Podcasts about Septimius Severus

February 19, 197CE. Septimius Severus' victory at the Battle of Lugdunum finally establishes him as the sole ruler of the Roman Empire. This episode originally aired in 2024.Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more.History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser.Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Talking History - the story of Caracalla and Geta, the two emperors who share power in the new Gladiator 2 film, how their father Severus transformed Rome, and how their dynasty ended in violence and murder. Patrick Geoghegan is joined by Dr David Woods, Head of the Department of Classics at UCC; Prof Mark Humphries, Professor of Ancient History, Swansea University; and Dr Rebecca Usherwood, Assistant Professor in Late Antique and Early Byzantine Studies at Trinity College Dublin.

Et bronzehoved, der forestiller den romerske kejser Septimius Severus, har indtil nu prydet udstillingen på Glyptoteket. Men det bliver der snart ændret på, når Glyptoteket nu efterkommer Tyrkiets ønske om at få bronzehovedet tilbageleveret. Direktør hos Glyptoteket, Gertrud Hvidberg-Hansen, kommer i studiet og fortæller om processen. Den prisbelønnede forfatter Boualem Sansal blev fængslet, da han for nylig trådte af flyet i sit hjemland Algeriet. En officiel meddelelse fra Algier fortæller, at forfatteren står anklaget for at ville skade "landets nationale enhed" og "territoriale integritet". Jørn Boisen kommer i studiet og fortæller mere om den pludselige fængsling. Værter: Morten Runge og Tony Scott.

Septimius Severus, Rome's first African emperor.  Born in Leptis Magna, he ended the civil war that erupted following Commodus' death during the Year of the Five Emperors, restoring order to the Empire, cowing the Senate, strengthening the borders, and ushering in a new era of warrior-emperors just in time for the Crisis of the Third Century that would shortly bring Rome to her knees.  Rome wouldn't look this good again for A LONG TIME.  Pretty impressive resume, except for the whole dying-and-leaving-the-Empire-to-Caracalla bit.

Încheiem în sfârșit discuția despre Septimius Severus, considerat de mulți ultimul bun împărat - dovedind grijă pentru imperiu și încercând să ofere un pic de stabilitate care o să pară un mare lux pe viitor. Propaganda imperială lucrează și ea din greu: dacă lucrurile nu sunt perfecte măcar ni se dă impresia că ar fi. Face tot posibilul să lase imperiul pe mâini bune; îi pregătește pe copiii lui pentru conducere, îi avansează în pozițiile corecte, și, în ciuda bolii lui (se știe de gută, dar e posibil să fie vorba și de altceva) duce o guvernare competentă împreună cu fiii săi, Antoninus și Geta.

Vorbim despre cariera lui Septimius Severus după terminarea războaielor civile - o viață dedicată consolidării granițelor și campaniilor militare. Severus își arată adevărata față senatorilor, după care îi fierbe la foc mic, trimițând scrisori de amenințare din campaniile militare pe care le are. Care nu sunt puține la număr - lui Severus îi place mai mult viața alături de legiuni decât viața la Roma, și petrece foarte puțin timp în capitala imperiului.

Continuăm astăzi povestea lui Septimius Severus care tocmai vine după un obositor război cu Niger, favoritul populației romane. Severus nu stă foarte mult pe gânduri și își arată aprecierea față de colegul lui de împărăție, Decimus Clodius Albinus, trimițându-i multe legiuni ca gardă de corp, ba, mai mult, prezentându-se în persoană cu ele pentru a se asigura că le primește exact cum își dorește. Desigur, un prim episod pacifist despre istoria unui război civil.

Septimius Severus nu are de obicei asociate titluri mărețe precum Optimus al lui Traian, și poate pe bună dreptate. Cariera lui nu este strălucită - într-un vid administrativ creat de paranoia lui Commodus, chiar și-un general mediocru poate să devină remarcat, și Severus nu este neapărat remarcabil prin cariera lui. De origine din Cartagina, se folosește și de prestigiul rudelor sale pentru a urca cursus honorum - și este unul din cei care-și cumpără de la Cleander un titlu de consul în anul în care acesta vinde titlul de consul ca pe covrigi calzi.

