On Sat, 25 Sep 1999, John Mundy wrote:
> Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 10:57:52 -0400 (EDT)
> From: John Mundy <[log in to unmask]>
> Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
> And thirdly, that the formal Christianization of western Roman rural
> folk awaited the age of the barbarian invasions when that group linked
> up with the officially accepted religion of the rest of the indigenous
> population partly out of solidarity and partly to avoid a worst fate,
> notably indiscriminate enslavement at the hands of the invaders. Is any
> of this truthful? John Mundy
>
I checked such of the barbarian law codes I could find readily, & I was
struck by how little religion features in them. The Burgundian code
simply distinguishes between Romans & Burgundians. Whether the Romans had
come to be presumed Christian is nowhere in evidence, but slavery is
accepted anyway in these codes. Religion does not seem to equate with
either status, slave or free, among the Romans.
The frankish laws say little of use, except to make special provisions for
dealing with the murder of a bishop.
Tom Izbicki
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