Edict of Milan 313 The role of the Milan edict in the history of the ancient Christian Church
June 26 marks the 1700th anniversary of the promulgation of the decision of the emperors of St. Constantine and Licinius give freedom to Christians throughout the Roman Empire. On the eve of this date and on the eve of the birthday of the Church - Pentecost - we are talking about Milan, the city in which this historic decision was made, its shrines and the life of its Orthodox community today. We open the series of articles with a story about how the Edict of Milan was adopted. Statue of Emperor Constantine in front of the Basilica of San Lorenzo, Milan
The main thing in the Edict of Milan: paganism lost the status of the state religion
The most significant innovation of the edict was not an end to the persecution of Christians, but the recognition of all religions of the Empire as equal in rights. Lactantius, in his essay On the Death of the Persecutors, quotes the document: “We grant both Christians and all others the opportunity to freely follow whatever religion they wish, so that divinity, whatever it may be on the heavenly throne, might be in favor and mercy to us and to all those under our authority. Therefore, we decided to think over this event well and in the most balanced way, since we considered it to be impossible to deny anyone at all, whether anyone turned his mind to the Christian rite, or dedicated it to whatever religion he considered most suitable for himself, so that the supreme deity whose worship we observe with soul and heart, could give us the usual favor and approval in everything.
Freedom of faith agreed at the wedding
The decision to give Christians freedom of assembly throughout the Roman Empire was made at the wedding of Constance, half-sister of St. Constantine, and his co-ruler Licinius. Flavia Julia Constantia was one of six children of Emperor Constantius Chlorus and Theodora, daughter (or stepdaughter) of Emperor Maximinus. For the sake of marrying Theodora, important to him political career, Constance had to leave St. Elena. The wedding took place in Mediolan (modern Milan). The date of birth of Constance is unknown, but she was no more than 18 years old at the time of the wedding. The age of Licinius was approaching 50 years.
The wedding took place after the victory of Constantine over Maxentius
Probably, the celebration took place in February 313. A few months earlier, on October 28, 312, the famous victory of Constantine's troops over the Praetorians of the usurper Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge took place, on the eve of which St. Constantine saw in the sky the sign of the Cross and the inscription "By this you conquer" (In hoc signo vinces, Εν Τούτῳ Νίκα). Constantine solemnly entered Rome. Marriage cemented the political union of the co-rulers. The decision to marry was made even before the victory, probably in 311-312. In Milan, Constantine arrived from Rome and remained in the city until about April.
The main persecutor of Christians could be invited to the wedding
According to one version of historians, Diocletian could have been invited to the wedding. The emperor, who had retired, was ill at that time, he had less than a year before his death, and he did not leave his seclusion in Dalmatia. Otherwise, a historical curiosity would have arisen: the main persecutor of Christians, who appropriated the name of Jupiter, would have been present at the approval of the faith he was persecuting. The version about the invitation of Diocletian is based on the fact that in 313 his relations with Constantine and Licinius deteriorated. According to the report, Aurelius Victor, the former ruler was even poisoned. Refusal to come could be perceived as a manifestation of disloyalty new government and led to resentment.
The Edict of Milan was not immediately promulgated
When exactly the Edict of Milan was signed and whether it was signed at all or whether a verbal agreement was reached between the co-rulers is not known. For historians, the reference date is 13 (26 according to the new style) June 313. This day is indicated by Lactantius: on the Ides of June, according to the Roman calendar, Licinius ordered the presidency of Nicomedia (now Izmit, a city in Turkey) to promulgate a decree on the new position of Christians in the empire.
Vasily Bolotov, a classic of Russian church history, explains: “Imperial edicts were not communicated very quickly. They were sent (presented - perfulgere) first to the prefects, who sent them to the lower bosses. The prefects accompanied these rescripts with their comments. These explanations at the end turned out to be a sufficient number. Everyone acted within the limits of his authority. One might think that the first edict of Galerius caused such a mass movement in favor of Christianity that the government found it necessary to impose certain conditions on this transition in order to prevent the spread of Christianity.
The text of the Edict of Milan has not been preserved.
As mentioned above, the letter of Licinius to the Nicomedia presidency is quoted by Lactantius, but the text of the edict is missing in the Code of Laws of Theodosius (Codex Theodosianus 438). The existence of the edict is mentioned and briefly recounted by Eusebius in the "Ecclesiastical History", and also cites its Greek translation in the tenth book of his work.
