Milestones of Christian History - A History of Degradation in Dates and Persons

Some milestones of Christian history. The history of degradation in dates and faces. (Material from Alexander Novak's personal website)

Rome

301-302 Gregory the Proselyte, who was later called the “enlightener of Armenia”, during a natural disaster, taking advantage of Eastern superstition, managed to baptize and convert the king of Armenia, Tridates III (the Great), to Christianity. Tridat, inspired by the speeches of the prophet Elijah (Ilya, "My God and Jehovah") on Mount Carmillon, ordered a massacre of pagan priests and turned into Christian churches or houses for reading Christian sermons all the temples of Anaitida, Mithras, Ormuzd and Greek and Roman gods. All the magnificent libraries of Armenia, collected over the centuries by Hellenistic sovereigns, were burned "because of demonic knowledge."

309.  To show their strength, the most courageous Christians burned the temple of the goddess Fortuna.

313  Bishop Irenaeus, however, declared: "Christians do not need laws, because they are above laws." Saint Anthony the Great, the founder of monasticism, openly incites the immediate suppression of the pagan world ... by fire.

314 Immediately after its full legalization by the Roman emperor Flavius ​​Valerius Constantine, the Christian Church goes on an attack on the pagan religion: the Synod in Ankara slanders the cult of the goddess Diana (Artemis), accusing it ... of witchcraft and the adoration of the Christian Satan.

319  Constantine issues a decree according to which the Church is completely exempt from paying taxes, and Christian clergy are exempt from military service.

324  Emperor Constantine declares Christianity the only official cult of the empire. He gives up the temple of the oracle of Apollo in the city of Didyma in Asia Minor for looting, tortures all the priests and kills them, accusing them of high betrayal. Sudden persecution of the pagans on the sacred mountain Athos and destroys all temples and sanctuaries.

326At the instigation of his mother Helena, who is considered a Christian saint, Emperor Constantine kills his first wife Fausta. Elena goes with her "spiritual guides" to Jerusalem, where, despite the fact that Jewish law provided for the burning of all crosses without exception after the execution of criminals on them, Elena - as Christian literature 114 years later claims without a shadow of a doubt, ("discovered" ) (naturally, with the help of ... Jewish rabbis, who intended to seriously cash in on the plunder of the Hellenic temple treasures accumulated over one and a half thousand years) intact (whole) so-called "holy cross", on which Yeshua was allegedly crucified, according to the Christian traditional version of events . On the instructions of Elena, her son demolishes the temple of the god of medicine Aesculapius in Aiges in Silisia from the face of the earth and, with the help of his columns, erects Christian churches. In addition, they are destroying the Temple of Venus in Jerusalem, as it was allegedly built on the site of the hypothetical tomb of Rabbi Yeshua; he also destroys other temples to this goddess, such as, for example, Apake, Mambra, Pheniccia, Baalbeke (Iioiopoli), etc.

330  Christians plunder and set fire to the sanctuary of the Roman god Apollo in Bayi and lynch its priests. On the date indicated by astrologers (May 11, “The sun is near Sagittarius with the influence of Cancer, therefore the city is religious”), Constantine transfers the capital of the Roman Empire to the city of Constantinople he founded, which he decorates by plundering pagan sanctuaries and temples for this.

335  Inauguration of the church ... "of the Holy Sepulcher (Holy Sepulcher)", built on the site of the ruins of the temple of Venus (Aphrodite) in 326-327. For the sake of her decoration, all pagan sanctuaries and temples in Palestine and Asia Minor were plundered. By special imperial order, all “oracles and those accused of magic” were crucified as ... the perpetrators of a poor harvest this year. Together with them was martyred Sopater, the Neoplatonic philosopher, who personally tried to convince Constantine to return paganism through the path laid down by philosophy, and aroused the hatred of Christians who visited his court.

337  The dying Constantine was baptized by the Arian bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia. Many years later, the church recognized him and his mother as saints, and they began to be called "Saint Constantine" and "Saint Helena."

341  Emperor Flavius ​​Julius Kostantz (son of Constantine) announced the persecution of "all soothsayers and adherents of Hellenism." Many pagans were thrown into prison or executed.

346 Large-scale persecution of pagans announced in Constantinople. The famous orator Liban was expelled, accused of practicing magic.

353  Edict of Constance introduces the death penalty for anyone who worships in any way using sacrificial offerings

354  With a new edict of Constance repeats the prohibition of all cults with the use of sacrifices and statues and again approves the death penalty for this worship and orders all pagan sanctuaries to be sealed and desecrated, given to gambling and prostitutes, i.e. turn them into gambling houses and brothels. Bishop Liberius of Rome decides to celebrate the birthday of Yeshua on December 25, the day when the pagans celebrated the birth of the Invincible Sun.

