Presupposti ideali nella "svolta" costantiniana verso le comunità cristiane: il motivo della libertà religiosa

The paper develops the theme of religious freedom, by comparing the use made by Tertullian and the references contained in the edict of Milan in its version mediated by the story of Lactantius and in particular it investigates its spreading in the Latin Christian literature. The author also compares the contents of the Edict of Milan referring to the version of Lactantius, with that reported by Tertullian, according to which religious freedom was a naturalis potestas (not reducible by the public power) as a response to the concept of libera potestas (reducible by the public power) deriving from the edict of Milan.