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The Creeds

Roman Emperors

  • Augustus, 27 BC–14
  • Tiberius, 14–37
  • Caligula, 37–41
  • Claudius, 41–54
  • Nero, 54–68
  • Vespasian, 69–79
  • Titus, 79–81
  • Domitian, 81–96
  • Trajan, 98–117
    • correspondence between Trajan and Pliny the Younger
  • Hadrian, 117–138
  • Antonius Pius, 138–161
  • Marcus Aurelius, 161–177
    • with Lucius Verus, 161–169
    • with Commodus, 177–180
  • Commodus, 180–192
  • Septimius Severus, 193–211
    • Pertinax, 193
    • Didius Julianus, 193
    • with Cara calla
    • with Cara calla and Geta, 209–211
    • with Geta, 211
  • Geta, 209–211
  • Cara calla, 211–217
  • Macrinus with Diadumenian, 217–218
  • Elagabalus, 218–222
  • Severus Alexander, 222–235
  • Maximinus the Thracian, 235–238
  • Gordian I & II, 238
  • Gordian III, 238–244
  • Philip the Arab, 244–249
  • Decius, 249–251
  • Valerian with son Gallienus, 253–260
  • Aemilianus, 253
  • Gallienus 253–268
  • Aurelian, 270–275
  • Diocletian, 284–305
  • Constantine I, 306–337
    • Constantine issues Edict of Milan, later signed by Licinius as well
    • Constantine writes about the Donatist Schism, c. 320
    • Constantine calls the Council of Nicaea, 325
  • Constantius II, 337–361
    • followed Arianism
  • Julian the Apostate, 360–363
  • Valens, 364–378
    • persecuted non-Arians
  • Gratian, 367–383
  • Theodosius, 379–395

The Councils

  • Council of Carthage, 220–225
    • key issue: validity of baptisms performed by heretics
    • declared baptisms performed by heretics to be invalid
  • Council of Nicaea (1st : 325), 1st ecumenical council
    • condemned Arianism
    • proclaimed the Son to be homoousion ("of one substance") with the Father
    • proclaimed the original Nicene Creed written by Athanasius, not to be confused with the later Nicaeo-Constantinopolitan Creed
    • pope, Sylvester I; and emperor, Constantine the Great
  • Council of Constantinople (1st: 381), 2nd ecumenical council
    • key issue: homousian (of the same essence or substance) or homoiusian (of similar or like essence or substance)
    • condemned Apollinarianism, Eunomianism, Sabellianism, and Macedonianism
    • adopted the Nicaeo-Constantinopolitan Creed, often commonly referred to as the Nicene Creed as distinguished from the Apostle's Creed
    • pope, Damascus I; and emperor, Theoldosius the Great
  • Council of Ephesus, 431, 3rd ecumenical council
    • key participants: Cyril of Alexandria, Memnon of Ephesus, Juvenal of Jerusalem, Candidianus
    • key issue: Nestorius' rejection of Theotokos
    • pope, Celestine I; emperor, Theodosius II
  • Council of Chalcedon, 451 (4th ecumenical council)
    • approved the creeds of both 325 and 381
    • approved Cyril's two letters against Nestorius and Leo I's tome
    • affirmed the unity in one person of Christ's divinity and humanity
    • affirmed Christ's two natures against Monophysitism, which affirmed only one
    • condemned Eutychianism
    • pope, Leo I, the Great; emperor, Marcian
  • Council of Orange, 529
  • Council of Constantinople (2nd: 553), 5th ecumenical council
    • condemned the "Three Chapters"
    • pope, Vigilius; emperor, JustinianI
  • Council of Constantinople (3rd: 680), 6th ecumenical council
    • condemned Monothelitism
    • pope, Agatho; emperor, Constantine IV
  • Council of Nicaea (2nd: 787), 7th ecumenical council
    • condemned iconoclasm
    • pope, Hadrian I; emperor, Constantine VI

Selected Books on the Church Councils

Catalog Searches for Martyrs & Persecutions

Persecutions & Martyrs

Nero, 64

  • martyrs: Peter and Paul

Domitian, c. 90–96

  • martyr: Clement
  • exile: John

Trajan, 98–117

  • martyrs: Ignatius (c. 110), Symeon, Rufus

Hadrian, 117–138

Antoninus Pius, 138–161

  • martyr: Polycarp

Marcus Aurelius, 161–180

  • martyrs: Justin Martyr, Scillitan martyrs
    • Acts of the Scillitan Martyrs

Septimus Severus, 202–211

  • martyrs: Leonidas, Irenaeus, Perpetua

Maximinus the Thracian, 235–236

  • martyrs: Ursula, Hippolytus

Decius, 249–251

  • required everyone (except Jews) to sacrifice to the gods
  • reason Cyprian went into hiding for a time
  • as a result of the apostasies that occurred, led to rise of Novatianism
  • martyr: Alexander of Jerusalem

Valerian, 257–260

  • martyrs: Origen, Cyprian, SixtusII​, and Novatian

Diocletian/Galerius, 303–311

  • led to Donatism

Selected Books on Christian Martyrs & Persecutions