INTRODUCTION

Timeline for the Middle Ages

• 391: The Theodosian decreesoutlaw most pagan rituals still practiced in Rome
• 396-430 Augustine, bishop of Hippo, considered the founder of formalized Christian theology (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers)
• 397? Saint Ninianevangelizes Picts in Scotland
• 398-404 John Chrysostom, Patriarch of Constantinople, see also List of Patriarchs of Constantinople, (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers)
• 400: Jerome‘s Vulgate(Latin edition and translation of the Bible) is published
• 400? Ethiopic Bible: in Ge’ez, 81 books, standard Ethiopian OrthodoxBible
• 400? PeshittaBible in Syriac (Aramaic), Syr(p), OT + 22 NT, excludes: 2Pt, 2-3Jn, Jude, Rev; standard Syriac Orthodox Church Bible
• 406 Armenian Bible, translated by Saint Mesrop, standard Armenian OrthodoxBible
• 410, 24 August: Sack of Rome by Alaricand the Visigoths
• 412-444 Cyril, bishop of Alexandria, coined Hypostatic union
• 418-419 Antipope Eulalius, rival to Pope Boniface I
• 420 St. Jerome, Vulgatetranslator, Latin scholar, cited expanded ending in Mark after Mark 16:8, Pericope of the Adultress addition to John (John 7:53-8:11) (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers)
• 423-457 Theodoret, bishop of Cyrrhus, noted Tatian’s Diatesseronin heavy use, wrote a Church History
• 431 Council of Ephesus, 3rd ecumenical: repudiated Nestorianism, decreed Mary the Mother of God, forbade any changes to Nicene Creed of 381, rejected by the Persian Church, leading to the Nestorian Schism
• 432 St Patrickbegins his mission in Ireland. Almost the entire nation is Christian by the time of his death in a conversion that is both incredibly successful and largely bloodless
• 440-461 Pope Leo the Great: sometimes considered the first pope (of influence) by non-Catholics, stopped Attila the Hunat Rome, issued Tome in support of Hypostatic Union, approved Council of Chalcedon but rejected canons in 453
• 449 Second Council of Ephesus, Monophysite: Jesus was divine but not human
• 450? Codex Alexandrinus(A): Alexandrian text-type; Codex Bezae(D): Greek/Latin Gospels + Acts; Codex Washingtonianus(W): Greek Gospels; both of Western text-type
• 450? std. Aramaic Targums, Old Testament in Aramaic
• 450? Socrates ScholasticusChurch History of 305-438; Sozomen Church History of 323-425
• 451 Council of Chalcedon, 4th ecumenical, declared Jesus is a Hypostatic Union: both human and divine in one (Chalcedonian Creed), rejected by Oriental Orthodoxy
• 455: Sack of Rome by the Vandals. The spoils of the Temple of Jerusalempreviously taken by Titus are allegedly among the treasures taken to Carthage
• 456? Eutychesof Constantinople, Monophysite
• 465? Prosper of Aquitaine
• 476, September 4 Emperor Romulus Augustusis deposed in Rome, marked by many as the fall of the Western Roman Empire
• 484-519 Acacian Schism, over Henoticon, divides Eastern (Greek) and Western (Latin) churches
• 491 Armenian Orthodoxsplit from East (Greek) and West (Latin) churches
• 495, May 13 Vicar of Christdecreed a title of Bishop of Rome by Pope Gelasius I
• 496 Clovis I, King of the Franks, baptized
• 498-499,501-506 Antipope Laurentius, rival of Pope Symmachus, Laurentian schism
• 500? Incenseintroduced in Christian church service, first plans of Vatican
• 524 Boethius, Roman Christian philosopher, wrote “Theological Tractates”, Consolation of Philosophy; (Loeb Classics) (Latin)
• 525 Dionysius Exiguusdefines Christian calendar (AD)
• 527 Fabius Planciades Fulgentius
• 529 Benedict of Nursiaestablishes his first monastery in the Abbey of Monte Cassino, Italy, where he writes the Rule of St Benedict
• 530 Antipope Dioscorus, possibly a legitimate Pope
• 535-536 Unusual climate changesrecorded
• 537-555 Pope Vigilius, involved in death of Pope Silverius, conspired with Justinianand Theodora, on April 11, 548 issued Judicatum supporting Justinian’s anti-Hypostatic Union, excommunicated by bishops of Carthage in 550
• 538 Byzantine general Belisarius defeats last Arian kingdom; Western Europe completely Catholic
• 541-542 Plague of Justinian
• 543 Justinian condemns Origen, disastrous earthquakes hit the world
