The Early Church in the Third Century: 220-305

Anthony, The Novatian schism, Eusebius, and Athanasius

225 d. Tertullian
245 Conversion of Cyprian
247 Cyprian becomes Bishop of Carthage
249-251 The reign of Decius. He ordered everyone in the empire to burn incense to him. Those who complied were issued a certificate. Those who did not have a certificate were persecuted. Many Christians bought forged certificates, causing a great controversy in the church
Cyprian went into hiding during the persecution and ruled the church by letters
251 b. Anthony. One of the earliest monks. He sold all his possessions and moved to the desert. Athanasius later wrote his biography
254 d. Origen
The Novatian schism develops concerning the treatment of the lapsed. (The Novatians, or Cathari, last until about 600. Read the Catholic view of the schism.) Cyprian refuses to accept the validity of baptism by schismatic priests. The church in Rome is critical of Cyprian's view, and sends him scathing letters. Carthaginian Councils
258 Cyprian is martyred before the issue is settled
263 b. Eusebius of Caesarea. He was the first church historian. Many works of the early church survive only as fragments in Eusebius's writing
284 The beginning of the Diocletian persecution
286 b. Pachomius, Egyptian pioneer of cenobitic (communal rather than solitary) monasticism
297/300 b. Athanasius, the defender of Orthodoxy during the Arian controversy of the fourth century.

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