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| {{Short description|Edict establishing Christianity as the Roman Empire's state religion, issued in AD 380}} | {{Short description|Edict establishing Christianity as the Roman Empire's state religion, issued in AD 380}} | ||
| {{Update|date=March 2022}} | |||
| {{Expand French|topic=hist|date=March 2022}} | {{Expand French|topic=hist|date=March 2022}} | ||
| The '''Edict of Thessalonica''' ( |
The '''Edict of Thessalonica''' (]: Έδικτο της Θεσσαλονίκης), issued on 27 February AD 380 by ], made ]{{notetag|The Edict is the first which definitely introduces catholic ] as the established religion of the Roman State. It marks the end of the fourth-century religious controversy on the ], occasioned by ] and calling forth definitions of orthodox dogma by the ] (325) and the ] (381). Acknowledgment of the true doctrine of the Trinity is made the test of State recognition. The citation of the Roman See as the yardstick of correct belief is significant; bracketing of the name of the ] with that of the Pope was due to the Egyptian See's stalwart defence of the Trinitarian position, particularly under ]. The last sentence of the Edict indicates that the Emperors contemplate the use of physical force in the service of orthodoxy; this is the first recorded instance of such a departure.<ref>''Church and State Through the Centuries'', ed. Ehler and Morrall</ref>}} the ].<ref>''World Encyclopaedia of Interfaith Studies: World religions''. Jnanada Prakashan. 2009. {{ISBN|978-81-7139-280-3}}. <q>In the most common sense, "mainstream" refers to Nicene Christianity, or rather the traditions which continue to claim adherence to the Nicene Creed.</q></ref><ref>Pahner p. 378</ref><ref name=Ehler65> | ||
| {{cite book | {{cite book | ||
| |page = 6-7 | |page = 6-7 | ||
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| |archive-date = 2016-05-15 | |archive-date = 2016-05-15 | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| </ref> It condemned other ] |
</ref> It condemned other Christian creeds such as ] as ] of "foolish madmen," and authorized their ].<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Edict of Thessalonica {{!}} History Today|url=https://www.historytoday.com/archive/months-past/edict-thessalonica|access-date=2021-02-27|website=www.historytoday.com}}</ref> | ||
| This edict, addressed to the inhabitants of ] whom ] 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 as ]. | This edict, addressed to the inhabitants of ] whom ] 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 as ], opening the way of repression against dissidents qualified as "heretics". The Edict of Thessalonica was subsequently incorporated into Book XVI of the ] and was the milestone of the official ]. | ||
| Quickly forgotten by its contemporaries, the Edict of Thessalonica was subsequently incorporated into Book XVI of the ]. Historians have long interpreted the edict as the establishment of Nicene orthodoxy as state religion, an interpretation from which modern research has largely distanced itself since the end of the 20th century concerning the complex phenomenon that spans several decades. The Edict of Thessalonica nevertheless remains an important milestone towards the official ]. | |||
| ==Background== | ==Background== | ||
| In 313 the emperor ], together with his eastern counterpart ], issued the ], which granted ] and ] for persecuted Christians. By 325 |
In 313 the emperor ], together with his eastern counterpart ], issued the ], which granted ] and ] for persecuted Christians. By 325 ], a school of ] 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 in ] that Constantine called the ] in an attempt to end the controversy by establishing an empire-wide, i.e., "]" ]. The council produced the ] of the ], which rejected the Arian confession and upheld that Christ is "true God" and "of one essence with the Father."<ref name="EmpireBay">Williams & Friell, (1994) pp. 46–53</ref> | ||
| 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 to ], ], to perform the baptism.<ref name="EmpireBay" /> | 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 to ], ], to perform the baptism.<ref name="EmpireBay" /> | ||
| Constantine's son and successor in the eastern empire, |
], Constantine's son and successor in the eastern empire, was partial to the Arian party, and even exiled pro-Nicene bishops. Constantius' successor ] (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 "]" and supporting forms of ]. He championed the ] as well as Judaism, and furthermore declared toleration for all the various unorthodox Christian sects and schismatic movements. Julian's successor ], a Christian, reigned for only eight months and never entered the city of Constantinople. He was succeeded in the east by ], an Arian.<ref name="EmpireBay" /> | ||
