Diocese of Egypt

The Byzantine era began in Egypt in the year 395 with the division of the Roman Empire, after which Egypt to the Eastern Empire ( Byzantium ) belonged. You can just as well be understood as unbroken continuation or second portion of the late antique Greco-Roman phase of the country and ended with the conquest of the country by the Arabs in the year 642

Importance

The late antique era Egypt was marked by the final enforcement of Christianity, which in Egypt., Especially in Alexandria, early many followers had found Of the various Patriarchs of Alexandria, the most diverse doctrines were preached which were sometimes through violence. At the same time flourished just at the Nile Koinobitentum, so the early monasticism.

Chronological sections

At the time of the first eastern emperor Arcadius was the " founder " of the Egyptian Coptic Church, Schenoute, head of the White Monastery at Sohag. Theophilus of Alexandria tried his teaching that God is anthropomorphic, ie auftrete in human form, to prevail against his enemies with violence.

408 ascended the young Emperor Theodosius II as a child to the throne of Byzantium. Four years later, Theophilus of Alexandria died. His successor was Cyril, one of the most powerful churchmen of his time, the 431 was able to prevail on the ecumenical Council of Ephesus in his theological positions for the imperial church binding and to this day is the most important founding figure of Miaphysites. In Alexandria, the major pagan philosopher Hypatia was murdered by a Christian mob 415 on the open road; but also for her there was still decades pagan scholars in the city.

Cyril's successor Dioscorus, the Patriarch took office, the 444, was able to prevail in the so-called Robber Synod of Ephesus 449 with his Monophysite doctrine first. But only two years later, it came on the fourth ecumenical council at Chalcedon in cleavage: Pope Leo the Great condemned the Monophysite doctrine, and the council majority and the Emperor Marcian joined in this position. The Egyptians held but the majority in rejecting the conciliar decisions determine what led again and again in the following 200 years, tensions between Egypt and Constantinople Opel.

Emperor Marcian fought during his reign ( 450-457 ) also the Nubians and Blemmyes. For the year 502 a famine in Egypt is busy. Moreover, the country experienced but, practically undisturbed by external attacks, a period of peace and economic prosperity. Egyptian grain supplied Konstantin Opel.

Emperor Justinian I issued during his reign new administrative rules for the country. Egypt was one of the richest and most important provinces of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 6th century. In Alexandria, the ancient culture was maintained for a long time, and also in the country, there were still on the Nile at this time people who had enjoyed a classical Greek education ( paideia ), as the example of Dioscorus shows. Under Justinian, however, 535 or 537, the last officially tolerated pagan temples of Egypt, the Isisheiligtum of Philae, by imperial soldiers was closed.

It was only in the 7th century ended the long period of external peace: 619 raided the Sassanid Persians under Chosroes II invaded Egypt and took an Alexandrian (Third Persian rule ); Khosrau II began to integrate the country administratively into his kingdom; it includes additional Persian papyri and dresses from the eleven years of Sassanid rule. But after the victory of the emperor Heraclius the Persians moved up to 630 again.

However, the Eastern Roman triumph did not last long: the Arabs started since 632 with the Islamic expansion. 636 Damascus fell, and the imperial army was decisively defeated in Syria. The Arab commander 'Amr ibn al-As conquered for his Caliph Umar ibn al - Khattab Pelusium and beat Eastern Roman army 641 Heliopolis, 642 fell Alexandria. Thus began in Egypt early Islamic period. Some decades later, Greek was replaced by Arabic as the administrative language.