Issued in 313, the Edict of Milan established religious toleration for Christianity within the Roman Empire, granting Christians legal rights and bringing an end to systematic persecution. The edict enabled the religion to grow beyond its status as a persecuted minority and marked the beginning of a new relationship between Christianity and the state, one in which rulers could actively support and protect Christian institutions. In doing so, the edict laid the groundwork for Christianity’s eventual emergence as the dominant religion of Europe and the Mediterranean world, profoundly influencing the development of Western civilization.
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