| By 379, when Valens was succeeded by ], Arianism was widespread in the eastern half of the Empire, while the west had remained steadfastly Nicene. Theodosius, who had been born in ], was himself a Nicene Christian and very devout. In August, his western counterpart ] promoted persecution of ]s in the west.<ref name="EmpireBay" /> | By 379, when Valens was succeeded by ], Arianism was widespread in the eastern half of the Empire, while the west had remained steadfastly Nicene. Theodosius, who had been born in ], was himself a Nicene Christian and very devout. In August, his western counterpart ] promoted persecution of ]s in the west.<ref name="EmpireBay" /> | ||
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| DAT. III Kal. Mar. THESSAL(ONICAE) GR(ATI)ANO A. V ET THEOD(OSIO) A. I CONSS.}} | DAT. III Kal. Mar. THESSAL(ONICAE) GR(ATI)ANO A. V ET THEOD(OSIO) A. I CONSS.}} | ||
| {{quote|EMPERORS GRATIAN, VALENTINIAN AND THEODOSIUS '']''. EDICT TO THE PEOPLE OF ].<br> 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 divine ], as it has been preserved by faithful tradition, and which is now professed by the ] ] and by ], ], a man of ] holiness. According to the ] and the doctrine of the ], let us believe in the one deity of the ] and of the ] and of the ], in equal majesty and in a holy ]. We order the followers of this law to embrace the name of ] ]; but as for the others, since, in our judgment they are foolish madmen, we decree that they shall be branded with the ignominious name of ], and shall not presume to give to their conventicles the name of churches. They will suffer in the first place the chastisement of the ] and in the second the punishment of our authority which in accordance with the will of ] we shall decide to inflict.<br> GIVEN IN THESSALONICA ON THE THIRD DAY FROM THE ] OF MARCH, DURING THE FIFTH ] OF GRATIAN AUGUSTUS AND FIRST OF THEODOSIUS AUGUSTUS<ref>Codex Theodosianus XVI.1.2</ref>|'']'', ]}} | {{quote|EMPERORS GRATIAN, VALENTINIAN AND THEODOSIUS '']''. EDICT TO THE PEOPLE OF ].<br> 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 divine ], as it has been preserved by faithful tradition, and which is now professed by the ] ] and by ], ], a man of ] holiness. According to the ] and the doctrine of the ], let us believe in the one deity of the ] and of the ] and of the ], in equal majesty and in a holy ]. We order the followers of this law to embrace the name of ] ]; but as for the others, since, in our judgment they are foolish madmen, we decree that they shall be branded with the ignominious name of ], and shall not presume to give to their conventicles the name of churches. They will suffer in the first place the chastisement of the ] and in the second the punishment of our authority which in accordance with the will of ] we shall decide to inflict.<br> GIVEN IN THESSALONICA ON THE THIRD DAY FROM THE ] OF MARCH, DURING THE FIFTH ] OF GRATIAN AUGUSTUS AND FIRST OF THEODOSIUS AUGUSTUS<ref>Codex Theodosianus XVI.1.2</ref>|'']'', ]}} | ||
| ==Importance== | ==Importance== | ||
| The edict was followed in 381 by the ], which affirmed the Nicene Symbolum and gave final form to the ].<ref name=":0">Boyd (1905), p. 45</ref> | The edict was followed in 381 by the ], which affirmed the Nicene Symbolum and gave final form to the ].<ref name=":0">Boyd (1905), p. 45</ref> | ||
| The edict was issued under the influence of ], and thus of ], who had appointed him. It re-affirmed a single expression of the Apostolic Faith as legitimate in the Roman Empire, "]" (that is, universal)<ref>{{OED|Catholic}}</ref><ref>(cf. </ref> and "]" (that is, correct in teaching).<ref>orthodox. Dictionary.com. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. (accessed: March 03, 2008).</ref> | |||
| The Nicene Creed states: "We believe in one God, the Father Almighty ... And in one Lord Jesus Christ." It declares Jesus Christ be "consubstantial (homo-ousios) with the Father," which may be interpreted as numerical or as qualitative sameness (See ]). The creed adds that we also believe in the Holy Spirit but does not say that the Holy Spirit is homo-ousios with the Father. The Edict of Thessalonica goes much further and declares "the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit" to be "one deity ... in equal majesty and in a holy Trinity." | |||
| == Enforcement of the Edict == | |||