• 544 Justinian condemns the Three Chaptersof Theodore of Mopsuestia (died 428) and other writings of Hypostatic Union Christology of Council of Chalcedon
• 550  Davidconverts Wales, crucifix introduced
• 553 Second Council of Constantinople, 5th ecumenical, called by Justinian
• 556-561 Pope Pelagius I, selected by Justinian, endorsed Judicatum
• 563 Columbagoes to Scotland to evangelize Picts, establishes monastery at Iona
• 567 Cassiodorus
• 589 Catholic Third Council of Toledo: Reccaredand the Visigoths convert from Arianism to Catholicism and Filioque clause is added to Nicene Creed of 381
• 590-604 Pope Gregory the Great, whom many consider the greatest pope ever, reforms church structure and administration and establishes Gregorian Chant, Seven deadly sins
• 591-628 Theodelinda, Queen of the Lombards, began gradual conversion from Arianism to Catholicism
• 596  Augustine of Canterburysent by Pope Gregory to evangelise the Jutes
• 600? Evagrius Scholasticus, Church History of AD431-594^[31]
• 604 Saxoncathedral created (by Mellitus) where St Paul’s Cathedral in London now stands
• 609 Pantheon, Romerenamed Church of Santa Maria Rotonda
• 612? Bobbiomonastery in northern Italy
• 613 Abbey of St. Gallin Switzerland
• 614 Khosrau II of Persiaconquers Damascus, Jerusalem, takes Holy Cross of Christ
• 622 Mohammed founds Islam after fleeing to Mecca
• 624 Battle of Badr, considered beginning of Islamic Empire
• 625 Paulinus of Yorkcomes to convert Northumbria
• 628 Babai the Great, pillar of Church of the East, dies
• 628-629 Battle of Mut’ah: Heracliusrecovers Cross of Christ and Jerusalem from Islam until 638
• 632 Eorpwald of East Angliabaptized under influence of Edwin of Northumbria
• 634-644 Umar, 2nd Sunni IslamCaliph: capital at Damascus, conquered Syria in 635, defeated Heraclius at Battle of Yarmuk in 636, conquered Egypt and Armenia in 639, Persia in 642
• 635 Cynegils of Wessexbaptized by Bishop Birinus
• 664 Synod of Whitbyunites Celtic Christianity of British Isles with Roman Catholicism
• 680-681 Third Council of Constantinople, 6th ecumenical, against Monothelites, condemned Pope Honorius I, Patriarch Sergius I of Constantinople, Heraclius’ Ecthesis
• 681-686 Wilfridconverts Sussex
• 687-691 Dome of the Rockbuilt
• 690? Old English Bible translations
• 692 Orthodox Quinisext Council, convoked by Justinian II, approved Canons of the Apostlesof Apostolic Constitutions, Clerical celibacy, rejected by Pope Constantine
• 698 Fall of Carthage
• 711-718 Umayyad conquest of Hispania
• 717-718 Second Arab siege of Constantinople
• 718-1492 Reconquista: Iberian Peninsularetaken by Roman Catholic Visigoth monarchs
• 718 Saint Boniface, archbishop of Mainz; an Englishman, given commission by Pope Gregory IIto evangelize the Germans
• 720? Disentis Abbeyof Switzerland
• 730-787 First Iconoclasm: Byzantine Emperor Leo IIIbans Christian icons; Pope Gregory II excommunicates him
• 731 English Church Historywritten by Bede
• 732 Battle of Tours stops Islam from expanding westward
• 750? Tower added to St Peter’s Basilica at the front of the atrium
• 752? Donation of Constantine, granted Western Roman Empireto the Pope (later proved a forgery)
• 756 Donation of Pepinrecognizes Papal States
• 781 Nestorian Stele, Daqin Pagoda, Jesus Sutras, Christianity in China
• 787 Second Council of Nicaea, 7th ecumenical: ends first Iconoclasm
• 793 Sacking of the monastery of Lindisfarnemarks the beginning of Viking raids on Christendom
• 800 King Charlemagneof the Franks is crowned first Holy Roman Emperor of the West by Pope Leo III
• 849-865 Ansgar, Archbishop of Bremen, “Apostle of the North”, began evangelisation of North Germany, Denmark, Sweden
• 855 Antipope Anastasius: Louis II, Holy Roman Emperorappoints him over Pope Benedict III but popular pressure causes withdrawal
• 863 Saint Cyril and Saint Methodiussent by the Patriarch of Constantinople to evangelise the Slavic peoples. They translate the Bible into Slavonic
• 869-870 Catholic Fourth Council of Constantinoplecondemns Patriarch Photius (rejected by Orthodox)
• 879-880 Orthodox Fourth Council of Constantinoplerestores Photius, condemns Pope Nicholas I and Filioque (rejected by Catholics)
