Idolatry in the light

Constantine’s legislation in the Theodosian Code includes several odd decrees that prohibit soothsayers and other magicians from “crossing the threshold” of a house under the pretext of friendship. Private soothsaying is prohibited.

At the same time, Constantine says that soothsayers will be consulted if lightning strikes the palace, and also permits rural people to employ various sorts of traditional magic to bring rain and prevent hail.

There are no doubt various pragmatic reasons for this, but in one decree, he says, “we do not prohibit the ceremonies of a bygone perversion to be conducted openly” (nec enim prohibemus praeteritae usurpationis officia libera luce tractari). Hidden ceremonies were forbidden, but open ones were not.