The Edict of Milan was not the first law in favor of Christians
In 311, an edict on tolerance for Christians had already been issued in Nicomedia. The Edict of Milan extended the provisions of another decree on religious tolerance, which was issued in Nicomedia on April 30, 311 by Galerius, in the past the most cruel persecutor of Christians. The Edict of Nicomedia, unlike the Edict of Milan, did not extend to the entire territory of the empire (co-ruler of Galerius Maximinus Daza did not accept the edict), did not equate Christianity with paganism, only provided Christians with “the most indulgent mercy”, did not return confiscated property to Christians, allowed them to gather together for prayer without fear persecution and ordered to pray for the prosperity of the Empire.
At the end of the Ninth Book of Church History, Eusebius of Caesarea cites the text of another law that granted Christians the freedom to practice their faith, the rescript of Maximinus of 312. Russian church historian Vasily Bolotov sees in it either a portrayal of a tyrant with his nobility, or a reaction to the insignificance of the results of persecution against Christians arranged by Maximinus himself.
After the Edict, the Church was granted privileges
According to the Edict, property confiscated during the persecution was returned to Christians, and compensation was also provided for the victims. After the Edict of Milan, St. Emperor Constantine adopted other acts that strengthened the financial position of the Church. The clergy were exempted from municipal duties, and the Church as a whole from the tax on real estate (except for land plots). The church was able to give freedom to slaves with the consent of their masters, Christian churches received the right to provide asylum, which used to be a privilege of pagan sanctuaries. The collection from a certain part of the land of each city was transferred to local churches, i.e. they received direct regular funding from the state.
An African was the pope at the time of the Edict of Milan
The Edict of Milan was promulgated under Pope Miltiades (Melchiades), who was from North Africa and may have been dark-skinned. His bishopric began in 311, i.e. before the victory of St. Constantine. In the same year 313, the residence of the Roman bishops was equipped in the Lateran, former estate Lateran family, donated to the Church of St. Constantine. The next pope was St. Sylvester, under him Christianity began to take hold in Rome, magnificent basilicas were built, and the Church began to quickly turn into a serious force in the state.
The bride became the protector of the Arians
How did the fate of the main actors that Milanese wedding? Less than a year later, a war broke out between St. Constantine and Licinius. By the year 324, he was finally defeated and took refuge with his wife Constance and 9-year-old son in Nicomedia. Constance asked her brother for mercy for her husband - to live in exile in Thessalonica. St. Constantine yielded to her requests, but a year later Licinius was strangled, accused of inciting the garrison to revolt. Constance became the spiritual daughter of Bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia, one of the zealous Arians, and she herself became their patroness at court and supported them during the First Ecumenical Council.
The Edict of Milan is a letter from the emperors Constantine and Licinius proclaiming religious tolerance in the territory of the Roman Empire. The Edict of Milan was an important step towards making Christianity the official religion of the empire. The text of the edict has not come down to us, but it is quoted by Lactantius in his work "Death of the Persecutors".
"1. Among other things that we plan (to do) for the everlasting good and benefit of the state, we, for our part, would like first of all to correct, along with the ancient laws, also the state structure of the Romans as a whole, and also to take measures to so that Christians, who have left the way of thinking of their ancestors, turn to good thoughts.
2. Indeed, for some reason these Christians were seized with zeal and such foolishness took possession (of them) that they ceased to follow those ancient customs, which for the first time, perhaps, by their own ancestors were established, but by their own arbitrariness, and also by whims, they made for themselves such laws, which were revered by them alone, and from contrary considerations they gathered together various peoples.
3. When at last our decree appeared that they should return to the ancient customs, some obeyed them out of fear, while others were punished.
4. However, since the majority persisted in their basic principles, and we saw that, just as the cult and due service of these gods do not cope, the god of the Christians is not honored, then, based on considerations, show our most condescending mercy and according to the constant custom of our habit of granting forgiveness to all men, we felt that our favor should be extended to them as soon as possible, so that Christians might again exist (within the law) and be able to organize their meetings (but) without doing anything against the order.
5. In another message, we intend to indicate to the judges what they should do. Therefore, in accordance with our generosity, they should pray to their god for the well-being of ours, the state and their own, so that the state is everywhere kept in perfection, and they can live peacefully in their homes.
1. This edict was promulgated at Nicomedia on the eve of the Kalends of May, in the eighth consulship (Galeria) and the second of Maximian (30.04.311).