• 897, January Cadaver Synod: Pope Stephen VIconducts trial against dead Pope Formosus, public uprising against Stephen leads to his imprisonment and strangulation
• 909 Abbey of Cluny, Benedictinemonastery, founded in France
• 966 Duke Mieszko Iof Poland baptised; Poland becomes a Christian country
• 984 Antipope Boniface VII, murdered Pope John XIV, alleged to have murdered Pope Benedict VIin 974
• 988? Christianization of Kievan Rus’
• 991 Archbishop Arnulf of Rheimsaccuses Pope John XV of being the Antichrist
• 997-998 Antipope John XVI, deposed by Pope Gregory Vand his cousin Holy Roman Emperor Otto III
• 1000 or 1001 Saint Stephenof Hungary crowned; Hungary becomes a Christian country
• 1001 Byzantine emperor Basil IIand Fatimid Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah execute a treaty guaranteeing the protection of Christian pilgrimage routes in the Middle East
• 1009 Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allahdestroys the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built over the tomb of Jesus in Jerusalem, and then rebuilds it to its current state
• 1012 Antipope Gregory VI, removed by Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor
• 1030 Battle of Stiklestad, considered victory of Christianity over Norwegian paganism
• 1045 Sigfrid of Sweden, Benedictine evangelist
• 1046 Council of Sutri: Pope Sylvester IIIexiled, Pope Gregory VI admits to buying the papacy and resigns, Pope Benedict IX resigns, council appoints Pope Clement II
• 1054 East–West Schismsplit between Eastern (Orthodox Christianity) and Western (Roman Catholic) churches formalized
• 1058–1059 Antipope Benedict X, defeated in war with Pope Nicholas IIand Normans
• 1061–1064 Antipope Honorius II, rival of Pope Alexander II
• 1065 Westminster Abbeyconsecrated
• 1073–1085 Pope Gregory VII: Investiture Controversywith Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor, proponent of clerical celibacy, opponent of simony, concubinage, Antipope Clement III
• 1079 Stanislaus of Szczepanów, patron saint of Poland
• 1080 Hospital of Saint John the Baptistfounded in Jeruselem by merchants from Amalfi and Salerno – serves as the foundation for the Knights Hospitaller
• 1082 Engelberg Abbeyof Switzerland built
• 1093–1109 Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, writes Cur Deus Homo(Why God Became Man), a landmark exploration of the Atonement
• 1095–1291 10 Crusades, first called by Pope Urban IIat Council of Clermont against Islamic Empire, to reconquer the Holy Land for Christendom
• 1098 Foundation of the reforming monastery of Cîteaux, leads to the growth of the Cistercianorder
• 1101 Antipope Theodoricand Antipope Adalbert deposed by Pope Paschal II
• 1113 Knights Hospitallerconfirmed by Papal bull of Pope Paschal II, listing Blessed Gerard (Gerard Thom) as founder, (a.k.a. Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, Knights of Malta, Knights of Rhodes, and Chevaliers of Malta)
• 1118 Knights Templarfounded, to defend Holy Land
• 1123 Catholic First Lateran Council
• 1124 Conversion of Pomerania– first mission of Otto of Bamberg
• 1128 Holyrood Abbeyin Scotland
• 1128 Conversion of Pomerania– second mission of Otto of Bamberg
• 1130 Peter of Bruysburned at the stake
• 1131 Tintern Abbeyfounded in Wales
• 1131–1138 Antipope Anacletus II
• 1139 Catholic Second Lateran Council
• 1140? Decretum Gratiani, Catholic Canon law
• 1142 Peter Abélard, Letters of Abelard and Heloise
• 1144 The Saint Denis Basilicaof Abbot Suger is the first major building in the style of Gothic architecture
• 1154–1159 Pope Adrian IV, first (and to date only) English pope
• 1155 Theotokos of Vladimirarrives to Bogolyubovo
• 1155 Carmelitesfounded
• 1163 Construction begins on Notre Dame de Paris
• 1168 Conversion of Pomerania– Principality of Rugia missioned by Absalon
• 1173 Waldensiansfounded
• 1179 Catholic Third Lateran Council
• 1191 Teutonic Knightsfounded
• 1204–1261 Latin Empireof Constantinople
• 1205 Saint Francis of Assisibecomes a hermit, founding the Franciscan order of friars; renounces wealth and begins his ministry
• 1208 Start of the Albigensian Crusadeagainst the Cathars
• 1214 Rosaryis reportedly given to  Dominic (who founded Dominican Order) by an apparition of Mary
