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Χρονικόν
EL · Ελληνικά

Chronicle X of XIV

Roman & Byzantine Egypt

Aegyptus

Rome's breadbasket becomes a Christian land, from Augustus to the Arab conquest.

Span
30 BCE – 641 CE
Entries
10
  1. 30 BC

    Roman ProvincePolitical

    Augustus annexes Egypt

    After the death of Cleopatra, Octavian makes Egypt his personal domain, a uniquely governed province and the indispensable granary of Rome.

    Meanwhile, elsewhere · 3

  2. The Coming of ChristianityReligious

    Saint Mark and the Church of Alexandria

    By tradition the Evangelist Mark brings Christianity to Alexandria, founding one of the oldest churches in the world and the seat of the future Coptic patriarchate.

    Meanwhile, elsewhere · 3

  3. Alexandrian LearningCultural

    The Catechetical School of Alexandria

    Scholars such as Clement and Origen make Alexandria the intellectual capital of early Christianity, fusing Greek philosophy with Christian theology.

    Meanwhile, elsewhere · 3

  4. The Era of MartyrsReligious

    The Great Persecution

    Diocletian's persecution falls with terrible force on Egypt's Christians; so many die that the Coptic Church dates its calendar from his reign as the Era of Martyrs.

    Meanwhile, elsewhere · 3

  5. The Desert FathersReligious

    The birth of Christian monasticism

    In the Egyptian desert, Saint Anthony's solitary life and Saint Pachomius' communal rule give birth to monasticism, which spreads across the Christian world.

    Meanwhile, elsewhere · 3

  6. Christian TriumphReligious

    The destruction of the Serapeum

    Following the anti-pagan edicts of Theodosius, the patriarch Theophilus leads the destruction of the great temple of Serapis, the proud symbol of pagan Alexandria.

    Meanwhile, elsewhere · 3

  7. Christian TriumphCultural

    The murder of Hypatia

    The renowned philosopher and mathematician Hypatia is murdered by a Christian mob in Alexandria, an act long remembered as a symbol of the eclipse of classical learning.

    Meanwhile, elsewhere · 3

  8. The Coptic ChurchReligious

    The Council of Chalcedon and the schism

    The Council of Chalcedon's definition of Christ's two natures is rejected by most Egyptians, splitting the Coptic Church from the imperial Church of Constantinople.

    Meanwhile, elsewhere · 3

  9. 2 more entries, to AD 641