Religious Intolerance in the Later Roman Empire - Bad request ...

The First Persecution of the Donatist Church 317-321
A brief investigation of the first persecution of the Donatist Church enables a
contrast to be made between that which Constantine had (probably) intended and the
actual results of his orders to begin a persecution. Therefore it should be possible to
contrast the level of intolerance which he exhibited in his written orders and that
which actually occurred ‘on the ground’ and in practice. It would be unfair to
associate the results of the persecution with Constantine; since once persecution had
begun in a region some distance from Constantine, it may well have assumed a
momentum of its own, and to a large extent beyond Constantine's control, the result
of a persecution may therefore not have been that which Constantine had intended or
ordered.
Constantine's orders referred to in brief by Augustine (in his Ep 105 and in his
Con tra Crescon ium ) are the only evidence we have from the Catholic side of what
nature the persecution should take. However the Donatist Passio Don ati written
during and concerned with events of the first persecution, does include some evidence
for the intentions of the Imperial authorities. 120 The author of the Passio said that once
the “Secular powers are forced to use coercion. [then] Homes are encircled with battle
standards; at the same time, threats of proscriptions are launched against the rich.
Sacraments are profaned; crowds are bedecked with idolatry; holy assemblies are
transformed into splendid banquets.” 121 As such it appears that the military was sent
into urban areas and in particular was deployed around the homes of known suspects,
120 The misnamed Passio Donati is actually a sermon delivered on 17 March between 317-321. Frend
(1952) 321 dates it to 320. It is translated by Tilley (1996) 51-60; her translations are used here. The
Latin text is in PL 8. 752-758. Maier (1987) 198-211 also provides a Latin text with parallel French
translation. It is not concerned with the martyrdom of anyone named Donatus, but rather with the
events surrounding the seizure of a basilica and the deaths of numerous Donatists who died defending it.
Its title may indicate that Donatus, the founder of the movement, was the author. See Tilley (1996) 52
n1 for references.
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