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

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law. Evidently, <strong>the</strong> law is more tolerant than Eutropius’ CTh. 16.7.1 of two years<br />

earlier <strong>in</strong> terms of bequeath<strong>in</strong>g, but less so <strong>in</strong> terms of <strong>in</strong>herit<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

CTh. 16.7.4 of 11 May 391 was issued to Flavianus, Praetorian Prefect of Italy,<br />

dur<strong>in</strong>g his first tenure as Praetorian Prefect, <strong>the</strong> second be<strong>in</strong>g under <strong>the</strong> usurper<br />

Eugenius. 283 This law was severer than <strong>the</strong> previous two and appears to correspond<br />

quite closely to canon law. It ordered that persons who “should betray <strong>the</strong> holy faith<br />

and should profane holy baptism shall be segregated from <strong>the</strong> community of all men.”<br />

They were also disqualified from giv<strong>in</strong>g testimony and <strong>the</strong>ir <strong>in</strong>ability to bequeath was<br />

also restated. 284 The law also stated that apostates were not allowed to <strong>in</strong>herit and,<br />

with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> context of this law, it appears that that was also, probably, <strong>the</strong> sense of <strong>the</strong><br />

previous law, CTh. 16.7.2. Theodosius stated that he would previously have ordered<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir expulsion “if it had not appeared to be a greater punishment to dwell among men<br />

and to lack <strong>the</strong> approval of men.” 285<br />

Theodosius went on to state that apostates shall never “return to <strong>the</strong>ir former<br />

status; <strong>the</strong> disgracefulness of <strong>the</strong>ir conduct shall not be expiated by penitence” nor<br />

would any defence of <strong>the</strong>ir position be admissible s<strong>in</strong>ce “fiction and fabrication cannot<br />

protect those persons who have polluted <strong>the</strong> faith <strong>the</strong>y had vowed to God, who have<br />

betrayed <strong>the</strong> div<strong>in</strong>e mysteries.” Whilst <strong>the</strong> law said that “help is extended to those<br />

persons who have slipped and to whose who go astray” <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> case of those who<br />

283<br />

Virius Nicomachus Flavianus 15 PLRE 1.347-349. Curiously, dur<strong>in</strong>g his Prefecture he received only<br />

six laws, considerably fewer than normal. See O’Donnell (1978) for Flavianus’ career. Honoré’s (1998)<br />

70-73 E10; Honoré suggests he may have been <strong>the</strong> Christian Aurelianus 3 PLRE 1.128-129<br />

284<br />

The prohibition on giv<strong>in</strong>g testimony was repeated by <strong>the</strong> commissioners as CTh. 11.39.11 of <strong>the</strong><br />

same date.<br />

285<br />

ii, qui sanctam fidem prodider<strong>in</strong>t et sanctum baptism a profan av er<strong>in</strong>t, a con sortio om nium segregati s<strong>in</strong>t, a<br />

testim oniis alien i, testam enti, ut ante iam sanxim us, non habeant factionem , nulli <strong>in</strong> hereditate succedant, a<br />

nem <strong>in</strong>e scribantur heredes. quos etiam praecepissem us procul abici ac longius am andari, nisi poenae v isum<br />

fuisset esse m aioris v ersari <strong>in</strong>ter hom <strong>in</strong>es et hom <strong>in</strong>um carere suffragiis.<br />

261

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