A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

168 A Source Book for Ancient Church Historythe Christian religion; God not permitting the whole nation [i.e.,the Christians] to be exterminated, but desiring that it shouldcontinue, and that the whole world should be filled with thissalvation and the doctrines of religion.(g) Justinian, Digest, I, 5:17.[150]The edict of Caracalla (Marcus Aurelius Antoninus) conferringRoman citizenship upon all free inhabitants of theEmpire has not been preserved. It is known only from a briefextract from the twenty-second book of Ulpian's work on thePrætorian Edict, contained in the Digest of Justinian.Those who were in the Roman world were made Roman citizensby the constitution of the Emperor Antoninus.§ 35. Religious Syncretism in the Third CenturyIn the third century religious syncretism took two leadingforms—the Mithraic worship, which spread rapidly throughoutthe Empire, and the fashionable interest in novel religionsfostered by the imperial court. Mithraism was especially prevalentin the army, and at army posts have been found numerousremains of sanctuaries, inscriptions, etc. It was by far the purestof the religions that invaded the Roman Empire, and drew itsleading ideas from Persian sources. The fashionable court interestin novel religions seems not to have amounted to muchas a positive religious force, which Mithraism certainly was,though on account of it Christianity was protected and evenpatronized by the ladies of the imperial household. Among theworks produced by this interest was the Life of Apollonius ofTyana, written by Philostratus at the command of the EmpressJulia Domna. Apollonius was a preacher or teacher of ethics and