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 1700th Anniversary of the Edict of Milan Scott 1532-1534 (2013) On June 12, 2013, Vatican City issued a set of three stamps and one souvenir sheet (Scott 1532-1535) celebrating the 1700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan. The set illustrates scenes of the Emperor Constantine and Pope Sylvester I that are part of 13th century frescoes at the Oratory of Saint Sylvester at the Santi Quattro Coronati Basilica in Rome. The set was issued jointly with Italy. The importance of the Edict of Milan cannot be understated. The declaration allowed for religious freedom within the Roman Empire and allowed for the eventual spread of Christianity without fear of persecution within the Empire. The persecution of Christians occurred across the Roman Empire, beginning in the 1st century AD and ending in the early 4th century AD. The practices within Christianity, in many cases, were in direct conflict with the traditions practiced within the Empire. Roman pagan practices such as making sacrifices to the deified emperors or other gods were abhorrent to Christians. The state and members of Roman society punished Christians for treason and for introducing an "alien cult". Starting with Nero in the mid-first century AD and continuing through Valerian and Diocletian in the late third and early fourth centuries AD, Christian persecution continued with varying degrees of intensity.  Constantine the Great Bust located in the Vatican Museums From Wikimedia Commons, in the Public Domain Following the victory of Constantine the Great over rival Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in October 312, he and his co-emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan in February, 313. The Edict, which followed an edict of toleration issued by Emperor Galerius two years earlier in Serdica, gave Christianity legal status and relief from persecution. In 380 AD, the Edict of Thessalonica made Christianity the state church of the Roman Empire. The message of religious freedom and toleration espoused by the Edict of Milan, as stated in the UFN Bulletin announcing the release of the stamp set in 2013, must continue today. The issue wishes to shed light on religious persecution, which still exists 1700 years after the historic declaration of the Edict of Milan. The Bulletin states that it hopes a celebration of the Edict will "help create awareness on how profession of religious faith can be an expression of adherence to truth".  1700th Anniversary of the Edict of Milan Souvenir Sheet, Scott 1535 (2013) REFERENCES: |
