THE CAMBRIDGE MEDIEVAL HISTORY I 004

The Edict of Milan

1-4. The Edict of Milan

Constantine remained two months in Rome, leaving in the first days of 313 for Milan, where he gave his sister Constantia in marriage to Licinius, and conferred with him on policy generally, and on the hostile attitude of Maximin in particular. Maximin had not published the edict of Galerius, but merely sent a circular to the officials that actual persecution was to be stopped for the present. A few months later (about Nov. 311) he resumed it, with less bloodshed and more statesmanship. It was far more skilfully planned than any that had gone before. Maximin's endeavour was to stir up the municipalities against the Christians, to organise a rival church of heathenism, and to give a definitely antichristian bias to education. Even the fall of Maxentius had drawn from him only a rescript so full of inconsistencies that neither heathens nor Christians could make head or tail of it, except that Maximin was a prodigious liar. He even denied that there had been any persecution during his reign. At all events, this was not the complete change of policy needed to save him.

Constantine and Licinius saw their advantage, and issued from Milan a new edict of toleration. Its text is lost, but it went far beyond the edict of Galerius. For the first time in history, the principle of universal toleration was officially laid down — that every man has a right to choose his religion, and to practise it in his own way without any discouragement from the State. No doubt it was laid down as a political move, for neither Constantine nor Licinius kept to it. Constantine tried to crush Donatists and Arians, and Licinius fell back even from toleration of Christians. Still the old heathen principle, that no man may worship gods who are not on the official list, was rejected for the present, and toleration became the general law of the Empire, till the time of Theodosius.

The wedding festivities were rudely interrupted by the news that Maximin had made a sudden attack without waiting for the end of the winter, and met with brilliant success, capturing Byzantium and pushing on towards Hadrianople. There, however, Licmius met him with a very inferior force, and completely routed him (30 April 313). Maximin fled to Nicomedia, and soon found that it would be as much as he could do to hold the line of Mount Taurus. Now he had no choice — the Christians were strong in Egypt and Syria, and must be conciliated at any cost. So he issued a new edict, explaining that the officials had committed many oppressions very painful to a benevolent ruler like himself; and now, to make further mistakes impossible, he lets all men know that everyone is free to practise whatever religion he pleases. Maximin gives the same liberty as Constantino and Licinius — he could not safely offer less — but he states no principle of toleration. However, it was too late now. Maximin died in the summer, and Licinius issued a rescript carrying out the decisions of Milan, and restoring confiscated property to "the corporation of the Christians." It was published at Nicomedia 13 June 313. Constantine sent out similar letters in the West.

The defeat of Maximin ends the long contest of Church and State begun by Nero. Former persecutions had died out of themselves, and even Gallienus had only restored the confiscated property ; but now the Christians had gained full legal recognition, of which they were never again deprived. Licinius and Julian might devise annoyances and connive at outrages, and work the administration in a hostile spirit; but they never ventured to revoke the Edict of Milan. Heathenism was still strong in its associations with Greek philosophy and culture, with Roman law and social order, and its moral character stood higher than it had done. It hardly looked like a beaten enemy: yet such it was. Its last real hope was gone.

Religious peace was assured, but the unity of the Empire was not yet restored. Constantino and Licinius were both ambitious, and war between them was only a question of time. They were not unequally matched. If Constantine had the victorious legions of Gaul, Licinius ruled the East from the frontier of Armenia to that of Italy, so that he was master of the Illyrian provinces, which furnished the best soldiers of the Roman army. Every emperor from Claudius to Licinius himself was an Illyrian, except Tacitus and Carus. And if Constantine had done a splendid feat of arms, Licinius was a fine soldier too, and (with all his personal vices) not less careful of his subjects.

Constantine was called away from Milan by some incursions of the Pranks, who kept him busy during the summer of 313. When things were more settled, he proposed to institute a middle domain for his other brother-in-law Bassianus, The plan seems to have been that while Constantine gave him Italy, Licinius should give him Illyricum. Licinius frustrated it by engaging Bassianus in a plot for which he was put to death, and then refused to give up to Constantine his agent Senecio, the brother of Bassianus.

This meant war. Constantine took the offensive as he had done before, pushing into Pannonia with no more than 20,000 men, and attacking Licinius at Cibalae, where he was endeavouring to cover Sirmium. He had 35,000 against him, but a hard-fought battle (8 Oct. 314) ended in a complete victory, and the capture of Sirmium. Licinius fled towards Hadrianople, deepening the quarrel on the way by giving the rank of Caesar to his Illyrian general Valens. A new army was collected; but another great battle on the Mardian plain was indecisive. Constantine won the victory; but Licinius and Valens were able to take up a threatening position in his rear at Beroea.

So peace had to be made. First Valens was sacrificed: then Licinius gave up Illyricum from the Danube to the extremity of Greece, retaining in Europe only Thrace, which, however, in those days reached north to the Danube.

So things settled down. Constantine returned to Rome in the summer to celebrate his Decennalia (25 July 315), and in 317 the succession was secured by the nomination of Caesars, Crispus and Constantino the sons of Constantine, and Licinianus the son of Licinius. Crispus was grown up, but Constantine was a baby. The treaty might be hollow, but it kept the peace for nearly eight years. If Constantine was evidently the stronger, Licinius was still too strong to be rashly attacked. So each went his own way

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