February 19, 197 CE. Septimius Severus' victory at the Battle of Lugdunum finally establishes him as the sole ruler of the Roman Empire.You can listen ad-free in the Wondery or Amazon Music app. Or for all that and more, go to IntoHistory.comHistory Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser.Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

February 19, 197 CE. Septimius Severus' victory at the Battle of Lugdunum finally establishes him as the sole ruler of the Roman Empire.Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more.History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser.Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

waarin we in het Romeinse wereldrijk verder zoeken naar de invulling van het goddelijke keizerschap, en ons afvragen wat we met de bekende keizersbiografieën moeten aanvangen. WIJ ZIJN: Jonas Goossenaerts (inhoud en vertelstem), Filip Vekemans (montage), Benjamin Goyvaerts (inhoud) en Laurent Poschet (inhoud). Met BIJDRAGEN van: Aster Nzeyimana (presentator Rota Fortunae), Lucas Vanclooster (Augustus, res gestae), Laurens Luyten (Tacitus) Wil je ons een FOOI geven? http://fooienpod.com/geschiedenisvoorherbeginners Al schenkt u tien cent of tien euro, het duurt tien seconden met een handige QR-code. MEER WETEN? Onze geraadpleegde en geciteerde bronnen: Beard, M. (2016), SPQR. A History of Ancient Rome. Profile Books. Londen. Beard, M. (2023), Emperor of Rome. Profile Books. Londen. Goldsworthy, A. (2017), Pax Romana. Orion Publishing Group. Londen. Lendering, J. (2009), Spijkers op laag water. 50 misverstanden over de Oudheid. Singel Uitgeverijen. Amsterdam Beeld: Wikimedia Commons Overzicht van de keizers tijdens de pax romana: Julisch-Claudische dynastie 1) Augustus (27 v.Chr. - 14 na Chr.): natuurlijke dood (ouderdom en ziekte). 2) Tiberius (14-37 na Chr.): natuurlijke dood (vermoedelijk vergiftigd). 3) Caligula (37-41 na Chr.): vermoord (samenzwering van senatoren en leden van zijn garde). 4) Claudius (41-54 na Chr.): mogelijk vergiftigd (de details zijn onduidelijk). 5) Nero (54-68 na Chr.): zelfdoding. Vierkeizerjaar 6) Galba (68-69 na Chr.): vermoord (samenzwering van de Praetoriaanse Garde). 7) Otho (69 na Chr.): zelfdoding. 8) Vitellius (69 na Chr.): vermoord (gevolg van de Burgeroorlog van het Vierkeizerjaar). Flavische dynastie 9) Vespasianus (69-79 na Chr.): natuurlijke dood (ziekte). 10) Titus (79-81 na Chr.): natuurlijke dood (koorts). 11) Domitianus (81-96 na Chr.): vermoord (samenzwering van hovelingen). Antonijnse dynastie:  12) Nerva (96-98 na Chr.): natuurlijke dood (ziekte). 13) Trajanus (98-117 na Chr.): natuurlijke dood (ziekte). 14) Hadrianus (117-138 na Chr.): natuurlijke dood (hartfalen). 15) Antoninus Pius (138-161 na Chr.): natuurlijke dood (ziekte). 16) Marcus Aurelius (161-180 na Chr.): natuurlijke dood (pest). 17) Commodus (180-192 na Chr.): vermoord (samenzwering). Vijfkeizerjaar 18) Pertinax (193 na Chr.): vermoord (samenzwering van de Praetoriaanse Garde). 19) Didius Julianus (193 na Chr.): vermoord (gevolg van de Burgeroorlog van het Vijfkeizerjaar). Severische dynastie: 20) Septimius Severus (193-211 na Chr.): natuurlijke dood (ziekte). 21) Caracalla (211-217 na Chr.): vermoord (samenzwering van zijn officieren). 22) Macrinus (217-218 na Chr.): vermoord (gevolg van een mislukte campagne tegen het Parthische Rijk). 23) Elagabalus (218-222 na Chr.): vermoord (samenzwering). 24) Severus Alexander (222-235 na Chr.): vermoord (samenzwering van opstandige troepen).

