What was the Edict of Milan and did it legalize Christianity?

Issued in February 313 AD by Roman Emperors Constantine I and Licinius, the Edict of Milan granted benevolent treatment and legal status to Christians across the Roman Empire. Modern scholars debate its traditional framing, noting that the surviving text is actually a letter sent to provincial governors rather than a formal edict. It followed the earlier Edict of Serdica by two years and preceded the establishment of Christianity as the official state church by several decades.

What we know

• The agreement between Constantine I and Licinius to treat Christians benevolently was reached in Mediolanum in February 313 AD. [2]
• The document preserved in historical sources is structured as a letter from Licinius to Eastern provincial governors rather than a formal edict. [2]
• The agreement gave Christianity legal status and a reprieve from persecution without making it the state church. [2]
• The Edict of Milan was preceded two years earlier by Emperor Galerius issuing the Edict of Toleration in Serdica. [2, 5]

Still open

• There are marked divergences between the version of the document found in Lactantius and the one found in Eusebius of Caesarea.

Where to go next

• what caused itHow did the Edict of Serdica pave the way for legalization?
• what followedWhen did Christianity become the official state religion?
• how we knowHow is the text preserved in ancient church histories?
• whoWhat role did Emperor Constantine play in Roman religious policy?
• compared withHow does the Edict of Milan compare to the Edict of Thessalonica?
• an unexpected connectionHow did a letter written by a conquering emperor become known as a grand edict?Scholars generally reject the traditional story of a formal Edict of Milan because the surviving text is actually a provincial letter written by Licinius.

Sources

• [1]Edict of Milan (Wikidata Q180764) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Edict of Milan · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Edict · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Edict of Thessalonica · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Edict of Serdica · CC BY-SA 4.0

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