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TheEdict of Thessalonica (Greek: Διάταγμα της Θεσσαλονίκης), issued on 27 February AD 380 byTheodosius I, madeNicene Christianity[note 1] thestate church of the Roman Empire.[2][3][4] It condemned other Christian creeds such asArianism asheresies of "foolish madmen", and authorized theirpunishment.[5]
This edict, addressed to the inhabitants ofConstantinople whomTheodosius wished to pacify in order to make the city his imperial residence, constitutes the first known secular law which includes in its preamble a clear definition of what a Christian Roman ruler considers asreligious orthodoxy, opening the way of repression against dissidents qualified as "heretics". The Edict of Thessalonica was subsequently incorporated into Book XVI of theTheodosian Code and was the milestone of the officialChristianization of the Roman Empire.
In 313 the emperorConstantine I, together with his eastern counterpartLicinius, issued theEdict of Milan, which grantedreligious toleration andfreedom for persecuted Christians. By 325Arianism, a school ofchristology which contended that Christ did not possess the divine essence of the Father but was rather a primordial creation and an entity subordinate to God, had become sufficiently widespread and controversial inEarly Christianity that Constantine called theCouncil of Nicaea in an attempt to end the controversy by establishing an empire-wide, i.e., "ecumenical"orthodoxy. The council produced theoriginal text of theNicene Creed, which rejected the Arian confession and upheld that Christ is "true God" and "of one essence with the Father."[6]
However, the strife within the Church did not end with Nicaea, and the Nicene credal formulation remained contentious even among anti-Arian churchmen. Constantine, while urging tolerance, began to think that he had come down on the wrong side, and that the Nicenes—with their fervid, reciprocal persecution of Arians—were actually perpetuating strife within the Church. Constantine was not baptized until he was near death (337), choosing a bishop moderately sympathetic toArius,Eusebius of Nicomedia, to perform the baptism.[6]
Constantius II, Constantine's son and successor in the eastern empire, was partial to the Arian party, and even exiled pro-Nicene bishops. Constantius' successorJulian (later called "The Apostate" by Christian writers) was the only emperor after the conversion of Constantine to reject Christianity, attempting to fragment the Church and erode its influence by encouraging a revival of religious diversity, calling himself a "Hellene" and supporting forms ofHellenistic religion. He championed thetraditional religiouscultus of Rome as well as Judaism, and furthermore declared toleration for all the various unorthodox Christian sects and schismatic movements. Julian's successorJovian, a Christian, reigned for only eight months and never entered the city of Constantinople. He was succeeded in the east byValens, an Arian.[6]
By 379, when Valens was succeeded byTheodosius I, Arianism was widespread in the eastern half of the Empire, while the west had remained steadfastly Nicene. Theodosius, who had been born inHispania, was himself a Nicene Christian and very devout. In August, his western counterpartGratian promoted persecution ofheretics in the west.[6]
The Edict ofThessalonica was jointly issued byTheodosius I, emperor of the East,Gratian, emperor of the West, and Gratian's junior co-rulerValentinian II, on 27 February 380.[4] The edict came after Theodosius had been baptized by the bishopAscholius of Thessalonica upon suffering a severe illness in that city.[7]
IMPPP. GR(ATI)ANUS, VAL(ENTINI)ANUS ET THE(O)D(OSIUS) AAA. EDICTUM AD POPULUM VRB(IS) CONSTANTINOP(OLITANAE).
Cunctos populos, quos clementiae nostrae regit temperamentum, in tali volumus religione versari, quam divinum Petrum apostolum tradidisse Romanis religio usque ad nunc ab ipso insinuata declarat quamque pontificem Damasum sequi claret et Petrum Aleksandriae episcopum virum apostolicae sanctitatis, hoc est, ut secundum apostolicam disciplinam evangelicamque doctrinam patris et filii et spiritus sancti unam deitatem sub pari maiestate et sub pia trinitate credamus. Hanc legem sequentes Christianorum catholicorum nomen iubemus amplecti, reliquos vero dementes vesanosque iudicantes haeretici dogmatis infamiam sustinere ‘nec conciliabula eorum ecclesiarum nomen accipere’, divina primum vindicta, post etiam motus nostri, quem ex caelesti arbitro sumpserimus, ultione plectendos.
DAT. III Kal. Mar. THESSAL(ONICAE) GR(ATI)ANO A. V ET THEOD(OSIO) A. I CONSS.
EMPERORS GRATIAN, VALENTINIAN AND THEODOSIUSAUGUSTI. EDICT TO THE PEOPLE OFCONSTANTINOPLE.
It is our desire that all the various nations which are subject to our Clemency and Moderation, should continue to profess that religion which was delivered to the Romans by the divineApostle Peter, as it has been preserved by faithful tradition, and which is now professed by thePontiffDamasus and byPeter,Bishop of Alexandria, a man ofapostolic holiness. According to theapostolic teaching and the doctrine of theGospel, let us believe in the one deity of theFather and of theSon and of theHoly Spirit, in equal majesty and in a holyTrinity. We order the followers of this law to embrace the name ofCatholicChristians; but as for the others, since, in our judgment they are foolish madmen, we decree that they shall be branded with the ignominious name ofheretics, and shall not presume to give to their conventicles the name of churches. They will suffer in the first place the chastisement of thedivine condemnation and in the second the punishment of our authority which in accordance with the will ofHeaven we shall decide to inflict.
GIVEN IN THESSALONICA ON THE THIRD DAY FROM THECALENDS OF MARCH, DURING THE FIFTHCONSULATE OF GRATIAN AUGUSTUS AND FIRST OF THEODOSIUS AUGUSTUS[8]
The edict was followed in 381 by theFirst Council of Constantinople, which affirmed the Nicene Symbolum and gave final form to theNicene-Constantinopolitan Creed.[9]
In the most common sense, "mainstream" refers to Nicene Christianity, or rather the traditions which continue to claim adherence to the Nicene Creed.
This Edict is the first which definitely introduces Catholic orthodoxy as the established religion of the Roman world. [...] Acknowledgment of the true doctrine of the Trinity is made the test of State recognition.