361-363  Emperor Flavius ​​Claudius Julian, who entered Constantinople on December 11, 361, declared full religious tolerance. George Natiantzinos (Invectives (Swear words) against Julian, I 58-61) protests, stating that by doing so Christians were deprived of ... the joy of martyrdom.

363  Julian orders the elimination of the miasma (harmful fumes) from the remains of Saint Babyla (a bishop from Antioch who was considered a great martyr in the era of Decius, but in fact was executed by Emperor Philip the Arab for the murder of Gordian, ... who refused him in Holy Communion). Christians set fire to the temple after they took the remains from there. On June 26, Julian was savagely killed by a Christian from his retinue while fighting the Persians.

364  The new emperor Flavius ​​Jovian ordered the library in Antioch to be burned.

364 On  September 11, an imperial decree is issued, under pain of death, forbidding the pagan cult. To the set of tortures that the pagans are subjected to, crushing of the ribs with the help of iron hooks is added. Examination of the entrails in the wombs is punishable by death ("to get rid of curiosity in connection with predictions forever"). Three decrees of February 4, September 9 and December 23 confiscate the property of pagan sanctuaries, which were restored under Julian, and again private individuals are forbidden to perform rituals, make sacrifices and sing songs (meaning ritual ones). The synod in Laodesey recommends that astrologers and Christians who celebrate the Sabbath be punished with death.

365  Imperial decree of November 17 forbids pagan officers from commanding Christian soldiers. The pagan Vesius Agorius Pretextatus rebuilds in Rome at his own expense (despite the protest of the pope) the sanctuary of the Twelve Olympian gods.

370  Emperor Valens "breaks the chain", launching a large-scale persecution of pagans throughout the eastern part of the empire with an epicenter in Antioch (as a result of which the ex-governor Fidustius and the priests Hilary, Patricius and others were tortured to death). A huge number of books were burned in the squares, and thousands of innocent people were tortured and killed, who simply refused to betray the traditions of their ancestors. All the famous collaborators of Julian (Orebasius, Salustius, Pegasius and others) were among the victims of the persecution. After monstrous torment, the philosopher Simonides was burned alive at the stake, and on March 12 they cut off the head of the philosopher Maxim.

370-371  The Western emperor Valens, who hated the well-dressed, the cultured, the wealthy, and the nobility (which the historian Marcellinus Amian Marcellinus emphasizes), "breaks loose" by launching a persecution against the Roman pagans. Thousands of people were exiled, tortured or killed, and all their property was confiscated and given to the church.

372.  Overwhelmed by a hysterical fear of magic, Emperor Valens allows Fist, the governor of Asia, to exterminate all pagans and destroy their works. People in fear began to burn their libraries to the ground to avoid danger. Others were handed over to the executioners.

375  "Saint" Martin completes the destruction of pagan temples in Galatia and builds monasteries on their ruins. Christians of the Eastern Empire seal the Asclepius Sanctuary in Epidavros and fine/punish any signs associated with the local cult, including theatrical performances.

376  The indecisive Western emperor Gratian allows the Christian community of Rome to destroy many of the shrines of Mithra and the traditional sanctuaries of the pagan cult in the "eternal city", abolishes the exemption from taxes on property that belonged to the "pagan" priests, prohibits the transfer of new property to them and confiscates all their movable property . Under the leadership of Bishop Ambrosius of Damascus, he orders the Altar of Victory to be removed again from the hall where the Senate meets, which Julian returned there; besides this, he renounces the title of "Pontifex Major" because it was "pagan". This title was then awarded to the Bishop of Damascus and later passed to the Pope.

385  In Trier, Germany, the first Christians, the Spaniard Priscillian and six of his followers, were beheaded for heresy.

391  Rome. Emperor Theodosius I forbids all pagan cults. In the same year, on his orders, the Delphic Temple was destroyed.

392  Rome. Theodosius I issues a decree on the closure of all pagan temples. Some of them must be completely destroyed. Pagans are excluded from the army, administration and justice.

394  Theodosius bans the Olympic Games.

5th century

405  On the orders of Stilicho Flavius, Christians burn the Sibylline books.

409  Emperors Honorius and Theodosius II issued a law according to which mathematics and astronomy were considered witchcraft sciences.

415  In Alexandria in Egypt, a little after Easter, the bishop and future Christian saint Cyril incites a crowd of Christians to the monstrous murder of the famous and beautiful mathematician, writer and philosopher Hypatia, who manages the famous Alexandrian library. Hypatia - this outstanding woman - belongs to the invention of the hydrometer .. She was brought to the patriarchal church of St. Michael, where the Christians ... tore her into pieces, which, after they twirled them, speaking in procession along the city street, finally burned them on a huge fire along with all her writings near Kynaron. After the murder of Hypatia, the Christians destroy the library itself. On August 30, a new order was issued to arrest and crucify or burn alive all the pagan priests of North Africa.

