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

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his m agisterium which accord<strong>in</strong>g to CTh. 6.9.1 appears to have ranked lower than <strong>the</strong><br />

quaestorship, but <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Notitia Dign itatum of 395 ranked higher. He schemed aga<strong>in</strong>st<br />

Theodosius' generals Timasius and Promotus; <strong>in</strong> 391 he managed to ensure <strong>the</strong> disgrace<br />

of <strong>the</strong> former and <strong>the</strong> removal of <strong>the</strong> latter from Constant<strong>in</strong>ople to a command <strong>in</strong><br />

Thrace after Promotus had assaulted Ruf<strong>in</strong>us <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> consistory. Promotus was<br />

attacked on his way to Thrace by a group of barbarians and killed. Ruf<strong>in</strong>us was<br />

supposed to have arranged his death. 157 Both Timasius and Proculus were also<br />

removed by September at <strong>the</strong> very latest and more probably <strong>in</strong> August. 158 Therefore<br />

this law may well have been an attempt by Proculus to curry favour with Theodosius<br />

dur<strong>in</strong>g a period of conflict with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> consistory.<br />

Before his dismissal however came Tatianus’ last law on religious affairs, CTh.<br />

2.8.21 of 27 May 392; 159 a short one l<strong>in</strong>e law it ordered that “all legal actions whe<strong>the</strong>r<br />

public or private shall be excluded from <strong>the</strong> fifteen Paschal days.” 160 Only one<br />

previous law of Theodosius ordered a court holiday for Easter (CTh. 2.18.19 of 7<br />

August 389 to Alb<strong>in</strong>us Prefect of Rome), which was also for fifteen days. Curiously,<br />

both Alb<strong>in</strong>us and Tatianus were pagans and both <strong>the</strong>se laws were issued dur<strong>in</strong>g times<br />

of uncerta<strong>in</strong>ty for both <strong>in</strong>dividuals; for Alb<strong>in</strong>us <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> first twelve months of<br />

Theodosius' arrival <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> West after his suppression of Maximus and Tatianus, at <strong>the</strong><br />

end of that cycle when Theodosius returned to <strong>the</strong> East br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> ambitious<br />

Ruf<strong>in</strong>us with him. Therefore, like his son Proculus, Tatianus may have been<br />

attempt<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>in</strong>gratiate himself with <strong>the</strong> emperor.<br />

CTh. 16.4.3 of 18 July 392 to Potamius, Augustal Prefect, was similar. 161 It<br />

ordered that anyone who “disturbed both <strong>the</strong> Catholic faith and <strong>the</strong> people” and who<br />

157 Flavius Timasius PLRE 1.914-915; Flavius Promotus: PLRE 1.750-751; Zos. 4.51.1-3<br />

158 Tatianus’ last law is CJ 11.25.2 of September 392; more likely he was removed earlier s<strong>in</strong>ce a series of<br />

evenly spaced laws end with CTh. 7.4.19 of 31 July 392; <strong>the</strong> September law was probably issued, but not<br />

received, when Tatianus was still <strong>in</strong> office. Proculus’ last law is CTh. 14.17.10 of 25 June 392<br />

159 Honoré’s E11 (1998) 73<br />

160 Actus om nes seu publici seu priv ati diebus qu<strong>in</strong>decim pas(c)halibus sequestrentur<br />

161 Potamius PLRE 1.720; Honoré’s (1998) 73-76 E11<br />

205

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