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Assessing Religious Tolerance of the Late Roman Empire

Abstract

The topic of religious tolerance is one that spans the scope of human history. In the following essay, this subject will be examined within the context of the late Roman Empire (180-395 CE.). This ancient period represents a chapter of Roman history almost exclusively recounted by ancient Christian historians, the result of which has led to the establishment of the famous narrative depicting late Romans as severely intolerant of non-Roman religions– most notably, Christianity. Through the analysis of extensive documentation, leading to the uncovering of inherent Christian bias, this established history will be challenged in an effort to present a narrative which characterizes the Roman society as exhibiting substantially more religious tolerance than previously believed.

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