What is most interesting, in the 10th century, the lives of St. Catherine of Alexandria will appear, very similar to the life of Hypatia. Only with the difference that Catherine was torn to pieces by the pagans, what hypocrisy!

415  Bishop Cyril of Alexandria distributed the property of the Jews to a crowd of Christians. By his decrees, Theodosius II forbade Jews to build synagogues and act as judges in cases involving Christians, as well as to own Christian slaves. Under this emperor, the physician Gamaliel VI was the last Jewish patriarch. In 415. Theodosius annulled his powers, leaving him only a title until his death in 426.

429,  the primates (church leaders) were ordered to transfer the taxes of the Jews directly to the treasury.

438  Rome. A law comes into force that provides for the death penalty for pagans.

408-450 AD  The Christian emperor Theodosius II (408-450) even executed children for playing with fragments of pagan statues.

448  Not being able to defeat Neoplatonism as a result of philosophical discussion, Christians did not find a better way out of this situation than to burn all copies of the critical treatise of Porphyry (a student of Plotinus) “Against the Christians” found and seized from Roman citizens.

451  Rome. The death penalty is also being introduced for those who provide their homes to pagans for pagan cults.

6th century

529  Emperor Justinian closes the Academy in Athens by edict and confiscates its property. The last seven teachers find refuge with the king of Persia Khosroy, who provides them with chairs at the University of Jundishapur.

562  Justinian gives three months to the pagan Greeks in Athens, Antioch, Palmyra and Constantinople to renounce the cult of the fathers (paganism), and after that follows the rampage of the crowd, arrests, ridicule and mockery, torture, imprisonment and death penalty pagans. On Kinigui (“Hunting”) Square in Constantinople, thousands of books and many privately owned statues are burned on huge bonfires. Artisans and families are held accountable for the religious beliefs of their members. As well as the masters for the religious beliefs of their slaves.

590  Throughout the Eastern Empire (Byzantium), Christian spies are constantly informing on the "open" conspiracies of the pagans. New executions in the form of impalement, crucifixion and beheading. Pope Gregory, who received the nickname the Great (590-604), sat on the papal throne, and, a little later, he will burn the library from the Palatine Hill of Apollo, founded by Octavian Augustus himself, since “the alien wisdom contained in it should not prevent the faithful from entering the kingdom of heaven” .

Europe and Rus'

719  Pope Gregor entrusts Bishop (bishop) Boniface with missionary work among the Germanic tribes. In 723, Boniface cuts down with his own hand the well-known shrine of the Germans - the Oak of Donar (the god Thor) in the Land of Hesse and builds a chapel from it.

956-986  Harald the Blue-toothed is trying to introduce Christianity into Denmark by force, until 960, Hakon the Good and Tryggvi, the father of Olaf the Saint in Norway, does the same (”The Saga of the Yom Vikings”).

988  Book. Saint Vladimir (Basil: the name given at baptism) - the idols of Veles and Delight were exterminated, the idol of Perun was beaten with sticks and horses dragged through the whole of Kiev, the idols of Khors, Stribog, Simargl, Makoshi, Dazhdbog were destroyed. “And whoever doesn’t come will be disgusting to me,” said Vladimir. Rus' was baptized in a bloody font, illuminated by the reflection of conflagrations.

989-990  "Holy Prince Vladimir" in the process of baptism committed a massacre in Novgorod. Prince Vladimir, during the conquest and baptism of the White Croats, destroyed dozens of cities and villages. The establishment of the "Church Charter of St. Vladimir”, where the burning of the Magi was prescribed.

995-1002  Olaf Trygvasson begins the introduction of Christianity in Norway, desecrates the temple of Thor ("The Saga of Olaf Trygvasson").

1008  The sacred grove (Svyatobor) of the Sorbs near Merseburg was destroyed by the Bishop of Merseburg (Wagner's discourse on the idolatry of the ancient inhabitants of Misnia, Leipzig, 1698)

1018  Fire in Kiev. Christians, attributing it to evil sorcery, mercilessly kill many old women, imaginary sorceresses.

1022  Ten Cathars were burned in Orleans, betrayed by their students; among them were the confessor of King Robert I Etienne, the scholastic Lisa and the chaplain Heribert.

1063-1157  The temple of Radegast (Retrinsk Temple) in the city of Retra was repeatedly burned on the land of the Lutic-retarians. The last time by the German sovereign Lothar. Melted bronze idols of the Luticians, 85 pieces from the Temple, were found at the beginning of the 18th century and described in 1774-1795. Many figurines contain Slavic runic inscriptions, as on the Mikorzhinsky stones (Poland, Poznan Voivodeship).

