Constantine orders that Sunday become a day of rest
The Roman emperor shapes working practices for millennia with a decree that pleases Christians and pagans alike
Like all successful politicians, the Roman emperor Constantine was a master of ambiguity. Remembered today as the first Christian emperor, he was also associated with the cult of Sol Invictus – the unconquered sun – and even displayed images of the sun god on his coins.
When, on 7 March 321, Constantine issued an edict declaring that Sunday must be the day of rest, he was once again treading a fine line between Christianity and paganism, and between religious principle and economic pragmatism. “On the venerable day of the Sun,” he ordered, “let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed. In the country however persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits because it often happens that another day is not suitable for grain-sowing or vine planting; lest by neglecting the proper moment for such operations the bounty of heaven should be lost.”
Picking Sunday as the day of rest made excellent political sense. Although it was nominally a working day, many Christians across the empire already treated Sunday as a day for religious worship, although those in Rome and Alexandria tended to prefer Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. More importantly, though, most non-Christians already regarded Sunday as a special day because workers were often paid on Sundays. Perhaps crucially, this was the special day of Sol Invictus, which had become an official cult as recently as AD 274 and had a particular appeal to the senatorial upper classes.
Not all Christians warmed to Constantine’s edict, and even centuries later some groups still preferred Saturday. And yet, even now, 1,695 years on, many of us still observe Constantine’s edict.