516 Cohen
by Valentinian II68 the emperor differentiated Homoianism, as represented by
the Creed of Rimini (359), from the other proscribed versions of non-Nicene
Christianity.69 The inclusion of this law in the Theodosian Code suggests that
it was still valid more than half a century after its initial promulgation and
that it was meant to remain in effect for the foreseeable future.70 Perhaps as a
result of the protection they received under the law, a number of non-Nicene
communities existed in Italy prior to the Ostrogothic conquest, although it is
difficult to reconstruct the degree to which they survived, especially during
the second half of the 5th century.71 There is also evidence of Latin-speaking
Homoian communities in Illyricum on the Dalmatian coast and in parts of
Pannonia.72 None of these communities would have identified themselves as
68 The law is in the names of Valentinian, Theodosius, and Arcadius; however Humfress
characterizes this law as a deliberate attack by Valentinian against “Theodosius’ defini-
tion of orthodoxy” which established an inclusive rather than exclusive definition of
orthodoxy. Humfress, “Law and Orthodoxy”, p. 146.
69 The Council of Rimini (Ariminum) took place in 359. The creeds promulgated at Rimini
and at the parallel Council at Seleucia, and finally in Constantinople in 360 state that Jesus
was “like the Father (homoios) as the divine Scriptures teach.” The Creed of Ariminum/
Rimini is preserved in Theodoret, Historia Ecclesiastica 2.21. The creed accepted at
Constantinople can be found in Athanasius, De Synodis 30, translated in Kelly, Early
Christian Creeds, p. 293.
70 CT 16.1.4.
71 The important study by Zeiller remains worthwhile: “Étude sur l’arianisme”, especially
pp. 128–36, on the non-Nicene Church in Italy and the Ostrogoths. Many non-Nicene
churches such as those known for Milan and Aquileia, were 4th-century foundations and
it is difficult to trace their existence into the second half of the 5th century. Possible 5th-
century non-Nicene churches have been detected (largely in literary sources) in Naples,
Grado, and Spoleto. See Cecchelli, “L’arianesimo”, pp. 757–9, 761–73; Cecchelli/Bertelli,
“Edifici”, pp. 235–8. Textual evidence for the communities is largely limited to the later 4th
and 5th centuries and includes the Collectio Veronensis, so-called Arian scholia edited by
Gryson, the Anonymi in Iob Commentarius and the opus imperfectum in Matthaeum. For
scholia see: Scripta Arriana Latina: Collectio Veronensis, Scholia in Concilium Aquileiense,
Fragmenta in Lucam rescripta, Fragmenta theologica rescripta, Volume 1, ed. R. Gryson,
Turnhout 1982. A list of so-called Arian Latin sources can be found in the Dekkers, Clavis
Patrum Latinorum, pp. 680–708.
72 Meslin, Les Ariens, pp. 59–99. Whether or not 5th- and 6th-century Italy, together with the
Balkans, was an “Arian stronghold” as claimed by Patrick Amory can be debated. However
it does seem likely that an indigenous non-Nicene Christianity remained part of the reli-
gious landscape long after its supposed defeat by Ambrose of Milan at the Council of
Aquileia (381).