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

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CTh. 16.2.4 of 3 July 321 was addressed to “<strong>the</strong> People.” 12 It allowed <strong>the</strong> people<br />

<strong>the</strong> “liberty” to leave, at death, any property “to <strong>the</strong> most holy and venerable council<br />

of <strong>the</strong> Catholic church.” Presumably however, by implication, it was not possible to<br />

leave property to a non-Catholic church, or at least, this law casts some legal<br />

uncerta<strong>in</strong>ty on such actions. 13<br />

CTh 16.2.5 of 25 December 323 14 to Helpidius, who held an unknown office at<br />

Rome, 15 was directed aga<strong>in</strong>st people who were “compell<strong>in</strong>g” <strong>the</strong> clergy to attend<br />

“lustral sacrifices” 16 and was an attempt to deal with one problem that must have<br />

confronted clergy as <strong>the</strong>y became persons of note with<strong>in</strong> municipalities. Such persons<br />

would have been expected to attend civic festivals which on occasion would probably<br />

have still <strong>in</strong>volved some sort of sacrifice. Therefore it was necessary for <strong>the</strong> emperor<br />

to grant <strong>the</strong>m exemption from attendance and to re<strong>in</strong>force that exemption with a<br />

threat of public beat<strong>in</strong>g (publice fustibus v erberetur) for anyone who compelled or<br />

coerced <strong>the</strong> clergy to attend. Barnes believes that <strong>the</strong> law was a ‘warn<strong>in</strong>g shot’ to<br />

Lic<strong>in</strong>ius who was celebrat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> fifteenth anniversary of his dies im perii <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> month<br />

before <strong>the</strong> issuance of this law. 17 Barnes conjectures that <strong>the</strong> celebrations could have<br />

<strong>in</strong>volved compulsory sacrifice and hence CTh 16.2.5 was issued <strong>in</strong> order to protect<br />

Christians <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Eastern empire and as a threat to Lic<strong>in</strong>ius <strong>in</strong> a diplomatic war<br />

preced<strong>in</strong>g actual conflict. Corcoran correctly doubts this, po<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g out that <strong>the</strong><br />

addressee Helpidius was present <strong>in</strong> Rome at <strong>the</strong> time and <strong>the</strong>refore could have had no<br />

jurisdiction <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> east. 18 Fur<strong>the</strong>rmore, Eusebius makes no mention of compulsory<br />

sacrifices, except <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> army, or enforced attendance at sacrifices which <strong>in</strong>volved<br />

clericorum num erum confugerunt, procul ab eo corpore segreg atos curiae ord<strong>in</strong>ibusque restitui et civ ilibus<br />

obsequiis <strong>in</strong> serv ire.<br />

12 Corcoran (2000) 196<br />

13 habeat unusquisque licentiam san ctissim o catholicae v en erabilique concilio decedens bon orum quod optav it<br />

rel<strong>in</strong>quere. non s<strong>in</strong>t cassa iudicia. nihil est, quod m agis hom <strong>in</strong> ibus debetur, quam ut suprem ae v oluntatis, post<br />

quam aliud iam v elle non possunt, liber sit stilus et licens, quod iterum non redit, arbitrium .<br />

14 Corcoran (2000) 194 n102, 314<br />

15 Helpidius 1 PLRE I. 413<br />

16 lustrorum sacrificia celebranda conpelli<br />

17 Barnes (1981) 71<br />

18 Corcoran (2000) 314<br />

10

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