1. Licinius, having taken part of (his) troops and distributed them, sent the army to Bithynia a few days after the battle. Arriving at Nicomedia, he gave praise to God, with whose help he won the victory. On the Ides of June (13.06.313), at his and Constantine's third consulate, he ordered the following messages submitted to the governor to be made public:
2. When I, Constantine Augustus, and also I, Licinius Augustus, safely assembled in Mediolanum and engaged in everything that concerns the benefits and well-being of the people, then, engaging in those matters that would be, among other things, useful to most people, we decided that, first of all, we should arrange for those who have retained the worship of God that we grant both Christians and everyone else the opportunity to freely follow whatever religion anyone wishes, so that divinity, whatever it may be on the heavenly throne , could be in favor and mercy to us and to all those who are under our power.
3. Therefore, we decided to think well and in the most balanced way about this event, since we considered it to be impossible to deny anyone at all, whether anyone turned his mind to the Christian rite, or dedicated it to such a religion as he considered most suitable for himself, so that the supreme deity, whose cult we keep heart and soul, might give us the usual favor and approval in all things.
4. Therefore, it behooves your honor to know that we are pleased to cancel all, without exception, seized treaties regarding Christians, which were previously written down and given to you on duty for preservation, and which have come to be considered by our mercy as completely illegal and alien, and that any of those who have shown a desire to perform Christian rites may freely and simply afford to participate in them without any trouble or trouble.
5. We have decided that your duties should find their fullest expression in this, for, as you know, we have granted these Christians the opportunity to practice their religious rites freely and independently.
6. When you are convinced that they are under our protection, your nobility will also understand that others have also been granted the opportunity to perform their rites equally openly and freely in the peace of our government, so that everyone is free in the right to choose a religion. This was done by us in order not to see any infringement of anyone both in official status (honor) and in the cult.
7. In addition, we thought it expedient to rule in relation to persons professing Christianity that if those places in which they used to gather were captured according to the messages also given to you before in the prescribed form on duty, and were soon bought by someone from our fiscal or anyone else, they must be returned to the Christians without charge and without any monetary claims, without resorting to deceit and chicanery (ambiguitate).
8. Those who acquired (lands) as a gift should return them to these Christians as soon as possible, but if those who received them for service or acquired them as a gift demand something from our favor, let them ask for a substitute so that about him and about they themselves were taken care of by our mercy. All this is to be conveyed through your mediation and without delay directly to the Christian community.
9. And since it is known that these Christians owned not only those places in which they usually gathered, but also others that were under the authority of their communities, that is, churches, and not individuals, all of them, according to the law set out by us above , without any doubts and disputes, you will order to return it to these Christians, that is, to their community and assemblies, observing, of course, the above principle so that those who returned it without compensation, according to what we said, hoped for compensation for damages from our favors.
10. In all this, you must render your most active mediation to the aforementioned Christian community in order to fulfill our order as quickly as possible and thereby show concern for the peace of the people by our grace.
11. May God's favor be with us therefore, as was said above, which we have already experienced in so many enterprises, and our people have been in prosperity and bliss at all times under our successors.
12. And so that everyone may have an idea of the form of the decree and our favor, you should set these prescriptions everywhere in the form that you prefer, and convey (them) to general information so that no one will be left in the dark about the decision from our favor."
13. To the orders submitted in writing (attached) were also verbal recommendations that the meetings should be restored to their former position. Thus, from the overthrow of the church to its restoration, 10 years and about 4 months passed.
