Little_Peace_of_the_Church
Little Peace of the Church
3rd-century Roman Empire Christianity
The "Little Peace of the Church" was a roughly 40-year period in the latter 3rd century in the history of the Roman Empire during which Christianity flourished without official suppression from the central government. It is particularly associated with the reign of Gallienus (253–268),[1][2] who issued the first official declaration of tolerance regarding Christians.[2] Among the series of imperial edicts that halted acts of persecution against Christians, one addressed to the bishops of Egypt has survived,[3] recognizing places of worship and cemeteries as ecclesiastical property and restoring them to Christian ownership.[2] The Church for the first time even asked a Roman emperor to arbitrate an internal dispute. In 272, after Paul of Samosata was accused of heresy but refused to be deposed as bishop of Antioch, Aurelian ruled in favour of his successor, who was in good standing with the church hierarchy.[4][2]
The "little" peace of the Church, described primarily by Eusebius, preceded the "peace of the Church," which ushered in by the conversion of Constantine the Great.