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

practices, to seek to know the end of another’s life, to promise the hope of another
person’s death.” 326
The third paragraph concerned veneration of idols, but in a manner which
suggests that it was directed against more superstitious forms of veneration. If anyone
sought to venerate images “by placing incense before them” or “in a ridiculous manner,
should suddenly fear the effigies which he himself has formed, or should bind a tree
with fillets or should erect an altar of turf.. or should attempt to honour vain images
with the offering of a gift… is a complete outrage against religion.” Such violators of
religion would have their “house or landholding in which it is proved that he served a
pagan superstition” confiscated to the treasury, if it was proved that they also owned
the property. 327
The fourth paragraph dealt with attempts to “perform any such kind of
sacrifice in public temples or shrines” or on property which was not their own. If it
“was proved” that the property was so used without the knowledge of the owner then
the offender would have to pay 25lbs of gold as a fine and the same amount would be
levied against anyone who had “connive[d] at such a crime.” 328
In the fifth and final paragraph Theodosius emphasised that “this regulation
shall be so enforced by the judges, as well as by the defenders and decurions” of the
326 Quod si quispiam im m olare hostiam sacrificaturus audebit aut spirantia exta consulere, ad exem plum
m aiestatis reus licita cunctis accusation e delatus excipiat senten tiam com petentem , etiam si n ihil contra
salutem principum aut de salute quaesierit. sufficit enim ad crim inis m olem naturae ipsius leges v elle
rescindere, illicita perscrutari, occulta recludere, interdicta tem ptare, finem quaerere salutis alien ae, spem
alieni interitus polliceri.
327 Si quis v ero m ortali opere facta et aev um passura sim ulacra im posito ture v enerabitur ac ridiculo exem plo,
m etuens subito quae ipse sim ulav erit, v el redim ita v ittis arbore v el erecta effossis ara cespitibus, v anas
im agines, hum iliore licet m uneris praem io, tam en plena religionis iniuria honorare tem ptav erit, is utpote
v iolatae religionis reus ea dom o seu possessione m ultabitur, in qua eum gentilicia constiterit superstition e
fam ulatum . nam que om nia loca, quae turis constiterit v apore fum asse, si tam en ea in iure fuisse turificantium
probabuntur, fisco nostro adsocianda cen sem us.
328 Sin v ero in tem plis fanisv e publicis aut in aedibus agrisv e alienis tale quispiam sacrificandi genus exercere
tem ptav erit, si ignorante dom ino usurpata constiterit, v iginti quinque libras auri m ultae nom ine cogetur
inferre, con iv entem v ero huic sceleri par ac sacrificantem poen a retinebit.
277