Christianity becomes compulsory
Theodosius makes Nicene Christianity the official religion and bans the rest.
- When
- —
- Duration
- 12 years
- Known to
- ± 1 year
- Era
- Classical, Holocene
In 380 CE the Edict of Thessalonica declares Nicene Christianity the religion of the empire, and through the following decade pagan sacrifice is banned, temples are closed or destroyed and the Olympic Games are ended. Within seventy years the relationship has inverted completely: the religion Rome persecuted now has the state's power to persecute. The consequences for Judaism, for surviving pagan traditions and for Christian dissenters are severe and lasting.