CHRISTIANITY AND PAGANISM

Christianity in the Roman Empire: key dates (AD or CE)
                    AD = Anno Domini, the year of the Lord (Christian)
                    CE = Common Era (newer usage)

I. SORCERY IN THE LATE ROMAN WORLD:   
 Christian view of pagan religion as demon worship
             pagans as sorcerers, manipulators of demons

            313 AD Emperor Constantine: conversion to Christianity
            390  AD Emperor Theodosius: Christianity as official religion
 suppression of pagan sacrifices in Rome & Empire

           410 AD Sack of Rome by Germanic tribe, the Visigoths
pagans blame Christianity for ending sacrifices

     Christian vs. pagan interpretations of misfortune

     St. Augustine: author of City of God, against the pagans 413 AD
Christian view of history: city of God versus city of man (Rome)   

ORIGINAL SIN as source of human suffering
BAPTISM and EXORCISM   as defense against power of evil

Early Christian stories illustrating these themes:
         St. Macedonius--4th C. Antioch
         St. Justina & Cyprian – 3th C. Antioch
               [ version from 13th C. Golden Legend  in Kors & Peters, #12, pp. 81-86]

II. CONVERSION OF EUROPE (476 AD--traditional date for fall of the Roman Empire)

      POPE GREGORY THE GREAT (530-604): author of Dialogues

            597--Bishop Augustine (d. 604) sent on mission to England
              to convert Angles and Saxons: instructions on procedure sent in letter
              addressed to Augustine's assistant, Abbot Mellitus

Letter sent by Pope Gregory to Abbot Mellitus in Britain, 601 AD:     
in BEDE -- Anglo Saxon historian of England's conversion
 History of English Church and People Bk I, Ch 30:
              [See class handout/link on early medieval witch beliefs,]

      Policy of accommodation of pagan beliefs:
                "Gradualism" in conversion of "barbarian" tribes  (barbaroi = foreigner in Greek)