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

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<strong>the</strong> legislation on monks <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> code (albeit only two laws) was addressed to Tatianus.<br />

Moreover, whilst Tatianus was <strong>the</strong> recipient for a disproportionate amount of <strong>the</strong> total<br />

legislation on <strong>the</strong> Church and Christianity (ten and possibly eleven or twelve out of a<br />

total of thirty) he received (as will be shown below) only three laws on heresy, one on<br />

Judaism and none on paganism; if it is mere chance that <strong>the</strong> surviv<strong>in</strong>g copies of <strong>the</strong>se<br />

laws on <strong>the</strong> Church were addressed to Tatianus, (ra<strong>the</strong>r than anyone else) <strong>the</strong>n it<br />

would be reasonable to expect a similar disproportion <strong>in</strong> laws on o<strong>the</strong>r subjects.<br />

Also, elements <strong>in</strong> this body of legislation appears to make a determ<strong>in</strong>ed effort<br />

to underm<strong>in</strong>e <strong>the</strong> Church, <strong>in</strong>sofar as was possible; and ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g that possibility<br />

necessitated balance and subtlety: Tatianus had to blend anti-Christian with pro-<br />

Christian measures. That said, however, his first law, CTh. 9.35.5 of 6 September 389,<br />

actually advanced <strong>the</strong> cause of Christianity by bann<strong>in</strong>g corporal punishment dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />

Lent without any apparent anti-Christian measures. His next law, CTh. 12.1.121 of 27<br />

June 390 on clerics and councils was similarly balanced; it provided clerics with<br />

immunity for <strong>the</strong>ir property if <strong>the</strong>y had left <strong>the</strong> councils more that two years<br />

previously, but for those who had done so s<strong>in</strong>ce that date it was particularly severe and<br />

took <strong>the</strong> unprecedented, and arguably v<strong>in</strong>dictive, step of stripp<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>m of all <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

wealth. Tatianus CTh. 11.16.18 of 5 July 390 listed those granted exemptions from<br />

most, but not all, liturgies. Its anti-Christian nature lies it its subtlety; it had a sense of<br />

personalism throughout it, referr<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>in</strong>dividuals as exempt because <strong>the</strong>y were<br />

engaged <strong>in</strong> a particular profession, except for <strong>the</strong> clerics, who were not mentioned by<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir profession; as far as <strong>the</strong> law reached <strong>in</strong> exempt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>m was to refer to “<strong>the</strong><br />

churches” as enjoy<strong>in</strong>g “similar” grants. Moreover, <strong>the</strong> law presented exemptions as<br />

be<strong>in</strong>g almost gifts of <strong>the</strong> emperor and not <strong>in</strong>herent to any particular office or rank.<br />

With his CTh. 9.40.15 of 3 March 392 Tatianus did not have to give any<br />

quarter to <strong>the</strong> Church s<strong>in</strong>ce it was concerned only with prevent<strong>in</strong>g abuses committed<br />

by clerics. However, it may be reasonably doubted whe<strong>the</strong>r an unpartisan approach<br />

210

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