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EDICT OF MILAN- the edict (decree) of the Roman emperors-co-rulers Licinius and Constantine (314-323) on the recognition of Christianity along with other religions, published by them, according to the testimony of the church historian Eusebius of Caesarea (about 263-340), in 313 in Mediolane (now Milan). It is also widely known as the "edict of religious tolerance" and is considered one of the most important documents in the history of Christianity, which opened the way for the Christianization of Europe. His goal was to attract supporters of Christianity to his side, both in the struggle of emperors with each other, and with other contenders for the Roman throne. At the beginning of the IV century. Christianity professed no more than one tenth of the population of the Roman Empire, however, Christians by this time had already managed to create a strong organization with a powerful material base, since both rich and poor people did not skimp on donations in the hope of afterlife bliss. The rulers understood the restraining role of the Christian church and also endowed it with privileges and land allotments. As a result, by the beginning of the IV century. the Christian church owned a tenth of all the lands of the empire, and the colleges and the Christian communities created around them, specializing in burial rituals, owned the most significant property. The pagan religion, requiring only the observance of external rites, left room for freedom of thought, while Christianity demanded the unconditional recognition of dogma. Therefore, it was precisely this religion that was the most suitable ideological base for a monarchy headed by a “holy” emperor, who, moreover, was considered the high priest (Pontifex Maximus), the protector of traditional beliefs. Christians instilled fear and hostility in pagans with their secrecy due to the peculiarities of worship, intransigence towards others. religious beliefs, open disrespect for the gods of traditional religion. There is an opinion that the Roman emperors were the organizers of the persecution of Christians who rejected domestic gods, but this is only partly true. In reality, researchers advise looking for the main causes of persecution not at the state, but at the municipal level; they were almost always caused by property disputes, accompanied by pogroms. At the municipal level, in colleges, these disputes could not always be resolved peacefully, relying on legislation, since the prefects did not have enough authority or desire to do this. So they appealed to the supreme authority. The retaliatory measures on the part of the authorities were not always adequate, and the Christian clergy used these situations to speak on behalf of the unjustly offended. Providing charity to the affected citizens from donated funds, Christian presbyters (and then bishops) attracted pagans to their side, introducing them to the rank of "faithful." The ceremony of initiation at the same time was obviously mysterious. This mystery was especially evident in burial rites. Among the rulers there were many people who sympathized with Christianity. One of them in this era was the co-ruler of Emperor Diocletian (284-305) - Constantius Chlorus (293-305), whose illegitimate son was Constantine I the Great. It is precisely this fact (that is, the fact that the emperor was fed "Christian milk") that Christian tradition explains the appearance of the edict of Constantine, which granted freedom of religion to Christians, who went down in history under the name "Edict of Milan". However, in reality, his appearance was caused not so much by the Christian upbringing of the future emperor, but by the political situation that developed at that time. Emperor Diocletian in 285 divided the empire with his comrade-in-arms Maximian in order to more easily fight off enemies; both bore the title of Augustus. In 292, two more emperors with the titles of Caesars were attached to power - Constantius Chlorus for the West and Galerius (293-311) for the East. Thus, from 293 to 305 years. The Roman Empire was ruled by four emperors: Diocletian, Maximian, Constantius and Galerius.
After the persecution of Diocletian and the beginning of the reign of Galerius, it became clear that faith could not be eradicated by executions, because the more martyrs there were, the more new adherents became for Christianity. In addition, thanks to the apologists, society gradually ceases to consider Christians as atheists or sorcerers. Early theology made it possible to explain Christian truths, which is necessary for its acceptance as a state religion. Already Galerius in 311 recognizes Christianity as a religion equal to all others, while under Constantine it receives a privileged status.
Konstantin, the son of Constantius Chlorus and Elena, was born in the city of Nis, in Serbia. The year of his birth is not exactly known, but it is assumed to be 274 or 289. His father may have been a Neoplatonist, therefore religiosity is characteristic of the entire family of Constantine. As a hostage, in the nineties of the 3rd century, Constantine went to the court of Diocletian in Nicomedia. Here he spent more than 10 years. At the court of Diocletian, the atmosphere was then almost Christian. Constantine was very loyal to the Christians. In 306, he becomes Caesar of the West, inheriting his father, who received this title after the abdication of the Caesars Diocletian and Maximinus. He frees the Christians and possibly influences the signing of the edict of 311. Meanwhile, a war is brewing with Maxentius, his co-ruler in Rome, and Maxentius has 6 times more troops. The famous vision of Constantine dates back to this time: he saw the sign of the cross and the inscription “Conquer with this” against the background of the sun. And before the battle, he had a dream in which a voice commanded him to depict the symbol of Christ on the flags (the letter X, along which the letter P passes in the middle) (described by Eusebius). The battle took place on October 28, 312 on the Milvian bridge. Maxentius, misled by the Sibyls (books), contrary to all strategic considerations, left Rome, took an uncomfortable position and was defeated. It seemed incredible to everyone; a monument to Constantine with a cross was erected in Rome. Constantine and his ally Licinius left for Milan, where in 313 an edict was drawn up that determined the position of Christians in the empire (this edict, however, was preserved only in the decree of Licinius to the President of Nicomedia in 313). There is Zeek's point of view that the Edict of Milan is just a letter from Licinius to Bithynia with the abolition of all restrictions on the edict of 311, but this is not confirmed, since there is evidence that some agreement regarding Christianity was reached in Milan. The main sources for this entire story are Lactantius and Eusebius.
