31.12.2012 Views

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

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

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

<strong>the</strong> apparently abnormal mental state of <strong>the</strong> Sybil <strong>in</strong> Aeneid VI before, dur<strong>in</strong>g and<br />

after she delivered Apollo’s verdict on Aeneas. Virgil described her condition before<br />

she spoke: “her heart swells with wild frenzy” (rabie fera co rda tum en t), 60 she is<br />

described as “rag<strong>in</strong>g” (furen ti) as she delivers her speech and afterwards <strong>the</strong> scene is<br />

described: “soon as <strong>the</strong> frenzy ceased and <strong>the</strong> rav<strong>in</strong>g lips were hushed” (ut prim um cessit<br />

furor et rabida ora quierun t). 61<br />

Constant<strong>in</strong>e and Heretics.<br />

Constant<strong>in</strong>e was perfectly will<strong>in</strong>g to use <strong>the</strong> strongest language and <strong>in</strong>sults<br />

when it suited him. In his Letter to Heretics, 62 which appears to have been posted <strong>in</strong><br />

public, Constant<strong>in</strong>e fills <strong>the</strong> first two-thirds of <strong>the</strong> letter with <strong>in</strong>sults aga<strong>in</strong>st <strong>the</strong><br />

doctr<strong>in</strong>es and adherents of <strong>the</strong> many <strong>in</strong>dividual heresies he is condemn<strong>in</strong>g. These<br />

heretics br<strong>in</strong>g “<strong>the</strong> liv<strong>in</strong>g to everlast<strong>in</strong>g death through you, [i.e. <strong>the</strong> heretics]” 63 and<br />

<strong>the</strong>y are “opponents of truth, enemies of life and counsellors of ru<strong>in</strong>. Everyth<strong>in</strong>g<br />

about you is contrary to truth, <strong>in</strong> harmony with ugly deeds of evil.” 64 Constant<strong>in</strong>e<br />

admits that a whole day would be <strong>in</strong>sufficient to list all <strong>the</strong>ir wickedness and deeds.<br />

However, despite this righteous rage which condemned both <strong>in</strong>dividual heretics and<br />

<strong>the</strong> beliefs of <strong>the</strong>ir churches, Constant<strong>in</strong>e only went on to prohibit <strong>the</strong>m from meet<strong>in</strong>g<br />

and to order that <strong>the</strong>ir churches be confiscated and surrendered to <strong>the</strong> Catholics. The<br />

letter conta<strong>in</strong>ed no provision for punish<strong>in</strong>g heretics who may have cont<strong>in</strong>ued to<br />

assemble and worship.<br />

CTh. 16.5.1 of 1 September 326 is Constant<strong>in</strong>e’s first surviv<strong>in</strong>g law on heretics<br />

and was addressed to Dracilianus, Vicar to <strong>the</strong> Praetorian Prefect of <strong>the</strong> East. 65 It<br />

ordered that recent privileges that had been granted were only applicable to Catholics<br />

60 Vir. Aen 6.49<br />

61 Vir. Aen 6.100 and 102<br />

62 VC 4.64-65; Corcoran (2000) 22 n77<br />

63 VC 4.64.1 zw`nta~ eij~ dihnekh` qavnaton ajpavgesqai di j uJmw`n.<br />

64 w\ th`~ me;n ajleqeiva~ ejcqroiv, th`~ de; zwh`~ polevmioi kai;<br />

ajpwleiva~ suvmbouloi: pavnta par j uJmi`n th`~ ajleqeiva~ ejsti;n<br />

ejnantiva, aijscroi`~ ponhreuvmasi sunav/donta.<br />

19

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!