02Knights Templar - Julian Emperor
02Knights Templar - Julian Emperor
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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