Persecution of the Way and Early Church Fathers

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  • 64

    Great Fire of Rome

    Nero launches persecutions of Christians.
  • 70

    Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus

  • 81

    Persecution under Domitian

    From 81-96
  • 88

    St. Clement I is Pope

    Restored the Sacrament of Confirmation according to the rite of St. Peter, martyred in 97.
  • 110

    St. Ignatius of Antioch martyred

  • 112

    Trajan’s Rescript in response to Pliny

  • 115

    St. Sixtus I is Pope; died in 125

  • 123

    Hadrian’s Rescript

  • 125

    St. Telesphorus is Pope; martyred in 136

    He composed the Gloria in Excelsis Deo
  • 155

    St. Polycarp martyred

  • 161

    St. Justin Martyr dedicates his Second Apology

  • 180

    St. Irenaeus writes Against Heresies

  • 196

    Tertullian begins writing

  • 203

    Sts. Perpetua and Felicity are martyred in the arena at Carthage

  • 215

    Origen begins writing

  • 250

    Edict of Decius orders empire-wide persecution of Christians

  • 257

    Valerian Rescript in 257 and 258

  • 293

    Diocletian creates the Tetrarchy

  • 303

    “Great Persecution” begins under Diocletian

  • 312

    Constantine adopts Christian symbol before battle

  • 313

    Edict of Milan

  • 315

    Eusebius becomes Bishop of Caesarea

  • 324

    Constantine defeats Licinius at Chrysopolis; becomes sole emperor of Rome

  • 325

    First Coundil of Nicæa

    Condemns Arianism and formulates the Nicene Creed
  • 330

    City of Constantinople dedicated as “New Rome”

  • 337

    St. Julius I is the 35th Pope

    Considered to be the founder of the archives of the Holy See
  • 337

    Constantine is baptized on his deathbed by the Arian Eusebius of Nicomedia

  • 358

    Saint Basil the Great founds monastic community

  • 361

    Pagan revival under Emperor Julian the Apostate

  • 364

    Saint Basil becomes Bishop of Caesarea

  • 367

    St. Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, cites 27 NT canon

  • 374

    St. Ambrose becomes Bishop of Milan

  • 380

    Emperor Theodosius decrees Christianity official religion of the empire

  • 381

    Council of Constantinople I; Apostle’s Creed

  • 382

    St. Jerome begins the Vulgate Latin Bible

  • 390

    St. Ambrose excommunicates Emperor Theodosius

  • 393

    Theodosius forbids pagan Olympic Games

    Closes temple of Zeus at Olympia
  • 395

    Saint Augustine ordained Bishop of Hippo

  • 410

    Visigoths sack Rome under King Alaric

  • 418

    Franks take Gaul

  • 429

    St. Benedict founds monastery at Monte Cassino

  • 430

    St. Augustine dies

  • 431

    Council of Ephesus

    Third ecumenical- defined Mary to be the Mother of God
  • 445

    Emperor Valentinian III acknowledges papal supremacy

  • 446

    Council of Chalcedon

    Fourth Ecumenical- defined the human and divine natures of Christ in one Person
  • 447

    St. Leo I (the Great) meets Attila the Hun

  • 476

    End of Roman Empire

    last emperor is Romulus Augustulus
  • 493

    Theodoric the Ostrogoth becomes King of Italy

  • 555

    Second Council of Constantinople

    Fifth ecumenical- called by Emperor Justinian
  • 570

    Muhammad born at or near Mecca

  • 599

    St. Gregory, 590-604

  • 611

    Muhammad has a vision of Archangel Gabriel

  • 624

    Muhammad defeats Meccans at Battle of Badr

  • 637

    Jerusalem is captured by Muslim

  • 640

    Library of Alexandria destroyed with 300,000 ancient papyrus scrolls

  • 680

    Third Coundil of Constantinople

    Sixth Ecumenical
  • 684

    Dome of the Rock built over the Temple