The text of the edict: “Even earlier, believing that freedom in religion should not be constrained, that, on the contrary, it is necessary to give the right to take care of Divine objects to the mind and will of everyone, according to his own will, we commanded Christians to observe faith, according to their chosen religion. But since in the decree which granted them such a right, many different conditions were actually set for this, it is possible that some of them soon afterwards met with an obstacle to such observance. When we arrived safely at Mediolanum, I, Constantine-Augustus and Licinius-Augustus, discussed everything that related to public benefit and well-being, among other things that seemed to us useful for many people, in particular we recognized the need to make a decree aimed at to maintain fear and reverence for the Deity, namely, to give Christians and everyone the freedom to follow the religion that everyone wants, so that the Deity / Gr. so that the Deity, whatever it may be, and whatever is in heaven in general, may be merciful and favorable to us and to all who are under our power. Therefore, we have decided, guided by sound and most correct reasoning, to take such a decision that in general no one should be deprived of the freedom to follow and adhere to the faith observed by Christians, and that everyone should be given freedom to follow that religion, which he considers best for himself, so that the supreme Deity, revered by us by free conviction, could show in everything the usual mercy and goodwill towards us.
Therefore, it behooves your honor to know that it was pleasing to us that, after the elimination of all the restrictions that could be seen in the decree given to you earlier regarding Christians / Greek. “this will of ours had to be stated in writing, so that after the elimination of all the restrictions that were contained in our decree sent to your honor earlier regarding Christians and which seemed very unkind and inconsistent with our meekness” / - so that this would be eliminated, and now each of those who wish to contain the religion of Christians could do this freely and without hindrance, without any constraint or difficulty for himself. We deemed it necessary to announce this with all the thoroughness of your care, so that you know that we have granted Christians the right to freely and unrestricted content of their religion. Seeing that they are allowed by us, your honor will understand that others are also granted, for the sake of the peace of our time, a similar complete freedom in observing their religion, so that everyone has the right to freely choose and honor what he pleases; this is decided by us for the purpose that it does not seem that we have caused any damage to any cult or religion (the Latin text is corrupted).
In addition, with regard to Christians, we decide (Latin - decided to decide) that those places in which they used to usually have meetings, about which a well-known (Greek - other) decision was made in the previous decree to your honor, if they turn out to be bought in the previous time by some persons, or from the treasury, or from anyone else - these persons would immediately and without hesitation return to Christians without money and without demanding any payment; likewise, those who received these places as a gift, let them give (them) to Christians as soon as possible. At the same time, both those who bought these places and those who received them as a gift, if they seek something from our goodwill (lat. - let them ask for an appropriate reward, - Greek - let them turn to the local eparch), so that they too Our Grace was not left unsatisfied. All this must be transferred, with your assistance, to the community of Christians immediately, without any delay. And since it is known that Christians owned not only the places where they usually gathered, but also others that were the property not of individuals, but of their communities (lat. - i.e. churches; Greek - i.e. Christians ) all this, by virtue of the law that we have defined above, you will order to give to Christians, that is, to society and their assemblies, without any hesitation and contradiction, observing precisely the above rule, so that those who return them free of charge, hope to receive the reward of our kindness.
In all this, you are obliged to render all possible assistance to the above-named community of Christians so that our command is carried out as soon as possible, so that in this also the concern of our mercy for public peace is expressed, and then, in view of this, as was noted above, the Divine to us the goodwill which we have already experienced to such a great extent will always be, contributing to our success and general well-being. And so that this merciful law of ours can become known to everyone, what is written here you must expose everywhere in your public announcement and bring it to the general knowledge, so that this law of our mercy will not remain unknown to anyone.
Unlike the Nicomedia Law of 311, the Edict of Milan does not aim to tolerate Christians as evil, but gives Christians the right to teach as long as they do not harm other religions. The edict stipulates both the parity of Christianity and other religions, and the property and social status of Christians.
At first, Constantine remained faithful to the principle of equality of religions, dividing the world into two irreconcilable camps. So, in the same year 313, he allowed the cult of the Flavian family in Africa. On the other hand, the Church sought the rights and privileges enjoyed by the pagan religion and representatives of pagan cults. Thus began a new direction in the religious policy of Constantine. The emperor, unbaptized, naturally, stood above all cults, but his sympathies for Christians were clearly revealed, therefore, privileges extended to their churches, communities, clergy: in 313 exemption from decurionate, in 315 freedom from state duties along with the imperial domain, in 319 - the jurisdiction of bishops in civil matters was established; Now Christianity is clearly beginning to dominate. Constantine was baptized on his deathbed by Eusebius of Nicomedia. This is quite understandable: baptism assumed full participation in the life of the church and obliged many things that Constantine could not do at that time (for example, this concerns the five murders committed by Constantine, which were a matter of political necessity or occurred by court order).
