Rome Again

Diocletian

He ruled from 284 – 303

It’s cool to persecute Christians

Rome needs a big army (400,000 strong)

Rome needs a big government 9 20, 00 officials)

 

Constantine

Rules from 306 – 337

It’s cool to BE a Christian \

Conversion to Christianity

Via a cross in the sky 9 conquer by this)

313 – His Edict of Milan proclaims freedom of worship

Built a new capital in the East

Byzantium, soon to be known as Constantinople

 

East – Byzantine Empire

West – Roman Empire

 

Edict of Milan, a proclamation that permanently established religious toleration for Christianity within the Roman Empire. It was the outcome of a political agreement concluded in Milan between the Roman emperors Constantine I and Licinius in February 313. The proclamation, made for the East by Licinius in June 313, granted all persons freedom to worship whatever deity they pleased, assured Christians of legal rights (including the right to organize churches), and directed the prompt return to Christians of confiscated property. Previous edicts of toleration had been as short-lived as the regimes that sanctioned them, but this time the edict effectively established religious toleration.