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.

CTh. 16.5.23 of 20 June 394 was issued six months before Theodosius' death<br />

and was addressed to Ruf<strong>in</strong>us. 242 It was <strong>the</strong> only Theodosian law on heretics that was<br />

obviously and positively conciliatory towards <strong>the</strong> named group. It was directed<br />

towards <strong>the</strong> Eunomians, <strong>the</strong> semi Arian heretics who ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed that <strong>the</strong> Son was<br />

unlike <strong>the</strong> Fa<strong>the</strong>r, and referred to Theodosius' CTh. 16.5.17 of 4 May 389 which had<br />

prevented Eunomians from bequeath<strong>in</strong>g any property <strong>in</strong> a will or from receiv<strong>in</strong>g any<br />

property from an Eunomian; it was also retrospective. This latest law stated: “on<br />

fuller deliberation, <strong>in</strong>deed, we now revoke <strong>the</strong> aforesaid law. They shall live under <strong>the</strong><br />

common law; <strong>the</strong>y may appo<strong>in</strong>t and likewise be appo<strong>in</strong>ted as heirs <strong>in</strong> written wills.” 243<br />

CTh. 16.5.24 of 9 July 394 to Ruf<strong>in</strong>us was Theodosius' last law on heretics. It<br />

was aga<strong>in</strong> apparently directed aga<strong>in</strong>st all heretics, although it does not say as much, and<br />

was aga<strong>in</strong> directed aga<strong>in</strong>st teachers of heresies as well as <strong>the</strong>ir clerics. 244 It ordered that<br />

<strong>the</strong> “madness of heretics shall not attempt fur<strong>the</strong>r to perpetrate <strong>the</strong> crim<strong>in</strong>ality which<br />

<strong>the</strong>y have devised nor to hold unlawful councils. Nowhere shall <strong>the</strong>y attempt to teach<br />

or learn <strong>the</strong>ir profane doctr<strong>in</strong>e.” 245 Also, heretical bishops “shall not dare to teach a<br />

faith which <strong>the</strong>y do not have and to create m<strong>in</strong>isters who are not m<strong>in</strong>isters.” 246 The<br />

law f<strong>in</strong>ished by warn<strong>in</strong>g that “such audacity shall not be neglected nor <strong>in</strong>crease<br />

through <strong>the</strong> connivance of judges or any person to whom <strong>the</strong> care of this matter was<br />

entrusted through <strong>the</strong> constitutions of our fa<strong>the</strong>r.” 247<br />

This law <strong>the</strong>refore echoes <strong>the</strong> provisions of previous laws aga<strong>in</strong>st <strong>the</strong> ord<strong>in</strong>ation<br />

of clerics and aga<strong>in</strong>st <strong>the</strong> teach<strong>in</strong>g of heretical doctr<strong>in</strong>es, most notably, it recalls CTh.<br />

242 Also Honoré’s E11<br />

243 quam quidem nunc consilio pleniore rev ocam us. v iv ant iure com m uni, scribant pariter ac scribantur<br />

heredes<br />

244 Honoré (1994) 78-80 does not assign this law to any s<strong>in</strong>gle quaestor, s<strong>in</strong>ce he identifies only four from<br />

this period (of Theodosius' absence from Constant<strong>in</strong>ople) and he believes that this is too few to identify<br />

<strong>the</strong> hand of a <strong>in</strong>dividual quaestor.<br />

245 haereticorum dem entia nec ulterius conetur perpetrare quae reppererit nec illicita habere concilia, nusquam<br />

profana praecepta v el docere v el discere<br />

246 ne antistites eorundem audeant fidem <strong>in</strong>s<strong>in</strong>uare, quam non habent, et m <strong>in</strong>istros creare, quod non sunt<br />

247 ne per con iv entiam iudicantum om nium que, quibus per constitutiones paternas super hoc cura m andata<br />

est, eiusm odi audacia neglegatur et crescat<br />

246

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

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!