Public lecture delivered by Prof. Georgio Barone Adesi, lecturer in Roman Private Law and Byzantine Law in the University of Rome and University of Catanzaro.
The lecture was organized by the Faculty of Law, Sofia University, to commemorate the 17-century anniversary of the issuing of a very important document in Ancient Serdica. It is also part of the activities under the science research project "Emperors' constitutions issued in Serdica - translations and commentaries", accepted in Sofia University, 2011.
The so called Edict of Toleration was issued by the emperor Galerius from Serdica on 30th April May 311. By its provisions, the Christians were granted an indulgence "...they ought to pray to their God for our safety, for that of the republic, and for their own, that the commonwealth may continue uninjured on every side, and that they may be able to live securely in their homes". Two years later, the Edict of Milan was issued, in the names of the Emperor Constantine on the basis of the previous edict. It is believed to lay the foundation of the rise of Christianity in the world.
Prof. Adesi noted in his lecture the great importance of the dict and of Serdica as one of the most important cultural places at the time. The following discussion was dedicated to the contribution of the Roman emperors for the state and Christianity development on the Balkans. The lecture was initiated by the lecturers in Roman Private Law Prof. Malina Novkirishka and Assist. Prof. Teodor Piperkov, translation by Assoc. Prof. Ivan Ivanov, Faculty of Theology, Sofia University.