Auctoritas Maiorum in the edict of Galerius of 311 ad
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11993033 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Žarko Petković (Filozofski fakultet u Beogradu%SR13-01.21, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2013 |
| Issue | 63 |
| Pages | 245-250 |
| Publication date | 2013-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Starinar (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0350-0241 • E-ISSN: 2406-0739 |
| Publisher | National Library of Serbia (PUBLISHER • RS) |
| DOI | 10.2298/sta1363245p |
| OpenAlex | W2024996109 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 2 |
The phraseology of the Edict of Toleration issued by Galerius in 311 reveals a unique motive on the part of the emperor for his persecution of Christians: the Christians had abandoned the religious convictions of their ancestors and made their own laws, which consequently had led them - allegedly - into atheism. Galerius issued an order that they (the Christians) should return to the practices established by their own forefathers. Thus, the re-establishment of mos maiorum, endangered by Christian 'atheism', was Galeirus' prime motive for confronting the new religion. If this was the real motive, it was carefully chosen: mos maiorum was the key point for the preservation of traditional (pagan) religion, social order and the Roman Empire, as Ciciero and Symmachus put it. When Galerius proclaimed, on his death?bed, that Christians should pray for his salvation, he remained devoted to his polytheistic convictions
Ancient history · Atheism · Emperor · Empire · Order (exchange · Persecution · Political science · Politics · Roman Empire · Theology · Toleration · Classical Antiquity Studies · Classical Studies and Legal History · History · Law · Philosophy · Religious studies · Religious Studies
| Highly cited | No |
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