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02Knights Templar - Julian Emperor

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Saints in Eastern Christianity<br />

The early Christian communities of the Eastern Roman<br />

Empire at times suffered terrible persecution under emperors<br />

such as Diocletian who ruled from 284 AD to 305 AD.These<br />

periods of oppression often led individuals to retreat into remote<br />

areas to practise their faith, and their lives and actions<br />

(as we shall see) proved to be an important influence on<br />

Christian philosophy and thought. However, Christians were<br />

to gain a new champion in the shape of Constantine the Great<br />

who ruled as sole emperor from 324 AD to 337 AD and is regarded<br />

as the first Christian emperor. The lives of the saints<br />

discussed in this chapter reflect the changing face of the<br />

Christian Church and the often-tumultuous events that they<br />

lived through and, in many cases, directly influenced.<br />

St Anthony Abbot<br />

St Anthony was born in the village of Coma or Koman in<br />

Upper Egypt in 251 AD and for this reason is often referred<br />

to as Anthony of Egypt. He is a particularly interesting figure<br />

within Christianity in that he was to influence prominent later<br />

Christians such as St Augustine and was extremely popular<br />

during the Middle Ages. He himself was arguably influenced<br />

by pre-Christian traditions and philosophers.According to the<br />

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