The Edict of Milan played a decisive role in the history of Christianity. The teachings of Christ are accepted in the only at that time in the ecumene of the empire, theology develops (the fathers of the church, the fight against heresies), the possibility of a mission increases. But this raises a special problem of relations between the Church and the state. If at first they are, as it were, in different realities, now there is the Church and there is a Christian emperor, who is a little outside the Church. Schmemann in " historical path Orthodoxy" indicates that Constantine addresses the Church not as a seeker of the truth, but as an emperor, whose authority was sanctioned by God. The freedom of the Edict of Milan, according to Schmemann, is not Christian freedom, since, with all the good significance of this edict, it led to Christianity accepting the idea of a theocratic monarchy, which means that for a long time the freedom of the individual, the most Christian of the ideas of the pagan world, will turn out to be a symbol of the struggle against Churches. This is the freedom of worship and the beginning of the religious monarchism of Christianity. But at the same time, this is the end of the previous spiritual era - the era of syncretism, the idea that all religions can be combined as ascending to one Deity.
Constantine was the son of Constantius Chlorus and Empress Helen. Having inherited from his father meekness towards subordinates, love and attention to Christians, whom Constantius did not persecute in his area, despite the persecution against them that raged in other parts of the empire, and he inherited sincere inner piety from his mother, Constantine already in childhood met Christians and their teaching. This acquaintance was especially facilitated by his stay at the court of imp. Diocletian, who summoned Constantine to his place in Nicomedia, probably as a hostage from his father. During the persecution of Diocletian, Constantine witnessed the cruelty of the persecutors and the noble courage of Christians. He understood the injustice of the Roman rulers and "began to shun them because, as he himself later said, he saw the savagery of their morals." True, he was not yet a Christian at that time, but his sympathies evidently leaned in favor of the Christians, all the more so since his father also favored them so well. Shortly before his death, Constantius Chlorus summoned his son to Gaul. After the death of Constantius, young Constantine was proclaimed emperor. In the west, in Italy, at this time there was a great turmoil; instead of one emperor there were three: the old Maximian Hercules, his son Maxentius and Severus. They fought among themselves. More happy was Maxentius, who occupied Rome. But he failed to consolidate his position in the ancient capital. On the contrary, he took a step that destroyed him and gave the whole west into the hands of Constantine - namely, under the pretext of revenge for his father Maximian Hercules, who fled from his son to Gaul and there unexpectedly found his death, Maxentius declared war on Constantine in 311. This war is remarkable in its consequences. In regard to the political, it contributed to the creation of a new ideal of state life, and in regard to the religious, it delivered to Christianity the final and complete triumph over paganism.
The system of quadruple rule introduced by Diocletian had as its goal - to facilitate the management of the numerous provinces of the Roman Empire and to tie it more closely into one part, which was striving for isolation. Four emperors, awarded the imperial dignity through the adoption of the younger by the elder, had to work for the common good, each in his own place, being interconnected by the unity of legislation, in the field of which they could act only with common consent. But time has shown the failure of this system. Rivalry appeared between the emperors, sometimes turning into civil strife, disastrous for the state, as was the case in Italy. Constantine V. was well aware of how fragile this building, built by Diocletian. His observations of state life, in connection with the war declared to him by Maxentius, led him to the conviction that it was not tetraarchy, but autocracy, autocracy that could save the state from disintegration. To this he decided to go firmly and steadily. Having accepted the challenge of Maxentius, he embarked on a path that was supposed to radically change the course political life Greco-Roman Empire. On the other hand, Constantine V. deeper than Galerius in 311 and than any of the statesmen of his time, was aware of the injustice of government measures against Christianity, clearly saw the religious failure of paganism and, as a man with brilliant foresight, had a decisive idea to create a single empire on the basis of the Christian. Confessing monotheism following the example of his father, he was very close to Christianity and could easily become a Christian according to his religious convictions; it only required a special set of circumstances to bring him out of his state of indecision. This happened during the war with Maxentius, when God miraculously showed him His grace-filled help.