| If Theodosius prescribed that the edict be read to the people of the capital,<ref name=":1">Charles Pietri, , dans Jean-Marie Mayeur, Charles Pietri, Luce Pietri, André Vauchez et Marc Venard (dirs.), , <abbr>vol.</abbr> 2 : Naissance d'une chrétienté (250-430), Desclée, 1995 ({{ISBN|2-7189-0632-4}}), <abbr>p.</abbr> 387.</ref> it did not seem to have received any immediate or concrete application in Constantinople to the point that one could wonder if it had ever been published insofar<ref>Pierre Maraval, Paris, Arthème Fayard, 2009, p. 108</ref> as there was no official method at the time allowing communication to the population.<ref>R. Malcolm Errington, , The University of North Carolina Press, 2006, p. 217</ref> Moreover, the edict only describes vague sanctions against offenders, of a symbolic nature, evoking "divine condemnation" and "]", without these threats being accompanied by any specific provision, not even that of chasing heretics from their places of worship.<ref>Maraval 2009, <abbr>p.</abbr> 108</ref> As such, the edict appears to have had no immediate effect.<ref name=":1" /> | |||
| After a few campaigns against the ] troops, Theodosius returned in September 380 to Thessaloniki where he fell seriously ill to the point that people feared for his life.<ref name=":2">Claire Sotinel, , Belin, <abbr>coll.</abbr> « Mondes anciens », 2019, p. 410 | |||
| </ref> Healed, he was baptized by the local Nicene bishop ], probably around October,<ref>Maraval 2009, <abbr>p.</abbr> 107.</ref> then he went to Constantinople to make his solemn entry on November 24.<ref name=":2" /> The implementation of the edict took place only when Theodosius joined the prestigious city which he needed to make his capital in order to consolidate his still fragile hold on the territories of ].<ref name=":4">Mark Hebblewhite, , Routledge, 2020, <abbr>p.</abbr> PT83.</ref> | |||
| Barely two days after his arrival, faced with his refusal to publicly confess the ],<ref>Victoria Escribano Paño, , dans Jean-Noël Guinot et François Richard (éds.), , Cerf, 2008 ({{ISBN|978-2-204-08661-5}}), <abbr>p.</abbr> 396.</ref> Theodosius deposed the popular ] bishop of the city, ], whom he drove out of the walls of the city and replaced with ]<ref>Marie-Françoise Baslez, , Paris/impr. en Italie, Tallandier, 2019, p. 243.</ref> not without having had to rely on his troops to curb popular discontent.<ref>Victoria Escribano Paño, , dans Jean-Noël Guinot et François Richard (éds.), , Cerf, 2008 ({{ISBN|978-2-204-08661-5}}), <abbr>p.</abbr> 397.</ref> He then placed members of the Nicaean party — still a minority in Constantinople — in key positions in the clergy,<ref name=":3">Hebblewhite 2020, <abbr>p.</abbr> PT83.</ref> entrusting them with all the churches in the capital<ref>Maraval 2009, <abbr>p.</abbr> 113.</ref> and withdrawing their places of worship from the dissidents of Arian allegiance to whom he wasted no time in suppressing freedom of assembly.<ref name=":3" /> | |||
| Radically settling the problems of the Church of Constantinople in this way, and probably advised in this direction by his Western entourage,<ref name=":5">Errington 2006, <abbr>p.</abbr> 218.</ref> Theodosius sought, rather than adherence to a profession of faith, to attach the loyalty of the Nicene clergy to his personality and his regime<ref name=":4" /> in order to maintain a certain stability in his capital, necessary to ensure an imperial residence there.<ref name=":5" /> He nevertheless tolerated Demophilus and his supporters continuing to practice their worship outside the city — probably more out of political prudence than out of a spirit of doctrinal tolerance<ref>Maraval 2009, <abbr>p.</abbr> 113.</ref> — which the Acacian bishop continued to do for nearly twenty years without worrying.<ref>Neil B. McLynn, Ambrose of Milan : Church and Court in a Christian Capital, Berkeley, University of California Press, 2014, 406 p.</ref> | |||
| A few months later, on January 10, 381, Theodosius promulgates a ] in Constantinople,<ref>''Codex Theodosianus'', XVI, 5, 6.</ref> addressed to the ] ], whose provisions apply more harshly to heretics throughout the region — at least in its cities<ref name=":3" /> — echo the problems debated in the East and, referring this time explicitly to the Nicene creed, are much more drastic than those of the previous Theodosian edict:<ref>Maraval 2009, <abbr>p.</abbr> 115.</ref> heretics — like the explicitly named ], Arians and ]<ref>Stefan Rebenich, , Routledge, 2002, 211 <abbr>p,</abbr> <abbr>p.</abbr> 21.</ref> — are to be expelled from the cities and their churches entrusted to elements who profess the Nicene faith.<ref>Piet Hein Hupsch, ''The Glory of the Spirit in Gregory of Nyssa’s Adversus Macedonianos : Commentary and Systematic-Theological Synthesis'', BRILL, 2020, 424 p. ({{ISBN|978-90-04-42228-5}}), p. 33.</ref> | |||
