Timeline of Eastern Orthodoxy in Greece (33–717)

This is a timeline of the presence of Eastern Orthodoxy in Greece from 33 to 717 AD. The history of Greece traditionally encompasses the study of the Greek people, the areas they ruled historically, as well as the territory now composing the modern state of Greece.

Overview Christianity was first brought to the geographical area corresponding to modern Greece by the Apostle Paul, although the church's apostolicity also rests upon St. Andrew who preached the gospel in Greece and suffered martyrdom in Patras; Titus, Paul's companion who preached the gospel in Crete where he became bishop; Philip who, according to the tradition, visited and preached in Athens; Luke the Evangelist who was martyred in Thebes; Lazarus of Bethany, Bishop of Kition in Cyprus; and John the Theologian who was exiled on the island of Patmos where he received the Revelation recorded in the last book of the New Testament. In addition, the Theotokos is regarded as having visited the Holy Mountain in 49 AD according to tradition. Thus Greece became the first European area to accept the gospel of Christ. Towards the end of the 2nd century the early apostolic bishoprics had developed into metropolitan sees in the most important cities. Such were the sees of Thessaloniki, Corinth, Nicopolis, Philippi and Athens.World Council of Churches: Church of Greece . Retrieved: 28 November 2013.

By the 4th century almost the entire Balkan peninsula constituted the Exarchate of Illyricum which was under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome. Illyricum was assigned to the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople by the emperor in 732. From then on the Church in Greece remained under Constantinople till the fall of the Byzantine Empire to the Ottoman Empire in 1453. As an integral part of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the church remained under its jurisdiction until Greek independence. Under Ottoman rule, up to "6,000 Greek clergymen, ca. 100 Bishops, and 11 Patriarchs knew the Ottoman sword".Christodoulos (Paraskevaides) of Athens. Address to the Conference organised by the Synodal Committee on European Issues, entitled “Islam: the extent of the problematics”. Holy Monastery of Penteli, Attica, 12/5/2007.Demetrios Constantelos. Altruistic Suicide or Altruistic Martyrdom? Christian Greek Orthodox Neomartyrs: A Case Study . Archives of Suicide Research, Volume 8, No 1, 2004. (Myriobiblos Library).

The Greek War of Independence of 1821–28 created an independent southern Greece, but created anomalies in ecclesiastical relations since the Ecumenical Patriarch remained under Ottoman tutelage, and in 1850 the Endemousa Synod in Constantinople declared the Church of Greece autocephalous.

The cultural roots of both Byzantine and modern Greece cannot be separated from Orthodoxy. Therefore, it was natural that in all Greek Constitutions the Orthodox Church was accorded the status of the prevailing religion.Charalambos K. Papastathis and Nikos Maghioros. "Greece: A Faithful Orthodox Christian State. THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC." In: Javier Martínez-Torrón and W. Cole Durham, Jr.. Religion and the Secular State: National Reports (Issued for the occasion of the XVIIIth International Congress of Comparative Law, Washington, D.C., July 2010). Published by: Complutense Universidad de Madrid, in cooperation with The International Center for Law and Religion Studies, Brigham Young University. July 2014. pp. 339-340.

In the 20th century, during much of the period of communism, the Church of Greece saw itself as a guardian of Orthodoxy. It cherishes its place as the cradle of the primitive church and the Greek clergy are still present in the historic places of Istanbul and Jerusalem, and Cyprus.The Globe and Mail (Canada's National Newspaper). "Orthodox Church at Crossroads." 10 November 1995. p. A14. The autocephalous Church of Greece is organised into 81 dioceses, however 35 of these – known as the Metropolises of the New Lands – are nominally under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople but are administered as part of the Church of Greece; although the dioceses of Crete, the Dodecanese, and Mount Athos are under the direct jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.Victor Roudometof. Greek Orthodoxy, Territoriality, and Globality: Religious Responses and Institutional Disputes. Report. Sociology of Religion. Vol. 69 No. 1. 22 March 2008. Pg. 67(25). ."Codified in the 1928 Patriarchal and Synodical Act, the "New Lands" were entrusted to the temporary stewardship of the Church of Greece, provided that the Church respected the terms of the Act. The Act subsequently has been incorporated into several pieces of Greek legislation (Laws 3615/1928, 5438/1932, 599/1977, and Article 3, paragraph 1 of the current Greek Constitution), thereby recognizing the ecclesiastical agreement between the two sides."

