Auctoritas Maiorum in the edict of Galerius of 311 ad

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Petković, Ž. (2013). Auctoritas Maiorum in the edict of Galerius of 311 ad, (63), 245-250. Retrieved from http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/Article.aspx?ID=0350-02411363245P
Details
Title

Auctoritas Maiorum in the edict of Galerius of 311 ad

Subtitle
Author

Žarko, Petković

Journal

Starinar

Volume
Issue

63

Start page

245

End page

250

ISSN
ISBN
DOI
URL

http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/Article.aspx?ID=0350-02411363245P

Date

2013-2020/03/01/23:32:21

Abstract

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 death­bed, that Christians should pray for his salvation, he remained devoted to his polytheistic convictions.

Keywords

auctoritus maiorum, Eusebius of Caesarea, Galerius, Lactantius, mos maiorum, persecutions of the Christians, The Edict of Toleration of 311