The historian Eusebius, from the words of Constantine V. himself, tells that the tsar, before the decisive battle with Maxentius, was perplexed about which God he would call to help him. Then it occurred to him that all the persecutors of Christianity were unfortunate; Constantius alone, his father, who favored Christians, was happy. He then began to meditate on the Christian God. And then one afternoon, when the sun had already begun to lean towards the west, Constantine with his own eyes saw the sign of the cross formed from the light and lying above the sun (or above the sun) with the inscription: "conquer by this." This sight seized with horror both himself and the whole army. Constantine, however, was perplexed and said to himself: what would such a phenomenon mean? But meanwhile, as he was thinking in this way, night fell. Then Christ appeared to him in a dream with a sign shown in heaven and commanded, having made a banner similar to this one shown in heaven, to use it to protect against the attacks of enemies.
Constantine no longer doubted that he should march under the banner of the Cross of Christ. “He did what he was ordered and depicted on his shields the letter X, meaning the name of Jesus Christ. His troops, reinforced by this heavenly banner, prepared for the battle ”() - the last and decisive. It happened under the walls of Rome, on the banks of the Tiber River, at the so-called Milvian Bridge, on October 28, 312. Maxentius was defeated and drowned in the Tiber, and his army was scattered. Constantine solemnly entered Rome, where he was received with great honor by the Senate and the people, who saw something amazing and miraculous in Constantine's victory. The winner, as if answering the bewilderment of his contemporaries, with what force he could defeat the Roman army, when the Romans erected a statue of him with the banner of the cross in his right hand in the most prominent place in the city, ordered the following words to be inscribed under it: “this saving banner, a true proof of courage, I saved and liberated your city from the yoke of the tyrant and, after freeing him, returned the Roman Senate and people to their former splendor and fame ”(Eusebius).
Having become sovereign in the West, after the victory over Maxentius, and thus having carried out part of his political program, Constantine V., speaking and acting already as a Christian, without any hesitation and with full determination, proceeds to fulfill his religious plans. He also attracts the ruler of the eastern half of the empire, Licinius, to this case, for whom he marries his sister. In the city of Mediolanum in 313, Constantine and Licinius promulgated the so-called. Edict of Milan.
So, Konstantin V. was led to this greatest religious act first of all and mainly by his high religious mood, deep consciousness of the injustice of the previous persecutions of Christians, sincere conviction of the truth of the Christian faith and a deep feeling of gratitude to God, who so wonderfully showed him the saving banner of the cross. and granted victory over the tyrant Maxentius. At the same time, he did not have and could not have any political calculations, because the number of Christians in the empire was not so great then that it was possible to rely on them in the fight against the countless Roman legions of Maxentius. True, even then it was envisioned to Constantine that, following the model of the one Church of Christ, he would someday create a single Christian state, soldering its separate parts into one organic whole by the unity of the Christian faith. But this consideration could only be of secondary importance for him at a time when the very unification of the state under the rule of one emperor was still a matter of a distant future.
§ IV
What is the significance of the Edict of Malan in the history of our Christian faith?
This edict first of all puts an end to the persecution of Christians. Konstantin V. is so concerned about ending the persecution that he repeatedly speaks in his edict about the complete freedom granted to Christians in the practice of their religion, their worship. After a three-century struggle with Christianity, the Roman government for the first time recognized its right to a free existence; it solemnly renounced its false view that the Christian faith is an unlawful religion – allegedly unlawful because it does not belong to any particular people and, consequently, cannot be attached to any locality or to any territory. The Roman government for many centuries stood on this false point of view and was tolerant only of those religions that did not seek to go beyond the boundaries of this or that nationality, this or that territory. Since Christianity appeared from the very first moment of its existence as a universal religion, destined for all people and all times, since the Christian one consistently put into practice the commandment of its divine founder: "Go into the whole world, preach the gospel to all creation", the Roman government considered the "new faith" unlawful and therefore persecuted it the more it spread in the empire. Constantine V. saw with his brilliant mind all the lies of such a pagan view of religion and, with his Edict of Milan, outlined a different beginning for Greco-Roman legislation regarding religions. He declared that truth is on the side of Christianity, which wants to be a world religion, because true religion can only be world-wide. He gives Christianity complete and perfect freedom. It provides him with the right to unhindered distribution in the world. “We allow,” he says, “Christians and all kinds of people to follow whatever religion they wish to have ... despite all the instructions issued hitherto against Christians, we want you to allow them to practice their religion without the slightest insanity.” This is the greatest boon for mankind, for Christianity henceforth began to spread freely and in the course of one century completely expelled the darkness of paganism from the world. Of course, the latter must sooner or later be accomplished, for "the word of God does not fit"; but the Edict of Milan made it easier and quicker.
