After decades of bloodshed, the Church entered a period of unprecedented peace and prosperity under the Roman Empire. From the edict of toleration issued by Gallienus to the eve of the Diocletianic persecution, the Church enjoyed forty years of growth—but also spiritual complacency.
Gallienus Grants Peace (260–268)
The Emperor Gallienus, son of Valerian, reversed his father’s policies and issued an imperial edict recognizing Christianity as a religio licita (a lawful religion).
- Historical Significance: This is the first known official edict of toleration for Christianity.
- Practical Results: Confiscated church property was restored, and bishops could once again govern openly.
A Calm Before the Storm: 270–284
Following Gallienus, six emperors—Claudius II</b, Aurelian</b, Tacitus, Probus, Carus, Numerianus, and Carinus—reigned in rapid succession. Most left the Church undisturbed.
- Aurelian (270–275) was preparing an anti-Christian edict, but his assassination halted its implementation.
- Alleged persecutions under Carus, Numerianus, and Carinus (284–285) are legendary and not supported by historical evidence.
The Church Prospers—and Falters
With freedom came rapid expansion:
- Architectural Flourishing: Grand churches were built in major cities, furnished with sacred vessels of silver and gold.
- Literary Development: Libraries of sacred texts expanded. Christian scholarship and catechesis advanced.
However, prosperity came at a cost:
- Discipline Weakened: Ascetic rigor faded. Many Christians became nominal and worldly.
- Factions Multiplied: Internal church disputes and clerical ambition increased. Intrigue marred the episcopate.
Eusebius observed this deterioration and interpreted the coming persecution as divine chastisement and purification.
Reflections
The “little peace of the Church” between 260 and 303 was both a golden age and a cautionary tale. It showed how freedom could fertilize growth—but also how quickly spiritual rigor could erode under comfort.
The next great crisis—the Diocletianic persecution—would come as a furnace to purge and refine. But for a brief moment, the Church tasted what it meant to live in peace within the empire it had so long defied.