waarin we op zoek gaan naar het ware gelaat van de Romeinse keizers en ons afvragen wat de taakomschrijving van het goddelijke keizerschap precies inhield. WIJ ZIJN nog altijd: Jonas Goossenaerts (inhoud en vertelstem), Filip Vekemans (montage), Benjamin Goyvaerts (inhoud) en Laurent Poschet (inhoud). Met BIJDRAGEN van: Aster Nzeyimana (presentator Rota Fortunae), Lucas Vanclooster (Augustus, res gestae), Laurens Luyten (Tacitus) Wil je ons een FOOI geven? http://fooienpod.com/geschiedenisvoorherbeginners Al schenkt u tien cent of tien euro, het duurt tien seconden met een handige QR-code. MEER WETEN? Onze geraadpleegde en geciteerde bronnen: Beard, M. (2016), SPQR. A History of Ancient Rome. Profile Books. Londen. Beard, M. (2023), Emperor of Rome. Profile Books. Londen. Goldsworthy, A. (2017), Pax Romana. Orion Publishing Group. Londen. Lendering, J. (2009), Spijkers op laag water. 50 misverstanden over de Oudheid. Singel Uitgeverijen. Amsterdam Beeld: Wikimedia Commons Overzicht van de keizers tijdens de pax romana: Julisch-Claudische dynastie 1) Augustus (27 v.Chr. - 14 na Chr.): natuurlijke dood (ouderdom en ziekte). 2) Tiberius (14-37 na Chr.): natuurlijke dood (vermoedelijk vergiftigd). 3) Caligula (37-41 na Chr.): vermoord (samenzwering van senatoren en leden van zijn garde). 4) Claudius (41-54 na Chr.): mogelijk vergiftigd (de details zijn onduidelijk). 5) Nero (54-68 na Chr.): zelfdoding. Vierkeizerjaar 6) Galba (68-69 na Chr.): vermoord (samenzwering van de Praetoriaanse Garde). 7) Otho (69 na Chr.): zelfdoding. 8) Vitellius (69 na Chr.): vermoord (gevolg van de Burgeroorlog van het Vierkeizerjaar). Flavische dynastie 9) Vespasianus (69-79 na Chr.): natuurlijke dood (ziekte). 10) Titus (79-81 na Chr.): natuurlijke dood (koorts). 11) Domitianus (81-96 na Chr.): vermoord (samenzwering van hovelingen). Antonijnse dynastie:  12) Nerva (96-98 na Chr.): natuurlijke dood (ziekte). 13) Trajanus (98-117 na Chr.): natuurlijke dood (ziekte). 14) Hadrianus (117-138 na Chr.): natuurlijke dood (hartfalen). 15) Antoninus Pius (138-161 na Chr.): natuurlijke dood (ziekte). 16) Marcus Aurelius (161-180 na Chr.): natuurlijke dood (pest). 17) Commodus (180-192 na Chr.): vermoord (samenzwering). Vijfkeizerjaar 18) Pertinax (193 na Chr.): vermoord (samenzwering van de Praetoriaanse Garde). 19) Didius Julianus (193 na Chr.): vermoord (gevolg van de Burgeroorlog van het Vijfkeizerjaar). Severische dynastie: 20) Septimius Severus (193-211 na Chr.): natuurlijke dood (ziekte). 21) Caracalla (211-217 na Chr.): vermoord (samenzwering van zijn officieren). 22) Macrinus (217-218 na Chr.): vermoord (gevolg van een mislukte campagne tegen het Parthische Rijk). 23) Elagabalus (218-222 na Chr.): vermoord (samenzwering). 24) Severus Alexander (222-235 na Chr.): vermoord (samenzwering van opstandige troepen).

In this episode of Talking History, Patrick Geoghegan explores the life and times of Roman emperor Septimius Severus. He's joined by Dr David Woods, Head of the Department of Classics at UCC; Prof Mark Humphries, Professor of Ancient History, Swansea University; and Dr Rebecca Usherwood, Assistant Professor in Late Antique and Early Byzantine Studies at Trinity College Dublin.

The BBC produced a song for the Horrible Histories children's program called 'Been Here From the Start' which makes several spurious, misleading and outright false claims about black people living in ancient Britain. From Cheddar man to Septimius Severus and the Moors, I debunk the lies contained in the BBC video and present the truth.

Listen to us talk about the Year of the Five Emperors from Roman history. Starring David Parker, Landon Browning, Mick Parker, Wil Dobratz, and Colby Chapman. Recorded May 10th, 2023.

