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

happened to attend Manichean assemblies who may themselves be considered to be
Manicheans, and the actual morality of their doctrine and the Manichean in stitutum .
Publius Ampelius, must have been unusually well trusted by Valentinian: he
managed to ride out the ‘clean sweep’ carried out by the new regime of Imperial
bureaucrats who had been officials of the previous governments. Most of their
replacements were from reasonably obscure offices and backgrounds, but Ampelius
was an exception; he had already been proconsul of Achaia under Constantius and
possibly governor of Cappadocia. Valentinian had no problem appointing him
proconsul of Africa on his accession, 148 even though he came from the elite, wealthy
and sophisticated literary class which Valentinian is supposed to have despised. 149
Ampelius was a pagan, 150 but his religious preferences appear to have had no
effect on CTh 16.5.3. However, and by contrast, CTh 16.2.21 indicates that Ampelius
was willing to have laws enacted which were somewhat prejudicial to the interests of
members of the Church. Although the style of the legislation in both laws in that they
specified no actual punishments, and the anti-heretical law was reasonably lenient
towards lay Manicheans at least, may conceivably be typical of Ampelius’ character, in
the sense that he may have been the sort of official who was reluctant to cause himself
unnecessary hassle or work. Ammianus records that he introduced regulations on
drinking and snack-bars when he was Urban Prefect, but lacked the will to fully
enforce them. Ammianus also records that he was popular with the people; a
disinclination to punish religious deviants may have brought him a measure of
popularity, at least among the heretics themselves. 151 Ampelius was also the recipient
of CJ 1.28.2 in which he received a rebuke, thought in mild terms, for apparently not
fully observing more than one of Valentinian’s laws and for going beyond the powers
of his office. This constitution is only datable because it relates to Ampelius’ term as
148 Matthews (1975) 36-7
149 Sid. Ap. Carm 9.304 lists him as being among the great literary figures of the time, and better than
Sidonius himself.
150 Lib. Ep. 208
151 Amm. Marc. 28.4.3-4
128