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

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identical: Macedonian is ano<strong>the</strong>r term for <strong>the</strong> Pneumatomachi and similarly <strong>the</strong><br />

Saccophori were, as mentioned, a sect of <strong>the</strong> Manicheans. So <strong>the</strong> actual number of<br />

heretics listed by this law would, <strong>in</strong> practice, have been less than <strong>the</strong> law might lead<br />

one to believe; but equally, Manicheans would have been unable to hide beh<strong>in</strong>d<br />

ano<strong>the</strong>r name by claim<strong>in</strong>g to be someth<strong>in</strong>g o<strong>the</strong>r than Manicheans. At <strong>the</strong> same time,<br />

few heretics would have def<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>the</strong>mselves by <strong>the</strong> often derogatory names given <strong>in</strong><br />

this law; for <strong>in</strong>formation purposes this law was directed towards <strong>the</strong> Nicene Catholics,<br />

heretics may well not have regarded its provisions as be<strong>in</strong>g b<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>the</strong>m.<br />

Postumianus was also <strong>the</strong> addressee of Theodosius' next law on heretics, CTh.<br />

16.5.12 of 3 December 383. 198 It repeated and extended <strong>the</strong> provisions aga<strong>in</strong>st church<br />

build<strong>in</strong>g that had been established by CTh. 16.5.6 and CTh. 16.5.8. It named four<br />

heresies, Eunomian, Arian, Macedonian and Apoll<strong>in</strong>arian as “vicious doctr<strong>in</strong>es hateful<br />

to God and man” and also <strong>in</strong>cluded “all o<strong>the</strong>r sects which are condemned by <strong>the</strong><br />

s<strong>in</strong>cere faith of <strong>the</strong> true religion, accord<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> venerable cult of <strong>the</strong> Catholic<br />

discipl<strong>in</strong>e.” Such were not “to assemble congregations or to establish churches, ei<strong>the</strong>r<br />

by public or private undertak<strong>in</strong>gs” ei<strong>the</strong>r with<strong>in</strong> towns or <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> countryside, which is<br />

ra<strong>the</strong>r flowerily expressed as: “<strong>the</strong> fields and <strong>the</strong> villas.” 199<br />

Just to re<strong>in</strong>force <strong>the</strong> prohibition on assemblies, <strong>the</strong> law also ordered that <strong>the</strong><br />

heretics should not perform <strong>the</strong>ir liturgies: “<strong>the</strong>y shall not practice <strong>the</strong> ritual<br />

performance of <strong>the</strong>ir own perfidy or <strong>the</strong> ceremonies of <strong>the</strong>ir dire communion.” It also<br />

appears that <strong>the</strong>y were not allowed even <strong>the</strong> liturgical forms necessary for orda<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

priests: “<strong>the</strong>y shall not usurp and have any ord<strong>in</strong>ances for creat<strong>in</strong>g priests.” 200<br />

198 Also attributed by Honoré (1998) to his E4, Maternus Cynegius.<br />

199 v itiorum <strong>in</strong>stitutio deo atque hom <strong>in</strong> ibus exosa, eunom iana scilicet, arriana, m acedon iana, apoll<strong>in</strong>ariana<br />

ceterarum que sectarum , quas v erae religion is v enerabili cultu catholicae observ antiae fides s<strong>in</strong>cera condem nat,<br />

neque publicis neque priv atis aditionibus <strong>in</strong>tra urbium adque agrorum ac v illarum loca aut colligendarum<br />

congregationum aut constituendarum ecclesiarum<br />

200 nec celebritatem perfidiae suae v el sollem nitatem dirae com m unionis exerceat, neque ullas creandorum<br />

sacerdotum usurpet adque habeat ord<strong>in</strong>ation es<br />

227

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