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In February of 313, Emperor Constantine I of Rome met in Milan with Emperor Licinius, who controlled the eastern half of the Roman Empire. Together, the two emperors authored the Edict of Milan, which gave formal legal status to Christianity in the Roman Empire and ended roughly 250 years of persecution. Under the edict, property that had been seized from Christians was returned to them and Christians gained the legal rights to practice their faith publicly and freely. For the overwhelming majority of the world’s Christians, this marked the first time they could worship without fear of governmental interference. A decade later, Constantine (then in control of the entire empire) would make Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. (Pictured: 17th century painting of Constantine and Licinius at their weddings by Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens.)