In the center test and the center test, problems such as "Christianity was nationalized by the Edict of Milan" 〇 or × often appear.
The answer is x, which is often misunderstood, but the Edict of Milan itself is not a national indoctrination just because it officially recognizes Christianity.
In the first place, all religions, including Christianity, were officially recognized, and it is correct that the Edict of Milan confirmed the freedom of religion within the Roman Empire.
Furthermore, it is correct that Constantine issued it, but to be precise, it is a joint statement issued when Constantine and Licinius met in Milan, so why not make it the sole achievement of Constantine? ??
So, this time, I would like to explain in detail about the "Edict of Milan".
Why did successive Roman emperors crack down on Christianity in the first place?
It is said that at the time of the Edict of Milan, the number of Christians in Roman territory was estimated to be about 5%.
Yamakawa's Glossary of World History states that the reason for issuing the Edict of Milan is "considered to be a political measure to pacify the growing number of believers."
The reason why the Edict of Milan was issued has been the subject of research by various Roman historians since ancient times, but there is still no established theory.
However, there is a general consensus on why successive Roman emperors cracked down on Christianity.
That is because Christians do not pray to the Roman gods.
The Roman emperor is both Imperator (the highest military commander of the Roman Empire) and Pontifex maximus (the highest priest).
This stems from the appointment of Julius Caesar as the Pontifex maximus and the adoption of Octavian, who inherited his position, as the first Roman emperor.
Caesar itself has a religiously reconciliation policy, for example, allowing Jewish religious freedom. Later Roman emperors also proceeded on this line, but Christians were often punished not because they were Christians, but because they did not participate in the rituals stipulated by Roman law.
Even Nero, who slaughtered Christians, was executed because he caused the Great Fire of Rome, and relatively few emperors oppressed him because he was a Christian.
The persecution of Christians dates back to the time of the Five Good Emperors, Aurelius, which was often a problem at the civilian level rather than by the state.
During the barracks emperor era, the crackdown on Christians led by the emperor also increased.
Emperor Valerianus, who was defeated in the fight against the Sassanid Empire and was captured, is known to have put a full-scale crackdown on Christians.
It was Diocletian, who started Dominates (despot politics), and Gallerianus, who was his deputy emperor, who made a big crackdown as a nation. Treat yourself as the worst tyrant.
The purpose of Diocletian's crackdown on Christians was clear, and he equated himself with Yupiteru as he transitioned from the traditional imperial Principate to the tyranny Dominates. It is the beginning of so-called emperor worship.
However, the only Christians who follow the god YHVH refused to do so, and Diocletian himself was largely transferred, but he did not seem to be heard at all, so he tried to suppress it.
He did not execute the crackdown, but destroyed the church, destroyed the rituals, and denied the freedom of association, but the Christians still did not abandon their faith.
Emperor Diocletian abdicated in 305, less than 10 years before the Edict of Milan.
Why was the "Edict of Milan" issued?
There have been various theories on this point since ancient times, and they are as follows.
Constantine's mother (and father?) Was a Christian
It was convenient for imperial rule
Personally, I think Constantine was also a Christian. He was actually baptized shortly before his death, and his body was enshrined in a Christian facility, but when he built the new city of Constantinople, he did not build a temple to worship the Roman gods, Christ. We are building a church of religion.
There is even a clause that seems to have been to protect Christianity even when the city was set up in Constantinople in the first place.
Emperor Constantine did not indoctrinate Christianity, but he has a clear protection policy, such as exempting tax if he becomes a Christian priest.
Also, it seems that Constantine's mother was a hidden Christian. There is even a theory that in modern times his father, Constantius, was actually a Christian.
It would be ironic if the deputy emperor of the person who persecuted Christians was a Christian, but unlike the east, the emperors of the west have hardly cracked down. This is probably because most of the Christians were concentrated in the eastern part of the empire.
It seems strange that there were more enthusiastic Christians in the later Islamic-dominated areas than in the later Christian-dominated areas.
It is not known after all whether Constantine himself was a Christian, but he certainly thought it would be convenient for imperial rule.
The successors of Constantine also took that line and gave protection to Christians. The so-called priesthood was exempt from taxation, and in 392 Christianity finally became the state religion.
Just as the unity of the first Islamic empire was solid, the only people who are united by God are strong.
It would be no wonder that Emperor Constantine, who knew it, used Christianity as a "tool of rule."
There were Latins, Numidians, Moors, Gauls, Germans, Arabs and a wide variety of ethnic groups in the Roman Empire. Religion is the only way to bring those peoples together. It may be rational in a sense to think so.
"From today onwards, regardless of whether the religion you believe in is Christianity or any other religion, each person believes in the religion he believes in and grants complete freedom to participate in the rituals that accompany it. Hoping that the Supreme Being, God of God, will lead all the inhabitants of the empire to reconciliation with youth through grace and charity. "
Originally, Rome is a nation of tolerance (Clementia).
Rome was a nation whose property was guaranteed and whose profession, expression, and faith were not bound.
The Edict of Milan is not an edict that forced anything.
It merely represents the spirit of Roman Clementia.