Fourth Century Church Chronology

Here are fourth century excerpts from an extensive church timeline. It's an impressive amount of work - and though I don't agree with everything the compiler chose to include/not include, it's still very helpful for anyone pulling together information on the fourth century.

301 Diocletian set the stage for the Middle Ages with an edict which forced tradesmen to remain in their trades and their descendants to follow in their footsteps. Tenants were compelled to remain on their land for life.

303 9th Persecution of the Church, under Diocletian. When augurs could no longer find the usual signs on the livers of sacrificed animals, Diocletian consulted the oracle of Apollo at Miletus. The god blamed the Christians. On 23 Feb 303, the Christian cathedral in Nicomedia was torn down. The next day, an edict declared all churches were to be destroyed, all Bibles and liturgical books surrendered, sacred vessels confiscated, and all meetings for (Christian) worship forbidden.

306 A dispute arose between Peter, bishop of Alexandria, and Meletius, bishop of Lycopolis. Peter had Meletius deposed for fomenting discord: Meletius was critical of the light penances Peter imposed on those who lapsed during Diocletian’s persecution. Persecution began again in 308, and Meletius was exiled to the mines in Palestine. He returned in 311, and led a schism after being excommunicated by Peter. The Meletians were to become allies of the Arians against Athanasius.

312 Constantine defeated his rival Maxentius at the battle of the Milvian bridge outside Rome. The legend is, on the way to this battle, he saw a cross in the sky one afternoon with the words Hoc vince (by this conquer), and he adopted the cross as his standard. He was emperor in the West.

313 Constantine issued the Edict of Milan: Christianity was given a legal status equal to paganism.

314 On 1 August, Constantine, Emperor of the West, called the Council of Arles (Arelate), a general council of the Western church, presided over by the bishops of Arles and Syracuse.

326 The first St. Peter’s Basilica was begun in Rome. It was finished roughly 30 years later. The church was demolished early in the sixteenth century and a new church was erected.

335 The Despositio Martyrum, a calendar of Roman martyrs, had been written by this year.

335 According to Eusebius of Caesarea in his biography of Constantine, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem was dedicated in this year.

337 Constantine was baptized by Eusebius of Nicomedia, and died, May 22. Constantine delayed baptism until the point of death as was common in the fourth century, but considered himself a Christian from 313.

347 In August, the Western emperor Constans exiled Donatus and other Donatist leaders to Gaul. Donatus died there in 355. The emperor Julian allowed the Donatists to return to Africa in 361.

350 At around this time Codex Sinaiticus (S, or Aleph) was written. It consists of the Septuagint (without 2-3 Maccabees, the Psalms of Solomon, or Psalm 151) plus the 27 New Testament books, plus Barnabas and Hermas (though it is missing Hermas 31:7 to the end of the book). Sinaiticus is of the Alexandrian family, but is regarded as transmitting a Western text.

353 Hilary became bishop of Poitiers. He violently denounced people who held that Mary had not remained a virgin after Jesus’ birth, and maintained that Jesus’ brothers were Joseph’s children by an earlier marriage.

353 The emperor Constantius felt that the way to oust the Nicene bishops, Athanasius in particular, was to have the Western bishops, historically Athanasius’ supporters, condemn him. At Constantius’ wish, a council was held at Arles to consider the old charges against Athanasius. The council was run by the Arian bishop of Arles, Saturninus. Athanasius was found guilty by nearly all present. However, Constantius was too busy with a war on the frontiers of Gaul to proceed further against Athanasius at that time.

354/5 The emperor Constantius had a council meet at Milan to condemn Athanasius. Three bishops who disagreed with Constantius’ desired verdict of guilty were sent into exile.

In this year, Hilary of Poitiers began to induce bishops of Gaul to withdraw from communion with Saturninus of Arles, and with Ursacius and Valens, the disciples of Arius who were now influential with Constantius. Hilary also wrote a letter to Constantius protesting that Athanasius had been found innocent by councils long before, and the Arians guilty – so it was egregious for the condemned to be allowed to intrigue against the innocent.

356 Hilary of Poitiers exiled to Asia after being found guilty of some unspecified misconduct by a council at Beziers, presided over by Saturninus. Many Western bishops who refused to condemn Athanasius were sent East during this period.

361 Constantius died, November 3, 361. Julian “the Apostate” became emperor. He died in 363 during a campaign against the Persians. Julian proclaimed his paganism and, in hopes of further disrupting the church, published an edict recalling all bishops exiled by Constantius. Julian also gave permission and provided funds for the Jews to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. This project was terminated by an earthquake.

Ambrose mentions (Letter 40) that the Jews burned two basilicas in Damascus, others in Gaza, Ascalon, Berytus and Alexandria during Julian’s reign.

361 First mention of Epiphany in the West. Its observance in Gaul was noted by Ammianus Marcellinus, a pagan. Curiously, there is no record of December 25 observance in transalpine Gaul during the fourth century.

362 On Feb 9, Julian published an edict that recalled the bishops who had been exiled by Constantius.

367-9 Christians in Gaul persecuted during the Eastern emperor Valens’ Gothic war.

371 St. Martin became bishop of Tours. A child of pagan parents, Martin had become a Christian when he was 10 years old. He was forced into the Roman army, but petitioned the Emperor Julian the Apostate, and was eventually discharged. He then became an evangelist, working in Pannonia and Illyricum. In 360, he joined Hilary of Poitiers in that city, then founded the first monastery in Gaul, at Liguge (near Poitiers). As bishop, Martin continued to act as an evangelist, especially in Touraine and the countryside where the faith was little known.

384 A synod meeting in Bourdeaux (Burdigala, Aquitania), attended by Martin of Tours, condemned Priscillianism (see 380, Saragossa). Though Martin opposed the killing of heretics, the Emperor Magnus Maximus (383-88) had Priscillian executed.

385 The Pilgrimage of Sylvia, written about this time, described the journey to Palestine by a devout lady (Sylvia, or Etheria) from Gaul. Silvia stated that on Ascension Day (40 days after Easter) there was a solemn procession to the Mount of Olives. The procession ended at the church of the Ascension built on the mount by the Empress Helena. The Pilgrimage also mentions the Feast of Purification (or Hypapante, now celebrated on February 2) as being then observed in Jerusalem on 14 February, forty days after Epiphany, the date on which Christ’s birth was celebrated. Hypapante came to be called Candlemas because of the words of Simeon (Luke 2.32). See 542.

388 Ambrose, bishop of Milan, rebuked the emperor Theodosius for punishing rioters who had destroyed a Jewish synagogue.

389 St. Gregory of Nyssa composed his Commentary on the Canticle of Canticles. In this commentary, in his Life of Moses, and in other works, Gregory enunciated his mystical theology. Against the pagan notion that change is imperfection - which had led, in Origen, to the notion that men might fall into sin again, even in the future life - Gregory described the perfection of man as an eternal ascent into ever-increasing holiness. No changeless state is achievable, because God is wrapped in an impenetrable divine darkness - no created being can ever know him completely.

391 In two edicts issued this year and in 392, Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the empire. Paganism was proscribed.

394 Olympic games abolished.

395 Augustine bishop of Hippo (in North Africa). Died 430. Author of the Confessions, the City of God, etc. Apart from being the most influential Western theologian of the early church, Augustine was a strong exponent of Mary’s permanent virginity. He held that Mary was sinless, though not through her own will (as the Pelagians would have it) but by virtue of a special grace. Mary had, however, been born subject to original sin like all other humans. But she had been delivered from its effects by the grace of rebirth.