Edict of Serdica


The Edict of Serdica, also called Edict of Toleration by Galerius, was issued in 311 in Serdica by the Roman emperor Galerius, officially ending the Diocletianic persecution of Christianity in the East.
The Edict implicitly granted Christianity the status of "religio licita", a worship recognized and accepted by the Roman Empire. It was the first edict legalizing Christianity, preceding the Edict of Milan by two years.

History

On February 23, 303, on the Terminalia feast, Emperor Diocletian, by proposal of Galerius, issued a persecutory edict. The edict prescribed:
At that time, Galerius held the position of Caesar of the Roman Empire, the second most important position after the Emperors.
In 305 Diocletian abdicated; Galerius, his successor, continued persecution in the East until 311, when he granted Christians forgiveness, freedom of worship and, implicitly, the status of religio licita.

Full text

Promulgated in the name of the other official members of the Tetrarchy, the edict marked the end of persecutions against the Christians.