HSTEU305 TIMELINE FOR MIDTERM

Christianity in the Roman Empire:

1^st C AD/CE   Christianity: New Testament writings
313                   Emperor Constantine tolerates Christianity in Empire
325                        Council of  Nicea: enforcement of orthodoxy
                               expulsion of Arian heretics from Empire
390                  Emperor Theodosius makes Christianity
                              official religion of the Roman Empire:
                              prohibits pagan sacrifice in city of Rome

410                  Sack of Rome by Visigoths (German tribe)

5^th C:               St. Augustine – major Christian theologian
                                converted from Manichaean heresy (dualist)
                               City of God: sack of Rome shows that Rome is only "city of man"
                                          true permanence lies in "city of God" = heavenly kingdom
                               On Christian Teaching: 
                                          paganism as idolatry & demon worship

5-9^th C: Germanic invasions & kingdoms      
                 barbarian legal codes as source for early medieval
                        witch beliefs especially striga          
                Lombards in Italy: Lombard Code of King Rothar (643)
               Salic Law in France

 Conversion of Europe           
             Pope Gregory the Great (d. 604)
             sends Augustine to  convert Angles & Saxons in English
                    letter on gradual conversion
                    in Bede’s History of English Church & People

             Charlemagne – King of Franks, conqueror of Lombards,
                         crowned Emperor in Rome 800 AD
               forcible conversion of Slavs & other conquered tribes
               growing influence of Christianity 

Attitude of church:

Early medieval church documents expressing skepticism about reality of popular beliefs about nightflying with Diana and striga:

10^th c. CE        Canon Episcopi (906 ca) instruction to Bishops
                           later included in Gratian’s Decretum (1140)
                                      (compilation of canon law)

11^th c. CE        Burchard of Worms – (1008-1012 ca)
                          Corrector sive Medicus Rusticorum
                          (genre of penitential canons: guide for confessors)

1095   First Crusade: following by increased trade, commerce

           Enemy threatening Christendom = Islam
           Enemy within = Jews: massacres in Rhineland 1296

12^th –13^th C.    rise of towns & of heretical groups

Cathars (or Albigensians) = dualists,  “medieval Manicheans,”
            1220-1229 Albigensian Crusade:
                               military suppression by  King of France
            1230's Inquisition founded to eliminate remaining Cathar beliefs

Waldensians: founded by Peter of Waldo “Poor of Lyons”
            apostolic poverty, anti-clerical wealth

Fraticelli: Italian radical group, emphasize Christian poverty (Cohn)

13^th C. Orthodox response to heresy:

    Mendicant Orders: poverty & preaching (anti-heretical)
                  Dominicans (St. Dominic, southern France)
                  Franciscans (St. Francis, Italy)

    Universities & development of scholasticism
                   Thomas Aquinas – Summa theologiae
                    demonology & diabolical pact

    Inquisition founded 1230’s:
      Conrad of Marburg as early inquisitor in Germany
      St. Dominic as first official Inquisitor

    Demonization of the medieval heretics (see Cohn)

Early 14^th C. Sorcery trials (see Cohn)

Context of France – King Philip IV  of France
                                  Avignon Papacy, 1305-1378

Inquisitorial jurisdiction over sorcery:
                 John XXII Super Illius Specula 1326-1330    

15^th C     Witch trials (begin in Switzerland)

            1397-1400  trial of Stedeln by Peter von Greyerz
                               described in early witch treatise (one section on w/c),
              Johannes Nider  – Formicarius (1435-38) title = Antheap

Italy 1420’s
        Bernardino of Siena  – Against Women Sorcerers (1427)
              Franciscan preacher, witch trials in Rome, Todi (central Italy)

Switzerland & France 1420’s – 1460’s (see lecture notes)

Germany 1484-1486   trials conducted by Dominicans

            Kramer and Sprenger  - Malleus Maleficarum (1487) 

            authorized by

            Pope Innocent VIII  – Summis desiderantes affectibus (1484) Witch Bull

14th-17th C. Little Ice Age : end of "medieval warm" era
           see attached image