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This period of time was important as emperors were too busy to worry about church issues. It allowed for Christianity to spread and gain ground across the empire.
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Men in Syria and Egypt who chose to be anti-culture. They became a religious nomand who was seen as a connecting point to a unseen God. He was known in communities as a patron, intercessor, living bible, curser, and advisor.
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Diocletion makes Christians outcasts in society.
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Alliances were created with Silvanus that brought about the begining of Donatism
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In a decisive battle, Constantine wins over his enemy, Maxentius. Constantine believes this was all on account of God.
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In a vision Constantine sees in a dream the cross of Christ on the shields of his soldiers. Takes this as God's command to win the battle. Accounts say this was his conversion experience.
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This Edict signed by Constantine granted tollerance to all religions. It was a starting point for the rise of Christianity.
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Decided against Donatists
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Decided against Donatists
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Constantine took an active role in this council. Some say he was responsible for the outcome. In the end it decided not only how to understand Jesus as the son of God, but also placed decision making for the church into the hands of the Emperor.
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Constantinople was created to be a New Rome on the frontier of the Roman world. It was Constantine's pride an joy and eventual resting place.
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A time of conflict for the Church. Constantius II overturned the decision at Nicaea and declared Aruis to be more philosopically right. Athanasius was exiled five times.
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Brought on by Constantine's conversian to Christianity and push into Persian territory, Christians were not tollerated by the Persian Empire.
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During this period of histroy, much of the Roman world is governened by its powerful bishops who define what Christianity will look like in the empire. They included, Ambrose of Milan (374-397) Basil at Caesarea (370-379) John of Chrysostom at Antioch and Constantinople (398-409) and Augustine of Hippo (395-430).
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Anthony, the hermit dies and becomes the father of monks. Lived to be 105 and spent some seventy years in the desert.
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Julian was known as the Apostate. He flaunted the long beard of the Greek philosopher and promoted the return of Hellenistic culture.
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For the first time since the rise of the Roman Empire, Rome is attacked and invaded.
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Augustine begins work on his book, The City of God. He wrote it to explain Christianity's viewpoints in contrast to surrounding religions. It included his work on the Trinity and urged men to look to heaven instead of to politics.
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This ecumenical council decided upon the doctrine of Theotokos, the Blessed Virgin. It condemned the teachings of Nestorius.
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Decided on the Eutychian controversy and established an understanding of the human and divine natures of Christ.
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This was a time of great success for Byzantium. Territory was reconquered and peace was acheived with Persia. It was a time of Roman Renewal.
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Angered by Justinian's ministers, the people and Senate of Constantinople united against its ruler. Half the city was burned. Led by Bleisarius the imperial troops enter the Hyppodrome and kill about 30,000 rioters.
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Agreement between Byzantine Empire and Sassanid Persia for peace. Only lasted 8 years.
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Through Justinian, the empire began to re-conquer lost territory. In 533, his general Belisarius helped to accomplish this feat in Africa. The coin pictured was made to commemorate his victories.
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Built upon the codes of Theodosius, Justinian again compiled all the Roman law in this work.
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This was a time of political turmoil for the Empire. The plague made its appearance durring this time. Persia broke off its truce, and Slavs from the north invaded. It was a time of Roman survival.
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These few years were one of the worst outbreaks of the Plague in Constantinople. It is estimated that over 10,000 people died from it in these years. Justinian himself fell subject to the disease.
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Pictured here is a mosaic of Justinian and his prise accomplisment, the Hagia Sophia.
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During this time, Khusro the II made great advances to overtake the Byzantine Empire.
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During this period of time, Muhammad comes onto the scene. He begins the labor intensive process of unifying the nomadic culture of Islam.
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He had risen in popularity and after his return to Mecca made transformations in commercial practice and began to issue in a religious empire. The unification of Arabia had begun. Pictured here is a painting of Muhammad receiving a city, likely Mecca, from an angel.
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By 711 Islam had made its way across Africa, over the Mediterranean Sea and into the provinces of France.
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During the rule of Leo III, the movement attempting to rid the church of idol like worship of pictures.
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Icons return due to miltary approval.
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Anthony, a young man in Egypt began to live the life of a hermit. He removed himself from culture and went further and further into the desert.
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This was part of Justinians success. Thier removal from Rome forced peace between the Roman Empire and the Ostrogoths. Pictured here is Justinian with his trusted advisors.
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Otherwise known as the Second Council of Ephesus. Was not accepted as eccumenical because of the controversial proceedings. They discussed Nestorianism, Monophysitism, Christology. Pictured is an icon depicting this council.
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Icons are restored to the church in Constantinople. This is a major dividing point between the East and West churches. Pictured is an icon depicting this event.
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Icons are declared ok in the tradition of the Church. Pictured here is a depiction of that council.
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To curb the rebellion in Thessalonica, Theodosius sends his army to retalliate. The result was the mass murder of 7000. Pictured here is a depiction of Theodosius attempting to enter the church. Ambrose would not allow him due to his sin.
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This document gathered all the Roman laws from Constantine till Theodosius. The code discusses political, socioeconomic, cultural and religious subjects of the fourth and fifth century in the Roman Empire.
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Durring his rule a second round of iconoclasm occurs.
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![Codex Theodosianus [The Theodosian Code]](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.timetoast.com/public/uploads/photo/1155355/image/506edc34fa0ebe212e5712b8b78246d6?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAJB6ZCNNAN7BE7WDQ%2F20250917%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20250917T223442Z&X-Amz-Expires=604800&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=7b8a00c017551dbbb425d9ed111d10b65fda9d79b76fe80219279ef62857832a)