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

mines and we liberate them from the exile of deportation.” 78 As well as those
convicted and sentenced the amnesty also included the accused: “it is not seemly that
the dissonant voices of the unfortunate should resound; that accused persons, with
their dishevelled hair should be dragged as objects of the common pity” 79 and later on
he reiterates: “We open also the prisons.” 80 Like the earlier amnesties, this law also
omitted from pardon the five most serious crimes.
All this was in honour of God: “it is not fitting, in the midst of the serene
words of the prayers and the pious voices dedicated to the eternal Divinity, to feel, to
hear or to see anything sad.” 81 The law resonates with Christian rhetoric: “a sacred day
is renewed with festive celebration throughout the entire world.” 82 Theodosius was
also keen to indicate his own clemency: “for the extension of Our indulgence in
accordance with custom and Our natural kindness.” 83 “We pour forth humanity
abundantly, and We extend the aid of Our sacred imperial mind.” 84 Furthermore, the
motivation for Theodosius to grant the amnesty came from his faith, it was the time
for him to “exercise the devotion by which We are always inspired, even beyond the
custom of Our established and annual clemency.” 85
Theodosius addressed Antiochinus as “spectabilitas tua” and therefore it is likely
that he was a vicar (the other addressees of the amnesties are all ranked as vicar or
above). Unfortunately Antiochinus is otherwise unknown and since there are gaps for
386 in each of the eastern dioceses (except Asia) we cannot be certain of his diocese.
Although previous amnesties had apparently been confined to the city of Rome,
78
liberandis paen e om nibus, quos legum sev eritas strinxerit. Quin per om ne hoc, quod inter v enerandos et
celebres dies m edium fluit tem pus, catenis lev am us, exilio solv im us, a m etallo abstrahim us deportationibus
liberam us.
79
Neque enim conv enit…strepere infelicium dissonas v oces, trahi ad com m unem m isericordiam horrentibus
passis feraliter crinibus reos
80
Aperim us quin etiam carcerem
81
non deceat in ter serena v otorum ac dicatas aeterno num ini pias v oces aliquid triste sentire audire conspicere
82
orbe terrarum sacer dies festiv a sollem nitate reparatur
83
ex m ore indulgentias naturali beneficio sem per an im am ur, desideratum bonis m entibus tem pus adv enit.
84
Effusa penitus hum anitate operam sacrae m entis exserim us
85
ad propagandas ex m ore indulgentias naturali beneficio sem per anim am ur
185