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

Ursinian dispute which survive outside the code. Only one law dealt with Christian-
pagan relations, 23 and another drew a line of demarcation between legitimate
divination and harmful divination. 24 Only two laws were concerned with heretics. 25
There is one law that tangentially touches on relations with the Jewish religious
authorities, 26 but no laws have survived that may have dealt exclusively with paganism
or Judaism as religions in themselves. There is also a restored inscription which has
not survived textually, but orders the protection of all graves. 27
Valentinian and the Church
I am but on e of the laity, an d hav e therefore n o right to in terfere in these
tran saction s: let the bishops, to w hom such m atters appertain , assem ble
w here they please. (Soz. 6.7) Valentinian's response to a petition of
Arian Bishops asking for his permission to call a council in 363. 28
CTh 16.2.17 of 10 September 364 was Valentinian's first law on religious
affairs; it was a short sentence forbidding wealthy plebeians from being “absorbed”
into the Church. 29 It was issued from Aquileia in September 364 as Valentinian was
journeying to the west after he had bidden farewell to his brother in Sirmium. It was
addressed to the “inhabitants of Byzacium” in North Africa. The law reflects long
standing official concern of a loss of manpower and therefore financial resources from
the councils into the Church. Constantine had addressed the problem at least twice in
the 320’s (CTh 16.2.3 and 16.2.6). In terms of social status the Constantinian
legislation had only mentioned decurions or their descendants although CTh. 16.2.3
of 8 July 369; 13.10.4 of 22 November 368; 16.2.18 of 17 February 370; 13.10.6 of 30 March 370; 9.38.4
of 6 June 370; 16.2.20 of 30 July 370; 16.2.21 of 17 May 371; 16.2.22 of 1 December 372
23
CTh 16.1.1 of 17 November 364
24
CTh 9.16.9 of 29 May 371
25
16.5.3 of 2 March 372 and 16.6.1 of 20 February 373
26
CTh 7.8.2 of 6 May of 368/370/373
27
CIL 6.31982 = ILCV 1.14
28
A sentiment echoed by Ambrose Ep. 21.5 to Valentinian II
29
In full the law reads: Plebeios div ites ab ecclesia suscipi penitus arcem us
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