Edict of Milan free essay sample

Constantine was the first Roman emperor to accept Christianity, and eventually became Christian himself. Since Constantine converted to Christianity, many other emperors and officials followed him. This ultimately caused the Roman people adopting Christianity as their official religion. His nephew Julian later tried to reestablish the old religion of the Romans. The old religion was Paganism which had many gods as opposed to the monotheistic religion of Christianity. The fourth century emperor Theodosius I finally ended the paganism in Rome once and for all. Aside from making Christianity the official Roman religion, Constantine had other great accomplishments. Constantine converted to Christianity in a peculiar way. He was about to fight Emperor Maxentius when he saw a vision. In his vision, he claimed to have seen a cross that showed the words, â€Å" in hoc signo vinces† which translates to â€Å"in this sign you will conquer. † Constantine promised that if he defeated Emperor Maxentius as the Milvian Bridge he would convert to Christianity. We will write a custom essay sample on Edict of Milan or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He beat Maxentius and soon after converted to Christianity. Although he became a Christian after the battle in 312, he was not baptized until a century later. The Edict of Milan was created in 313 by two men. The meeting was held in Milan, Italy. These two men were Constantine the Roman emperor who ruled the West, and the Roman emperor Licinius who ruled the East. The main outcome of the Edict was that Christians were granted religious freedom which was unheard of at the time. The Edict of Milan undoubtedly granted religious freedom to all religions not just Christianity. Before the Edict was announced, Christians suffered ridicule and hatred by other people. Now, the Edict granted the Christians the right to worship freely without ridicule. Even though the Edict addressed all religions the right to worship freely, it singled out the Christians and had a pro Christian feel to the document. Licinius and Constantine did this in hopes that more people would like them and ensure prosperity as well as success for the rest of their ruling. The edict issued all land that had been taken away from the Christians while they were under persecution to be returned to them. The significance of the Edict of Milan is the Christian sympathy. This foreshadows the future of the Roman Empire. Later, the Roman Empire officially adopted Christianity as the religion of the empire. Christians were also given the right to â€Å"organize Churches† (Britannica 1. ) The Edict of Milan clearly states, â€Å"†¦so that we might grant to the Christians and others full authority to observe that religion which each preferred; whence any Divinity whatsoever in the seat of the heavens may be propitious and kindly disposed to us and all who are placed under our rule (Gill 1. ) The men are stating that they are allowing the Christians to practice freely because they want to have a spot in heaven. Even though the main spectrum was Christianity, the Edict of Milan went above and beyond by offering all religions freedom. The Edict also issued the Church as a corporate body with legal rights (First Things 1. ) Once the Edict was announced, the tombs of the martyrs were put on public display for veneration and honor. Since Licinius did not abide by the Edict of Milan, Constantine battled him until Licinius was defeated at the Battle of Adrianople. This caused Constantine to rule both east and west Rome. Christianity could now be practiced freely in all parts of Rome. The Edict of Milan produced many excellent effects. Firstly, December 25th was established as the day Christians could worship the birth of Jesus Christ. Sunday became the day of rest for Christians as it was stated in the Bible. Roman legislation became less unjust as well. Slavery was not abolished; however, slaves received milder treatment from their owners. The Edict of Milan also marked an end to gladiatorial shows (Arnold 1). The most important accomplishment of the Edict of Milan was the official end to Heathenism. Heathenism is the revival of historical paganism and idolatry. The Edict of Milan, although good, produced a major negative effect. The Edict marked the beginning of the Church’s predicament with the government. Constantine allowed the Church to practice their religion freely only if he had the right to handle affairs. In today’s modern world, the state vs. Church issue can still be seen. Since becoming a Christian provided many benefits, thousands of people converted to Christianity without really believing or knowing about the religion. As a result, many â€Å"Christians† offended the religion and used the religion as a way to step up in society, both militarily and economically. In an effort to maintain order in the Church, Constantine bought the Bishops fancy vestments and clothing so the Bishops would like him. The Church used â€Å"civil arm† to ensure followers (First Things 1). Religious violence was a major effect of the Edict of Milan until a treaty ended all religious violence. The Peace of Westphalia officially ended European wars of religion.