Editing Donatism (section)

=={{anchor|Political impact}}Impact==
The sect developed and grew in North Africa, with unrest and threatened riots in Carthage connected to the bishop controversy.{{Sfn |Frend |1952 |pp=144–45}}{{Efn |The remainder of this paragraph comes from {{Harvnb | Frend | 1952}}, who derived his chronology primarily from [[Optatus]]' ''Against the Donatists'' (one of the only surviving primary sources).}} Constantine, hoping to defuse the unrest, gave money to the non-Donatist bishop [[Caecilianus|Caecilian]] as payment for churches damaged or confiscated during the persecution. Nothing was given to the Donatists; Constantine was apparently not fully aware of the seriousness of the dispute, which his gift exacerbated.{{sfn|Frend |1952 |pp=144–45}} The Donatists appealed to Rome for equal treatment; Constantine tasked Miltiades with resolving the issue, which led to the 313 commission. The Donatists refused to abide by the decision of the Roman council, demanding that a local council adjudicate the dispute and appealing directly to Constantine. In a surviving letter, a frustrated Constantine called for what became the [[Synod of Arles (314)|first Council of Arles]] in 314. The council ruled against the Donatists, who again appealed to Constantine. The emperor ordered all parties to Rome for a hearing, ruled in favour of Caecilian and warned against unrest.{{sfn|Frend |1952 |p=156}} A delegation from Rome travelled to Carthage in a vain attempt to seek compromise. The Donatists fomented protests and street violence,{{sfn|Frend |1952 |p=157}} refusing to compromise in favor of the orthodox bishop.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

After the [[Constantinian shift]], when other Christians accepted the emperor's decision, the Donatists continued to demonize him. After several attempts at reconciliation, in 317 Constantine issued an edict threatening [[capital punishment|death]] to anyone who disturbed the imperial peace; another edict followed, calling for the confiscation of all Donatist church property. Donatus refused to surrender his buildings in [[Carthage]], and the local Roman governor sent troops to deal with him and his followers. Although the historical record is unclear, some Donatists were apparently killed and their clergy exiled.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

Outside Carthage, Donatist churches and clergy were undisturbed.{{sfn|Frend |1952 |pp=159 60}} Constantine's efforts to unite the church and the Donatists failed, and by 321 he asked the bishops to show moderation and patience to the sect in an open letter.{{Sfn |Frend |1952 |pp=161 62 | ps =; from the letters of Constantine preserved by Optatus.}} During the brief reign of [[Julian the Apostate|Julian]], the Donatists were revitalized and, due to imperial protection, occupied churches and carried out atrocities.{{sfn|Lohr|2007|p=40, 43}} Laws against the Donatists were decreed by [[Valentinian I]] after the defeat of the Donatist [[Roman usurper|usurper]] [[Firmus (4th-century usurper)|Firmus]] in North Africa.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walter E. Roberts |date=18 August 1998 |title=Firmus (ca.372-ca.375 A.D.) |url=https://roman-emperors.sites.luc.edu/firmus.htm |website=[[De Imperatoribus Romanis]]}}</ref>