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Edict of Milan Timeline

(313 AD)

The Edict of Milan was a proclamation issued in 313 AD by Roman emperors Constantine I and Licinius that granted religious tolerance throughout the Roman Empire, effectively legalizing Christianity and returning confiscated property to Christians. It marked a turning point in the history of Christianity and the Roman Empire. Less

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Roman Persecution of Christians

Decius launches empire-wide persecution

Jan 1, 250 - Jun 1, 251

Emperor Decius ordered all inhabitants of the empire to sacrifice to the Roman gods and obtain a certificate confirming they had done so. This was the first empire-wide persecution targeting all citizens, forcing Christians to choose between apostasy and death.

Image source: Decian persecution

Decius launches empire-wide persecution

Valerian's persecution of Christians

Jan 1, 257 - Jan 1, 260

Emperor Valerian intensified persecution by banning Christian worship and executing clergy and prominent laypeople, including Pope Sixtus II and St. Lawrence. His capture by the Persians in 260 ended the campaign, and his son Gallienus restored a period of tolerance.

Image source: Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire

Valerian's persecution of Christians

Diocletian begins the Great Persecution

Feb 23, 303

Emperor Diocletian issued an edict destroying churches and scriptures, launching the Great Persecution, the most severe and systematic assault on Christianity in Roman history. Later edicts ordered the arrest of clergy and required universal sacrifice to the pagan gods.

Image source: Diocletianic Persecution

Diocletian begins the Great Persecution

Maximinus Daza renews persecution in the East

Jan 1, 311 - Apr 30, 313

Following Galerius's death, Maximinus Daza resumed persecution in the eastern provinces, attempting to revive paganism and suppress Christianity until his defeat by Licinius shortly before the Edict of Milan.

Image source: Maximinus Daza

Maximinus Daza renews persecution in the East

Galerius issues Edict of Serdica tolerating Christianity

Apr 30, 311

On his deathbed, Emperor Galerius issued the Edict of Serdica (also known as the Edict of Toleration), ending the Great Persecution and granting Christians the right to exist and worship freely, provided they did not disturb public order.

Image source: Edict of Serdica

Galerius issues Edict of Serdica tolerating Christianity

Great Fire of Rome under Nero

Jul 18, 64

The Great Fire of Rome devastated much of the city, and Emperor Nero blamed Christians for the blaze. This led to the first recorded state-sponsored persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire, establishing a pattern of hostility that would persist intermittently for over two centuries.

Image source: Great Fire of Rome

Great Fire of Rome under Nero

Rise of Constantine

Constantine's victory at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Oct 28, 312

Constantine defeated his rival Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge outside Rome, reportedly after a vision of the Christian sign. The victory made him sole ruler of the Western Roman Empire and convinced him that the Christian God favored his cause.

Image source: Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Constantine's victory at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Licinius turns against Christians in the East

Jan 1, 320 - Sep 1, 324

Growing tensions between Constantine and Licinius led the latter to quietly resume restrictions on Christians in his territories, dismissing Christian officials and harassing churches, which gave Constantine a religious pretext for their final conflict.

Image source: Licinius

Licinius turns against Christians in the East

Constantine defeats Licinius and reunifies the empire

Sep 3, 324

Constantine decisively defeated Licinius at Chrysopolis, becoming sole emperor of the Roman Empire. He reaffirmed the policy of Christian toleration across both halves of the empire, consolidating the gains made since the Edict of Milan.

Image source: Civil wars of the Tetrarchy

Constantine defeats Licinius and reunifies the empire

Aftermath and Legacy

Donatist controversy challenges church unity in North Africa

Jan 1, 313 - Jan 1, 411

With persecution over, disputes over how to treat lapsed Christians who had compromised under pressure led to the Donatist schism in North Africa. Constantine intervened in church affairs, setting a precedent for imperial involvement in ecclesiastical matters.

Image source: Donatism

Donatist controversy challenges church unity in North Africa

Confiscated church properties restored to Christians

Jun 13, 313 - Jan 1, 315

In accordance with the edict's provisions, imperial officials were directed to restore meeting places and other properties seized during persecutions to Christian communities, often through purchase or compensation from the imperial treasury.

Image source: Edict of Milan

Confiscated church properties restored to Christians

Council of Nicaea convened by Constantine

May 20, 325 - Jul 25, 325

Constantine summoned bishops from across the empire to Nicaea to resolve the Arian controversy, producing the Nicene Creed. The council demonstrated the new relationship between the Christian church and the Roman state established after the Edict of Milan.

Image source: First Council of Nicaea

Council of Nicaea convened by Constantine

Theodosius I makes Nicene Christianity the state religion

Feb 27, 380

With the Edict of Thessalonica, Emperor Theodosius I declared Nicene Christianity the official state religion of the Roman Empire. This transformed the status of Christianity from merely tolerated, as under the Edict of Milan, to legally privileged.

Edict of Milan commemorated as milestone in religious liberty

Mar 17, 2013

The 1700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan was celebrated internationally, including ceremonies in Niš, Serbia, Constantine's birthplace. Scholars and religious leaders marked the edict as a foundational moment in the history of religious freedom and tolerance.

The Edict and Its Terms

Constantine and Licinius agree on religious policy at Milan

Feb 1, 313 - Feb 28, 313

Constantine met with co-emperor Licinius in Milan to arrange the marriage of Licinius to Constantia and to formulate a joint policy on religious freedom, which became the basis of the famous agreement on Christian toleration.

Edict of Milan proclaimed by Licinius at Nicomedia

Jun 13, 313

Licinius proclaimed the terms agreed upon at Milan from Nicomedia after defeating Maximinus Daza. The proclamation granted freedom of religion throughout the empire, legalized Christianity, and called for the return of confiscated church property without compensation.

Key Facts

  1. The Edict of Milan was agreed upon in 313 AD between Emperor Constantine I and co-emperor Licinius, following their meeting in Milan.
  2. It granted freedom of religion across the Roman Empire, allowing citizens to practice any faith they chose, including Christianity.
  3. The edict ordered the return of confiscated Christian properties and places of worship to Christian communities without payment.
  4. It followed Galerius's earlier Edict of Toleration (Edict of Serdica) of 311 AD, which had ended the persecution of Christians but offered fewer protections.
  5. While often credited with making Christianity legal for the first time, its broader significance was establishing official state neutrality and tolerance toward all religions.

Source

This Edict of Milan timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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