| After the edict in February 380, Theodosius spent a great deal of energy trying to suppress all non-Nicene forms of Christianity, especially ], and in establishing Nicene orthodoxy throughout his realm:<ref name="CathEncyTheo">{{CathEncy|wstitle=Theodosius I}}</ref> | |||
| <blockquote>In January of the following year (381), another edict forbade the heretics to settle in the cities.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Boyd, William, The Ecclesiastical Edicts of the Theodosian Code|url=https://revelationbyjesuschrist.com/boyd/|access-date=2021-09-24|website=From Daniel to Revelation|language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
| In the same year, after the reformulation of the Nicene doctrine by the Council of Constantinople ... the procouncil of Asia was ordered to deliver all churches to these bishops 'who profess that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one majesty and virtue'.<ref>Boyd, William Kenneth (1905), The Ecclesiastical Edicts of the Theodosian Code, Columbia University Press, p45-46</ref><ref>Richard Rubenstein, When Jesus Became God, 1999, p. 223</ref> | |||
| In 383, the Emperor ordered the various non-Nicene sects (Arians, ], ], and ]) to submit written creeds to him, which he prayerfully reviewed and then burned, save for that of the Novatians, who also supported Nicene Christianity. The other sects lost the right to meet, ordain priests, or spread their beliefs.<ref>Boyd (1905), p. 47</ref> | |||
| The execution of ] and his followers may be cited as typical of the treatment of heretics conditions in that time. In 384, Priscillian was condemned by the synod of Bordeaux, found guilty of magic in a secular court, and put to death by the sword with a number of his followers.<ref>Boyd, p60-61</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The Edict of Thessalonica {{!}} History Today|url=https://www.historytoday.com/archive/months-past/edict-thessalonica|access-date=2021-09-25|website=www.historytoday.com}}</ref> | |||
| Theodosius forbade heretics to reside within Constantinople, and in 392 and 394 confiscated their places of worship.<ref>Boyd (1905), p. 50</ref></blockquote> | |||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Latest revision as of 01:59, 12 December 2024
Edict establishing Christianity as the Roman Empire's state religion, issued in AD 380 | You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in French. (March 2022) Click for important translation instructions.
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The Edict of Thessalonica (Greek: Έδικτο της Θεσσαλονίκης), issued on 27 February AD 380 by Theodosius I, made Nicene Christianity the state church of the Roman Empire. It condemned other Christian creeds such as Arianism as heresies of "foolish madmen," and authorized their punishment.
This edict, addressed to the inhabitants of Constantinople whom Theodosius 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 as religious orthodoxy, opening the way of repression against dissidents qualified as "heretics". The Edict of Thessalonica was subsequently incorporated into Book XVI of the Theodosian Code and was the milestone of the official Christianization of the Roman Empire.
Background
In 313 the emperor Constantine I, together with his eastern counterpart Licinius, issued the Edict of Milan, which granted religious toleration and freedom for persecuted Christians. By 325 Arianism, a school of christology 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 in Early Christianity that Constantine called the Council of Nicaea in an attempt to end the controversy by establishing an empire-wide, i.e., "ecumenical" orthodoxy. The council produced the original text of the Nicene Creed, which rejected the Arian confession and upheld that Christ is "true God" and "of one essence with the Father."
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 to Arius, Eusebius of Nicomedia, to perform the baptism.
Constantius II, Constantine's son and successor in the eastern empire, was partial to the Arian party, and even exiled pro-Nicene bishops. Constantius' successor Julian (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 of Hellenistic religion. He championed the traditional religious cultus of Rome as well as Judaism, and furthermore declared toleration for all the various unorthodox Christian sects and schismatic movements. Julian's successor Jovian, a Christian, reigned for only eight months and never entered the city of Constantinople. He was succeeded in the east by Valens, an Arian.
