Daily Curiosityby Erudico

Roman Emperors · Question

Which emperor made Christianity the official state religion of Rome? (r. 379-395 AD)

Answer

Theodosius I

The story behind the answer

Theodosius I (r. 379–395) made Christianity the official state religion with the Edict of Thessalonica in 380, declaring Nicene Christianity the faith of the empire. He reinforced this with laws curbing pagan worship and supported the Council of Constantinople (381), shaping orthodox doctrine and unifying imperial religion.

By contrast, Constantine I legalized and favored Christianity (Edict of Milan, 313) but did not make it the official creed; Julian the Apostate tried to revive paganism; and Claudius ruled centuries earlier. Memory tip: Two Ts—Theodosius and Thessalonica—tie Christianity to the throne.

More to discover

Which emperor permanently divided the Roman Empire into Eastern and Western halves? (r. 379-395 AD) Which Western Roman Emperor was ruling when Rome was sacked by Alaric in 410 AD? (r. 393-423 AD) Who was the last Western Roman Emperor, deposed in 476 AD? (r. 475-476 AD) Which emperor had the longest reign (41 years)? (r. 27 BC - 14 AD)