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

clerics who had been banished by Constantius and not recalled by Julian, closed the
temples, and prevented blood sacrifice. 7 Sozomen records that he restored the
privileges previously due to the Church and clerics, but withdrawn by Julian; however
this should be qualified with evidence from Theodoret who indicates that Jovian only
restored the grants of money to one third of the amount set by Constantine. 8 Such
steps are consistent with Ammianus’ verdict on Jovian that “he was an adherent of the
Christian faith and took some steps to exalt it.” Ammianus has no indication that
“some steps to exalt it” necessitated the denigration of other faiths. 9
Sozomen also contends that Jovian believed that the impiety of Julian had
resulted in the present military disaster; as such Jovian wrote to all the governors
ordering that they should allow the people into the churches and indicated that the
emperor regarded Christianity as the only true faith. 10 Both historians relate the same
story of Jovian’s initial reluctance to take the throne because, as a Christian, he was
unwilling to rule over pagans. Both sources state that only when the soldiery
pronounced themselves to be Christians as well did Jovian agree to become emperor. 11
Socrates complements this story with another that Julian had ordered through an edict
that officers on his staff should sacrifice; Jovian, along with others including
Valentinian and Valens, offered their resignations rather than sacrifice. 12 Although
since Jovian did indeed serve under Julian the extent or seriousness of the late
emperor’s demand may be questioned.
Jovian may have allowed himself to be inclined towards Christianity, but it
seems unlikely that he was by this stage such an ideologue that he would have gone so
far as to confidently define himself as a Nicene Christian and their narratives of his
6 Soc. 3.25
7 Soc. 3.24
8 Jones (1964) 89, 898-899, 1374n 66; Theod 1.11
9 Amm. Marc. 25.10.15: Christianae legis itidem studious et n onnum quam honorificus.
10 Soz. 6.3
11 Soz. 6.3, Soc. 3.22
12 Soc. 3.13 and 3.22
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