But this is not enough. The edict of 313 not only grants Christianity the freedom to exist and spread, but declares it an exclusive religion, entitled to special attention of legislation and government authority. Constantine V. makes detailed orders in the edict about the property taken from Christians during the persecution: they must be returned to them without any remuneration from their side, and “those who return them to them without receiving payment should expect it from our (royal) generosity ". It is clear that, in assuming the costs of restoring the property rights of Christians, the government, through this faith, declares the Christian state religion and thus makes a radical change in its religious policy. Until now, paganism was a protected religion, but now Christianity is becoming one, and paganism is moving to the degree of religion only tolerant, about which the legislator speaks only in passing, by the way, as can be seen, for example, from the following words of the edict: “for the sake of peace and tranquility of our reign we recognize it as a good thing, so that the freedom granted to Christians extends to all our other subjects, so that no one's worship is by any means violated. True, there are expressions in the Edict of Milan, on the basis of which another might think that Constantine V. does not single out Christianity from a number of other religions, but only equalizes it in rights with them. Such, for example, is just quoted: "no one's worship is by no means disturbed (should not be)". Or else: "we allow everyone to confess that divine service, to which one has an inclination." But these and similar expressions should not confuse anyone. St. Constantine B: here is only an exponent of the high Christian principle of tolerance, which was persistently preached to the pagans by the Christian apologists (defenders of the faith) of the first centuries, and which now triumphant Christianity, in the person of Constantine, applies to defeated paganism. The Edict of Milan does not concern itself with the equalization of religions, but with the exaltation of Christianity: its general spirit speaks for this. It was written by a man, undoubtedly, of the Christian faith, and in every position he denounces the love of the legislator for this faith, the desire to show her more respect.
The elevation of Christianity to the level of a protected religion is connected with the solemn recognition of the property rights of the Church of Christ as a definite religious organization, a definite religious union. For three centuries, she accomplished her great work of saving people in the world. It gradually grew into such a great institution that it could seem like a state within a state. Separate parts of it, scattered throughout the Greco-Roman Empire, were interconnected by the unity of management and inner life. That is why it instilled fears in pagan emperors, of course - of a political nature. But Konstantin V. Edict of Milan dispelled all fears. He declared an institution entitled to the special protection of the state. He entrusted the protection of the interests of the Church to himself, or rather, to the state, which in the next turn should reward the persons who returned the property to the Church. For the future, this was of great importance. This meant that the state wanted to work together with the accomplishment of its great tasks in the world, wanted to help it with its own means. This was the beginning of that union between the Church and the state, which was consolidated by the subsequent church activity of Konstantin V., and which runs through the whole further history Christianity and Christian nations. This union had very beneficial consequences for both the Church and the state. The Christian Church, using the patronage and assistance of the state, has developed the widest missionary, religious, educational and charitable activities in the world. She concentrated in her hands the leadership of the entire spiritual life of the peoples and quickly led them along the path of enlightenment, improvement of morals, cultural development, working in this case not only together with the state, but always ahead of it; it became necessary for humanity to such an extent that the collapse of the Greco-Roman empire did not break the internal connection between them, and to this day it is the best protector and leader of people.
If we take into account that the best fruits of the spiritual, and at the same time, the material development of peoples during the 1600 years that have elapsed since the publication of the Edict of Milan, have their root precisely in this edict, then it becomes clear why the solemn remembrance of it is the greatest holiday. for the Christian Church, for the Christian state, and in general for the entire Christian world. St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine V., who so brilliantly assessed global importance Christianity and made it possible for all mankind to join the inexhaustible source of the highest spiritual blessings brought to earth by the faith of Christ, deserves the reverent memory of all generations of people. Worthy of the pious attention of our time are his numerous and glorious deeds, with which he honored the faith of the gospel and glorified Christ. Especially worthy of our zeal is his all-round care for the virtuous life of Christians and their complete unanimity in matters of faith. Once, regarding disputes about faith, he wrote, as if for the edification of all times, the following: “allow me, the servant of the All-Good, to bring my zeal to the end under His Providence, so that through appeals, benefits and unceasing suggestions, bring His peoples into a state of conciliar communion ... May the superiority of common friendship, faith in truth, reverence for God and legitimate worship remain unshakably between you. Return to mutual friendship and love...”.
By the power of the Cross of Christ, may he confirm us in the same spirit of service to the holy Church, in the same understanding of the teachings of our faith, in the same love for like-mindedness and unanimity, which we now, on the 1600th anniversary of the publication of the Edict of Milan, reverently contemplate in the holy image of the first Christian emperor.
