughly sinister and alien to our clemency should be removed, and that now freely and in simplicity each one of those who exercise the same wish to observe the religion of the Christians may hasten to observe that same thing, setting aside any anxiety or molestation of them.

(5) We have considered these things should be fully signified to Your Solicitude so that by them you might know that we have given to these same Christians free and absolute opportunity to cultivate their religion.

(6) Since you thoroughly see that this has been granted to them by us, Your Dedicatedness understands that for others also open and free capacity for their religion or observance is granted in accordance with the peacefulness of our times, so that each should have free permission in worshipping what he has chosen. This has been done by us so that nothing should seem to be taken away by us either in respect of honour or in respect of religion.

(7) In addition we have decided that this should be decreed concerning the body corporate (persona) of the Christians: that if some people in an earlier time seem to have bought, either from our fisc or from anyone else, the same places where they had previously been accustomed to meet, concerning which also a certain procedure (forma) had before now been defined (comprehensa) in letters given to your office, they should restore the same places to the Christians without payment and without any request for a price, setting aside all obstruction and ambiguity.

(8) Those also who obtained them as a gift, shall similarly return the same to the Christians as fast as possible. But those who have bought or who have received as a gift, if they should seek something from our benevolence, let them make a request of the Vicarius, so that there may be relief (consulatur) for them from him through our clemency. All these things should be handed over to the body of the Christians immediately through your mediation and without delay.

(9) And because the same Christians are found to have had not only those places at which they were accustomed to meet, but also other property belonging by right to their body, that is to the churches, not to individual persons, you shall order all these things by the law which we have defined above to be returned to the same Christians , that is to their body corporate and to their assemblies, without any ambiguity or controversy whatsoever, observing however the above-mentioned proviso, that those who restore the same without charge, as we have said, may hope for indemnity from our benevolence.

(10) In all these affairs you will be obliged to offer to the aforesaid body corporate of the Christians your most effective co-operation, so that our command may be completed as fast as possible, in order that through our clementia there may be solace for the public peace in this matter.

(11) In this way it will come about that divine favour towards us, which we have experienced in such great things, will, as we have defined above, persist prosperously through all time on our achievements together with our public happiness.

(12) In order that the principle of this ordinance and of our benevolence may be able to come to the knowledge of all, it is appropriate that you post up this document everywhere and that you bring it thoroughly to the knowledge of all, with your proclamation prefixed to it, in order that the ordinance of this our benevolence should not be hidden.

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Source: University of Pennsylvania Dept. of History, Translations and Reprints from the Original Sources of European History, Vol. 4. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press [1897?-1907?]: pp. 1, 28-30.