Who decreed that rome would stop persecuting christians?

Answer 1

There are three known edicts which ended Christian persecutions. The Edict of Toleration by (emperor) Gallienus of 260 decreed the end the Decian persecution which had been started by the emperor Decius in 250. The Edict of Toleration by (emperor) Galerius of 311 decreed the end of the Great Persecution which had been started by the emperor Diocletian in 303. The Edict of Milan of 313 by co-emperors Constantine I and Licinius reiterated the toleration of Christianity and provided for the restitution of Christian property which had been confiscated during the persecution and compensation by the state for those who returned it.

According to the tradition the Edict o Milan was issued when Constantine (emperor of the west) and Licinius (emperor of the east) met in Milan in March 313. However, it is not sure whether this was a formal edict. Some historians also doubt that there was an issuing of an Edict in Milan in March 313. The text of the document has been provided by Lactantius, an important advisor of Constantine's, who said that it was published in Nicomedia (in north-western Turkey), the capital of the eastern part of the Roman Empire, in May 313. It was not in the form of a formal edict. It was a letter from Licinius to the governors of the provinces in the Eastern Empire. The letter stated that Constantine and Licinius agreed on the religious policy when they met in Milan as part of a wider discussion on public welfare and security. However, it does not mention of any issuing of an edict in Milan.

The letter gave full application of the measures of the Edict by Galerius of 311, included the toleration of all religions, added further provisions and issued precise instructions to the provincial governors. The governors were made responsible for: 1) ensuring the freedom of worship of Christianity and other religions; 2) the immediate return of property used by Christians for congregation and of their churches, which had been confiscated during the persecution, by those who had bought them or received them as a gift without payment by the Christians; 3) the payment of compensation from the treasury to those who returned Christian property; 4) publishing the text of the decree and bringing it to the knowledge to all; 5) executing these orders efficiently.

It is likely that Constantine and Licinius decided to reissue Edict by Galerius of 311, give full application of its measures and additional measures by issuing precise instructions to the provincial governors. The Edict by Galerius had not issued precise instructions besides the ending of the persecution. The aim of the edict was counter Maximinus Daia, a junior emperor who styled himself as a senior emperor and resumed the persecution of Christians in the Asian territories when Galerius died in 311, ignoring his edict.

When Galerius died, Licinius and Maximinus partitioned the eastern part of the Roman Empire. The former took the European provinces and the latter took the Asian ones. In 313 Maximinus made an alliance with Maxentius, a usurper emperor who took over Italy in coup. After Constantine defeated Maxentius, he and Licinius responded by joining forces and met in Milan in March 313 for the wedding between Licinius and the half-sister of Constantine, which was arranged to form an alliance between the two men. This is why it was assumed that the edict was issued in Milan. The next month Maximinus attacked Licinius. The latter won this civil war when Maximinus died four months later. Therefore, it is likely that the so-called edict of Milan was related to power politics as well as religious policy.