The Archbishop of Athens and All Greece presides over both a standing synod of twelve metropolitans (six from the new territories and six from southern Greece), who participate in the synod in rotation and on an annual basis, and a synod of the hierarchy (in which all ruling metropolitans participate), which meets once a year.

The government observes several religious holidays as national holidays including Epiphany, Clean Monday (the start of Great Lent), Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Holy Spirit Day, the Dormition of the Theotokos and Christmas.U.S. Department of State. International Religious Freedom Report for 2012: Greece. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. 2012.

Among the current concerns of the Church of Greece are the Christian response to globalization, to interreligious dialogue, and a common Christian voice within the framework of the European Union.

The population of Greece is 11.4 million (2011),"Greece." D&B Country Riskline Reports (News). May 2013. of which 95% "Η θρησκευτική πίστη.‘Ανήκετε σε κάποια θρησκεία, και αν ναι, σε ποια ;" Πανελλαδική Έρευνα Metron Forum. 29 Δεκεμβρίου 2011. σελ. 50. to 98%"Europe: Greece." CIA – The World Factbook. Page last updated on 7 May 2013. Retrieved: 21 May 2013. are Greek Orthodox.

The early church in Greece (33–325)

Apostolic era (33–100)

c. 45–46 Apostle Pauls mission to Cyprus, where he converts proconsul Quintus Sergius Paullus.Dr. Kathryn Tsai. A Timeline of Eastern Church History. Divine Ascent Press, Point Reyes Station, CA, 2004. p.14. c. 49 Paul's mission to Philippi, Thessaloniki and Veria;Dr. Kathryn Tsai. A Timeline of Eastern Church History. Divine Ascent Press, Point Reyes Station, CA, 2004. p.15.Neil Asher Silberman. "The World of Paul: Regional Surveys in Greece and Asia Minor Point to the Impact of Roman Rule on the Spread of Christianity." Archaeology. 49.6 (November–December 1996): p30. Lydia of Thyatira becomes the first convert to Christianity in Europe after hearing Paul's words in Philippi proclaiming the Gospel of Christ during his second missionary journey.Acts 16:14–15. Ἡ Ἁγία Λυδία ἡ Φιλιππησία. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.

