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

the emperor’s own personal liability in religious affairs; personal because his own
salvation depended upon ensuring correct worship. 110
In a subtle, yet extremely decisive touch, he stated the reasons for his intended
actions in pressing both parties to be united and thereby observe correct worship.
Constantine stated that he was acting only under the guidance of God and out of the
necessity of ensuring his own salvation: “For I believe that in no other way at all shall I
be able to escape the greatest guilt, than by reckoning it intolerable to conceal what is
scandalous.” Ensuring correct religion was Constantine's foremost duty: “What
greater obligation is imposed on me by my own intent and the bounty of my
sovereign, than that, dispelling errors and cutting short all rashness I should bring it
about that everyone displays true piety, simple concord and the worship fitting to God
Almighty.” 111 The end of the letter at this point gives the strongest impression that the
obligation which God had entrusted to Constantine, that is responsibility for the
empire, effectively removed any personal considerations (or emotions) that
Constantine may conceivably have had. In a sense the process had become highly
technical and legalistic; there was an unsatisfactory situation therefore Constantine had
to end it: his role was blunt. He was simply obeying orders and there was nothing he
could do about it. The process of dealing with the rival parties had been
depersonalised. As such, this manner of thought provided an ideological backbone
upon which could be built (and excused because of that ideology) potentially far
greater penalties and more extreme forms of action, because it would be far more
difficult to appeal against the actions of an authority which was simply carrying out
110 See Frend (1952) 157 for indications in the letter that Constantine may now have begun to
understand the position of the Donatists and that they were motivated by the traditional desire of
North African Christians to embrace martyrdom.
111 Opt. App. 7; Ziwsa 212 Edwards 194: nam nequauqam m e aliter m axim um reatum effugere posse credo,
quam ut hoc, quod inprobe sit, m inim e existim em dissim ulandum ; quid potius agi a m e pro instituto m eo
ipsiusque prin cipis m unere oporteat, quam ut discussis erroribus om nibusque tem eritatibus am putatis v eram
religionem univ ersos concordem que sim plicitatem atque m eritam om nipotenti deo culturam praesen tare
perficiam ?
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