• 1215 Catholic Fourth Lateran Councildecrees special dress for Jews and Muslims, and declares Waldensians, founded by Peter Waldo, as heretics. One of the goals is the elimination of the heresy of the Cathars
• 1219 Francis of Assisi crosses enemy lines during the Fifth Crusade to speak to Sultan al-Kamil; the meeting ends with a meal. James of Vitry writes that Muslim soldiers returned Francis and another friar, Illuminato, “with signs of honor.”^[32]
• 1220–1263 St Alexander Nevsky, holy patron of Russia
• 1231 Charter of the University of Parisgranted by Pope Gregory IX
• 1241 Pope Gregory IXdenounced as Antichrist by Eberhard II von Truchsees, Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, at the Council of Regensburg
• 1245 Catholic First Council of Lyon
• 1252, May 15 Ad exstirpanda: Pope Innocent IVauthorizes use of torture in Inquisitions
• 1260 Date at which a 1988 Vatican sponsored scientific study places the origin of the Shroud of Turin
• 1263, July 20–24 The Disputation of Barcelonais held at the royal palace of King James I of Aragon in the presence of the King, his court, and many prominent ecclesiastical dignitaries and knights, between a convert from Judaism to Christianity Dominican Friar Pablo Christiani and Rabbi Nachmanides
• 1274 Summa Theologiae, written by Thomas Aquinas, theologian and philosopher, landmark systematic theology which later becomes official Catholic doctrine
• 1274 Catholic Second Council of Lyon
• 1291 Last Crusader city (Acre) falls to the Mamelukes

Renaissance[edit]

Main article: Medieval history of Christianity § Late Middle Ages (1300–1499)

See also: Renaissance

• 1308–1321 Divine Comedy(Divina Commedia), by Dante Alighieri; most consensual dates are: Inferno written between 1307–1308, Purgatorio from 1307–1308 to 1313–1314 and last Paradiso from 1313–1314 to 1321 (year of Dante’s death)
• 1307 The arrest of many of the Knights Templar, beginning confiscation of their property and extraction of confessions under torture
• 1305–1378 Avignon Papacy, Popes reside in Avignon, France
• 1311–1312 Catholic Council of Viennedisbands Knights Templar
• 1313 Foundation of the legendary Order of the Rose Cross(Rosicrucian Order), a mystic Christian fraternity for the first time expounded in the Divine Comedy^{[33][34][35][36]}
• 1314 Jacques de Molay, last Grandmaster of the Knights Templar, burned at the stake
• 1326 Metropolitan Petermoves his see from Kiev to Moscow
• 1341–1351 Orthodox Fifth Council of Constantinople
• 1342 Marsilius of Padua
• 1345 Sergii Radonezhskiifounds a hermitage in the woods, which grows into the Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra
• 1378–1418 Western Schismin Roman Catholicism
• 1380–1382 Wycliffe’s Bible, by John Wycliffe, eminent theologian at Oxford, NT in 1380, OT (with help of Nicholas of Hereford) in 1382, translations into Middle English, 1st complete translation to English, includes deuterocanonicalbooks, preaches against abuses, expresses anti-catholic views of the sacraments (Penance and Eucharist), the use of relics, and clerical celibacy
• 1388 Twenty-five Articlesof the Lollards published
• 1408 Council of Oxford forbids translations of the Scriptures into the vernacular, unless and until they are fully approved by church authority
• 1409 Council of Pisadeclares Roman Pope Gregory XII and Avignon Pope Benedict XIII deposed, elected Pope Alexander V (called the Pisan Pope)
• 1414–1418 Catholic Council of Constanceasks Gregory XII, Benedict XIII, Pisan Pope John XXIII to resign their papal claims, then elects Pope Martin V; condemns John Wycliffe and Jan Hus, who is burned at the stake
• 1423–1424 Council of Siena
• 1425 Catholic University of Leuven
• 1430? Andrei Rublev, the greatest of medieval icon-painters
• 1431 St. Joan of Arc, French national heroine, burned at the stake
• 1431–1445 Catholic Council of Basel-Ferrara-Florence
• 1439 Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, highest building in the world until 1874
• 1452 Dum Diversas, papal bull issued on 18 June 1452, credited with ushering in the West African slave trade in Europe and the New World
• 1453 Fall of Constantinople, overrun by Ottoman Empire