1069-76  Pacification" of the Slavic-Finnish pagans of Beloozero by Jan Vyshatich. "The Tale of Bygone Years" and the Chronicler of Pereyaslavl-Zalessky. At the same time, Prince Gleb Svyatoslavich and Bishop Fedor massacre (genocide) pagans in Novgorod.

1071  “..Two Magi rose up near Yaroslavl… And they came to Belozero, and there were 300 people with them. When they were beaten and torn out with a split beard, Yan asked them: “What do the Gods say to you?” ... They answered: “So the Gods say to us: we will not be alive from you.” And Yan told them: “They told you the truth” ... And having seized them, they killed them and hung them on an oak tree ”(Laurentian Chronicle. PSRL, vol. 1, v. 1, L., 1962).

1091  The suppression of the Magi in Rostov (“the Magi will die soon”) - PSRL I-75-78, 92 and the Pereyaslav Chronicler.

1168  After the capture of Ruyan Island (Rügen, Germany) by the Danish king Valdemar I, the temple of Sventovit (Arkona) was desecrated and plundered. The idol of Sventovit, along with other images of pagan idols, was exterminated by Bishop Absalon (Helmgold "Slavic Chronicle". Until 1177).
1169  "Holy Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky" burned down Kiev.

1206  The idol of Makoshi was destroyed in Novgorod at the Market and the Church of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa was erected.

1210  France, Paris. Fourteen Amalrikans were burned alive, claiming the unity of God and the world.

1214  Paris. After the process carried out by Chancellor Guillaume Nogaret, the Grand Master of the Knights Templar Jacques Mole and other knights were burned.

1215  France, Paris. Two teachers of the Sorbonne University Almarich Bene and the scholastic philosopher David of Dinan were burned.

1227  Novgorod, four sorcerers were brought to the bishop's court and burned there: "four sorcerers were burned in Yaroslavl yard" with the permission of the archbishop. Nikonovskaya Chronicle, v.10, St. Petersburg, 1862: “Magi, sorcerers, accomplices appeared in Novogorod, and many sorcery, and indulgence, and signs worked. The Novogorodtsy caught them and brought the wise men to the courtyard of the husbands of Prince Yaroslav, and tied all the wise men, and threw them into the fire, and then they all burned down.

1239  In Mont-Aime, near Châlons-on-the-Marne, Inquisitor Robert Le Bougre burned 182 Cathars.

1250s  “Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky” committed a massacre in Novgorod (and this is not a battlefield, this is the murder of civilians, civilians).

1252  Bull Innocent IV "ad exstirpenda" (on destruction) on the introduction of torture to obtain a confession.

1285  Pilot book. "To excommunicate from the church those who go to the Magi and Obavniki."

End of the 13th century.  Justifying the practice of bloody reprisals against dissidents and resisters, the hierarchs of the Orthodox Church willingly referred to the activities of biblical characters. So, at the end of the 13th century, Bishop Serapion of Vladimir, calling for reprisals against “sorcerers” and “witches”, pointed to the example of the prophet and King David in Jerusalem, who eradicated “all those who work lawlessness: some by murder, others by imprisonment, and others by imprisonment in prison” [E. Petukhov, Serapion Vladimirsky, Russian preacher of the XIII century, St. Petersburg 1888, p. 65.]. Did the leaders of the church see that the extermination of people contradicts some provisions of the gospel sermon? They could not fail to see this, but they remembered the evangelical mercy only when it was beneficial for them.

1327  Italy, Florence. The Inquisition accuses him of witchcraft and sends Cecco Ascoli (Francesco Stabili), a famous Italian doctor, physicist, mathematician and astrologer, to the stake.

1375  Novgorod. Execution of heretics-strigolnikov.

1411  Pskov. 12 "prophetic zhonok" (sorcerers, witches) were burned.

1462  John of Mozhaisky, condemning the boyar Andrei Dmitrievich to death, publicly burned him at the stake along with his wife for imaginary magic.

1471-1484  Rome. Pope Sixtus IV, following the Judeo-Christian tradition, destroys the remains of the Temple of Hercules (Hercules Invictis).

1484  Bull of Innokenty VIII, 100 thousand people were convicted.

1485  Piedmont. 41 "witches" burned.

1490  The Council demanded the death penalty for heretics, Ivan III prevented it.

1499  The book "Instruction of the clergy". Against paganism, so that they would not accept offerings from the sorcerer, accomplice, gambler (buffoon), under the threat of renunciation of the church.

XV century Bishop of Novgorod writes to Metropolitan Zosima: “Ano Fryazova, according to their faith, what a fortress they hold! The ambassador of the Caesars told me about the Spanish king, how he cleansed his land, and sent those speeches and a list to you ”- they take envy, and I want to learn from the experience of the Inquisition ...

---

Предлагаем посмотреть другие страницы сайта:
← The Pagan roots of modern holidays | Pokrov - how they changed the essence of the holiday →