Edict of Thessalonica
(380 A.D.)
Theodosius, Valentinian, Gratian
IMPPP. GR(ATI)IANUS,
VAL(ENTINI)ANUS ET THE(O)D(OSIUS) AAA. EDICTUM AD POPULUM VRB(IS)
CONSTANTINOP(OLITANAE).
Cunctos populos, quos clementiae nostrae regit temperamentum,
in tali volumus religione versari, quam divinum Petrum apostolum tradidisse Romanis religio usque ad nunc ab ipso insinuata declarat quamque pontificem Damasum sequi claret et Petrum Aleksandriae episcopum virum apostolicae sanctitatis, hoc est, ut secundum
apostolicam disciplinam evangelicamque doctrinam patris et filii
et spiritus sancti unam deitatem sub pari maiestate et sub pia trinitate credamus. Hanc legem sequentes Christianorum catholicorum nomen iubemus amplecti,
reliquos vero dementes vesanosque iudicantes haeretici dogmatis infamiam sustinere ‘nec conciliabula eorum ecclesiarum nomen accipere’, divina primum vindicta, post etiam motus nostri,
quem ex caelesti arbitro sumpserimus, ultione plectendos.
DAT. III Kal.
Mar. THESSAL(ONICAE) GR(ATI)ANO A. V ET THEOD(OSIO) A.
I CONSS.
EMPERORS GRATIAN, VALENTINIAN AND THEODOSIUS AUGUSTI. EDICT TO THE PEOPLE OFCONSTANTINOPLE.
It is our desire that all the various nations which are subject to our Clemency
and Moderation, should continue to profess that religion which was delivered to
the Romans by the divine Apostle Peter,
as it has been preserved by faithful tradition, and which is now professed by
the Pontiff Damasus
GIVEN IN THESSALONICA ON THE THIRD DAY FROM THE CALENDS OF
MARCH, DURING THE FIFTHCONSULATE OF GRATIAN AUGUSTUS AND FIRST OF
THEODOSIUS AUGUSTUS[3]
— Codex Theodosianus, xvi.1.2 (Wikipedia)
Alternative
translation and commentary:
It is our desire that all the various nations
which are subject to our Clemency and Moderation should continue to profess
that religion which was delivered to the Romans by the divine Apostle Peter as
it has been preserved by faithful tradition and which is now professed by the
Pontiff Damasus [Bishop of Rome] and by Peter, Bishop
of Alexandria, a man of apostolic holiness. According to the apostolic teaching
and the doctrine of the Gospel, let us believe in the one deity of the Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit in equal majesty and in a holy Trinity. We authorise the followers of this law to assume the title of
Catholic Christians; but as for the others, since in our judgement they are foolish
madmen, we decree that they shall be branded with the ignominious name of
heretics and shall not presume to give to their conventicles the name of
churches. They will suffer in the first place the chastisement of the divine
condemnation and in the second the punishment of our authority that in
accordance with the will of Heaven we shall decide to inflict.
The edict was directed, not against
non-Christians, but against Arian Christians. Theodosius summoned a council to
meet at Constantinople in May 381, which was to be the 2nd Ścumenical
Council. It reaffirmed the Nicene Creed and clarified the divinity of the Holy
Spirit. Arian bishops throughout the East were replaced by orthodox bishops and
Arians were expelled from Constantinople.
It is often said that the Edict of
Thessalonica made Christianity the ‘official religion’ of the Roman Empire but
this is misleading. It reflects a modern understanding of the world that had no
meaning for people at the time. It is important to remember that, in all traditional
societies, religion and government were inextricably intertwined—indeed, it is
fair to say that government was a religious function. By the end of the fourth
century the religion intertwined with the Empire was Christianity. This
situation had developed over the course of a century. It was never ‘officially’
declared and did not need to be—it was simply an obvious fact.
Paganism was suppressed because it was the
religion that had been traditionally intertwined with Roman government and it
was necessary, now that it had become moribund, to disentangle it. As one
example, the Olympic Games, which had always been a state function, were last
celebrated in 393. Other faiths were not affected. A decree of 29 September 393
in the Codex Theodosianus declared, ‘The Jewish sect
is protected by law. No synagogues shall be despoiled, and no regulation may be
passed to ban Judaism, even in the name of Christianity.’
(sevencouncils.com)