By 379, when Valens was succeeded by Theodosius I, Arianism was widespread in the eastern half of the Empire, while the west had remained steadfastly Nicene. Theodosius, who had been born in Hispania, was himself a Nicene Christian and very devout. In August, his western counterpart Gratian promoted persecution of heretics in the west.
Content
The Edict of Thessalonica was jointly issued by Theodosius I, emperor of the East, Gratian, emperor of the West, and Gratian's junior co-ruler Valentinian II, on 27 February 380. The edict came after Theodosius had been baptized by the bishop Ascholius of Thessalonica upon suffering a severe illness in that city.
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 THEODOSIUS AUGUSTI. EDICT TO THE PEOPLE OF CONSTANTINOPLE.
— Codex Theodosianus, xvi.1.2
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 divine Apostle Peter, as it has been preserved by faithful tradition, and which is now professed by the Pontiff Damasus and by Peter, Bishop of Alexandria, a man of apostolic holiness. According to the apostolic teaching and the doctrine of the Gospel, let us believe in the one deity of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, in equal majesty and in a holy Trinity. We order the followers of this law to embrace the name of Catholic Christians; but as for the others, since, in our judgment they are foolish madmen, we decree that they shall be branded with the ignominious name of heretics, and shall not presume to give to their conventicles the name of churches. They will suffer in the first place the chastisement of the divine condemnation and in the second the punishment of our authority which in accordance with the will of Heaven we shall decide to inflict.
GIVEN IN THESSALONICA ON THE THIRD DAY FROM THE CALENDS OF MARCH, DURING THE FIFTH CONSULATE OF GRATIAN AUGUSTUS AND FIRST OF THEODOSIUS AUGUSTUS
Importance
The edict was followed in 381 by the First Council of Constantinople, which affirmed the Nicene Symbolum and gave final form to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed.
See also
- Ancient Roman Christianity
- Christianization of the Roman Empire
- History of late ancient Christianity
- Persecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire
Notes
- The Edict is the first which definitely introduces catholic orthodoxy as the established religion of the Roman State. It marks the end of the fourth-century religious controversy on the Trinity, occasioned by Arianism and calling forth definitions of orthodox dogma by the First Council of Nicaea (325) and the First Council of Constantinople (381). Acknowledgment of the true doctrine of the Trinity is made the test of State recognition. The citation of the Roman See as the yardstick of correct belief is significant; bracketing of the name of the Patriarch of Alexandria with that of the Pope was due to the Egyptian See's stalwart defence of the Trinitarian position, particularly under Athanasius of Alexandria. The last sentence of the Edict indicates that the Emperors contemplate the use of physical force in the service of orthodoxy; this is the first recorded instance of such a departure.
References
- Church and State Through the Centuries, ed. Ehler and Morrall
- World Encyclopaedia of Interfaith Studies: World religions. Jnanada Prakashan. 2009. ISBN 978-81-7139-280-3.
In the most common sense, "mainstream" refers to Nicene Christianity, or rather the traditions which continue to claim adherence to the Nicene Creed.
- Pahner p. 378
- ^
Ehler, Sidney Zdeneck; Morrall, John B (1967). Church and State Through the Centuries: A Collection of Historic Documents with Commentaries. p. 6-7. ISBN 978-0-8196-0189-6. Archived from the original on 2016-05-15. Retrieved 2016-09-28.
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.
- "The Edict of Thessalonica | History Today". www.historytoday.com. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ Williams & Friell, (1994) pp. 46–53
- "Ἀχόλιος ἢ Ἀσχόλιος ἐπίσκοπος Θεσσαλονίκης". Ιερά Μητρόπολη Θεσσαλονίκης. Archived from the original on 2016-09-24. Retrieved 2016-09-23.
- Codex Theodosianus XVI.1.2
- Boyd (1905), p. 45
Bibliography
- Boyd, William Kenneth (1905). The Ecclesiastical Edicts of the Theodosian Code. Columbia University Press.
- Ehler, Sidney Zdeneck; Morrall, John B (1967). Church and State Through the Centuries: A Collection of Historic Documents with Commentaries. ISBN 978-0-8196-0189-6.
- Ferguson, Everett; McHugh, Michael P.; Norris, Frederick W. (1999). Encyclopedia of Early Christianity. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 0-8153-3319-6.
- Williams, Stephen; Friell, Gerard (1994). Theodosius: The Empire at Bay. B.T. Batsford Ltd. ISBN 0-300-06173-0.