c. 50–51 Paul's mission to Athens,Acts 17:16. during his second missionary journey; Metropolis of Corinth founded during Paul's first mission to Corinth; Paul writes his two Epistles to the Thessalonians, from Corinth. c. 52–53 Hierotheos the Thesmothete, a member of the Athenian Areopagos was converted to Christ by the Apostle Paul and became the first Bishop of Athens, later dying a martyr's death.Hieromartyr Hierotheus the Bishop of Athens. OCA – Feasts and Saints.Great Synaxaristes : Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἱερόθεος. 4 Οκτωβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. c. 54 Paul writes his First Epistle to the Corinthians,Dr. Kathryn Tsai. A Timeline of Eastern Church History. Divine Ascent Press, Point Reyes Station, CA, 2004. p.16. during his third missionary journey. c. 55 Paul writes his Second Epistle to the Corinthians from Illyria Graeca. c. 56 Paul revisits Macedonia.Acts 20:1–3. c. 60 Crucifixion of Apostle Andrew the First-called, in Patras.Gregory of Tours. In: Monumenta Germaniae Historica II, cols. 821–847. Transl. in M.R. James: The Apocryphal New Testament (Oxford) Reprinted 1963:369.F. Dvornik. "The Idea of Apostolicity in Byzantium and the Legend of the Apostle Andrew." Dumbarton Oaks Studies. IV (Cambridge) 1958.Great Synaxaristes : Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἀνδρέας ὁ Ἀπόστολος ὁ Πρωτόκλητος. 30 Νοεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. c. 61 Barnabas, founder of Church of Cyprus, traditionally thought to have been martyred in Salamis; Paul's ship lands at Kaloi Limenes (Fair Havens) on the southern coast of Crete, as he was traveling as a prisoner to Rome.Acts 27:8. c. 64 Paul ordained the Apostle Titus bishop of Gortyn in Crete, becoming the first Bishop of Crete.Apostle Titus of the Seventy and Bishop of Crete . OCA – Lives of the Saints.Great Synaxaristes : Ὁ Ἅγιος Τίτος ὁ Ἀπόστολος. 25 Αυγούστου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. c. 95 Apocalypse of John written on the island of Patmos.Dr. Kathryn Tsai. A Timeline of Eastern Church History. Divine Ascent Press, Point Reyes Station, CA, 2004. p.20. 96 Martyrdom of Dionysius the Areopagite of the Seventy.Hieromartyr Dionysius the Areopagite the Bishop of Athens. OCA – Feasts and Saints.Great Synaxaristes : Ὁ Ἅγιος Διονύσιος ὁ Ἀρεοπαγίτης. 3 Οκτωβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. 100 Death of St. John the Theologian in Ephesus.Dr. Kathryn Tsai. A Timeline of Eastern Church History. Divine Ascent Press, Point Reyes Station, CA, 2004. p.21.

Ante-Nicene era (100–325)

c. 100–293 During the 2nd and 3rd centuries, Greece was divided into provinces including Achaea, Macedonia, and Moesia.Lesley Adkins, Roy A. Adkins. Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome. Facts on File library of world history. Infobase Publishing, 2004. pp.126–128. c. 120 Martyrdom of Eleutherios and his mother Anthia.Great Synaxaristes : Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἐλευθέριος . 15 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. 124 Apostles Quadratus and Aristides present Christian apologies to Emperor Hadrian at Athens.Dr. Kathryn Tsai. A Timeline of Eastern Church History. Divine Ascent Press, Point Reyes Station, CA, 2004. pp.23–24. c. 130-140 Aquila completes a literal Greek translation of the Old Testament;"Aquila." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica 2009 Ultimate Reference Suite. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2009.Maas, Anthony. "Versions of the Bible ." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. Retrieved: 15 May 2013. death of Apostle Quadratus, of the Seventy.Apostle Quadratus of the Seventy. OCA – Feasts and Saints.Great Synaxaristes : Ὁ Ἅγιος Κοδρᾶτος ὁ Ἀπόστολος ὁ ἐν Μαγνησίᾳ. 21 Σεπτεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. 156 Martyrdom of Polycarp of Smyrna.Great Synaxaristes : Ὁ Ἅγιος Πολύκαρπος ὁ Ἱερομάρτυρας Ἐπίσκοπος Σμύρνης. 23 Φεβρουαρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. c. 170-180 Emergence of the Muratorian Canon in Greek, the first clear witness to a catalog of authoritative New Testament writings."biblical literature." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica 2009 Ultimate Reference Suite. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2009. 180–192 Theodotion's Greek translation of the Old Testament.William Smith, Henry Wace."Theodotion." In: A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects and Doctrines: Being a Continuation of 'The Dictionary of the Bible', Volume 4: N-Z. London: Little, Brown & Company, 1887. pp. 971. 180 Death of Pinytus, Bishop of Knossos in Crete, described by Eusebius as one of the foremost ecclesiastical writers of his time.10/23 October. Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU).23 October/ 10 October. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow). 190 Death of Athenagoras of Athens, a Christian apologist who wrote in defense of the resurrection of the dead.Great Synaxaristes : Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἀθηναγόρας ὁ Ἀθηναῖος, ὁ Ἀπολογητής. 24 Ιουλίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.