The Edict of Milan was an agreement reached by the Roman emperors Constantine in the West and Licinius in the East, granting religious freedom to Christians and other faiths across the empire. It built on an earlier edict of toleration issued by the emperor Galerius, and it ordered that property confiscated from Christians during the persecution under Diocletian should be returned. It did not make Christianity the state religion, which came later under Theodosius I. Historians note that it was not formally an edict but a statement of policy sent to provincial governors, whose text survives in the writings of Lactantius and Eusebius. It marked a turning point in the church's relationship with the empire.
Before and after
- 303 CEConstruction of Etchmiadzin Cathedral
- 23 February 303 CEThe Great Persecution of Christians begins
- from 304 CE to 439 CESixteen Kingdoms
- 312 CEOrigins of Basilica of Maxentius
- June 313 CEEdict of Milan
- 25 July 315 CEConstruction of Arch of Constantine
- from 320 CE to 550 CEGupta Empire
- 325 CEFirst Council of Nicaea
- 327 CEConstruction of Church of the Nativity
More in Art, literature & culture
- 551 BCEBirth of Confucius
- c. 375 BCEWriting of the Allegory of the Cave
- 33 CEOrigins of Christianity
- 381 CEFirst Council of Constantinople
- from 22 June 431 CE to 31 July 431 CEFirst Council of Ephesus
- 1 November 451 CECouncil of Chalcedon
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 4th century.