Dio's Rome, Volume 4 An Historical Narrative Originally Composed in Greek During the Reigns of Septimius Severus, Geta and Caracalla, Macrinus, Elagabalus and Alexander Severus: and Now Presented in English Form

Given his incredible career, you'd perhaps expect the name of Roman Emperor Septimius Severus to be better known. Born in North Africa in 145AD, he rose to power after distinguishing himself as a military commander at a time of great instability in the Roman Empire. Finally bringing the Year of the Five Emperors to an end, Severus was in power for nearly two decades - so how did he end up perishing in York?In this episode, Tristan welcomes back author (and Severus' unofficial 21st Century biographer) Dr Simon Elliot. Together, they explore the life and legacy of Septimius Severus - looking at his impact on the history of Ancient Rome, as well as the bloody events surrounding his campaign in Scotland, and asking how one of the most powerful men in the world was eventually brought down. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Given his incredible career, you'd perhaps expect the name of Roman Emperor Septimius Severus to be better known. Born in North Africa in 145AD, he rose to power after distinguishing himself as a military commander at a time of great instability in the Roman Empire. Finally bringing the Year of the Five Emperors to an end, Severus was in power for nearly two decades - so how did he end up perishing in York?In this episode, Tristan welcomes back author (and Severus' unofficial 21st Century biographer) Dr Simon Elliot. Together, they explore the life and legacy of Septimius Severus - looking at his impact on the history of Ancient Rome, as well as the bloody events surrounding his campaign in Scotland, and asking how one of the most powerful men in the world was eventually bought down.For more Ancients content, subscribe to our Ancients newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - enter promo code ANCIENTS for a free trial, plus 50% off your first three months' subscription. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This was actually the last Black History Moment of 2022, I told you before I don't do this in chronological order. This is about Septimius Severus. A lot of people have no idea this is a Black man. Please do your own research and enjoy the show,

Matrix? More like Ma tricks and Papa too. Romade Religion, what can you say? Feel controlled? There is a reason for that seizin', listen hear, unherd."Hear" are the links I mentioned: You can find them posted at the following sites: The Piso Project http://pisoproject.wordpress.com The Roman Piso Papers (Scroll down for papers) http://independent.academia.edu/RomanPiso/Papers As I said above, Druidic priests were not A Few Words About The Royal Language (a language within language) http://www.academia.edu/30347785/A_Few_Words_About_The_Royal_Language References: See my paper, 'Napoleon Bonaparte & The Holy Roman Empire' http://www.academia.edu/10994708/Napoleon_Bonaparte_and_The_Holy_Roman_Empire Below are a couple of lists. Understanding The Oligarchy http://www.academia.edu/32492893/Understanding_The_Oligarchy.pdf Understanding The Oligarchy (at Wordpress) http://pisoproject.wordpress.com/understanding-the-oligarchy/ Oligarchy And Ancient Genealogies http://www.academia.edu/28345792/Oligarchy_And_Ancient_Genealogies Napoleon Bonaparte & The Holy Roman Empire http://www.academia.edu/10994708/Napoleon_Bonaparte_and_The_Holy_Roman_Empire The Biblical Dynasty - The Oligarchy Uses Religion Against Us http://www.academia.edu/s/0aa7c0388c/the-biblical-dynasty There was a sect of 'Jews' in the 1st century who were like Secular Humanists. They were fighting for basic human rights and an end to slavery, they were the Pharisees. They were fighting the Romans who were creating Christianity. What Happened At Masada? http://www.academia.edu/33706215/What_Happened_At_Masada_.pdf Seneca, Christianity, And The Caesars http://www.academia.edu/33161068/Seneca_Christianity_And_The_Caesars Christianity Was Exposed By Abelard Reuchlin (AcademiaEdu) http://www.academia.edu/33614693/Christianity_Was_Exposed_By_Abelard_Reuchlin The New Classical Scholarship: The New Forensic Study Of History http://www.academia.edu/31990534/The_NCS_The_New_Forensic_Study_Of_History The True Context Of Ancient History & The Gordian Emperors http://www.academia.edu/s/cc567b0350/the-true-context-of-ancient-history-and-the-gordian-emperors Ancient Alias Names List (2017) http://www.academia.edu/s/a339f0df02/ancient-alias-names-list-2017 Have you wondered about and maybe tried to do research of your own about the Gnostic gospels and other material that did NOT make it into the New Testament canon? Here is my research on it... The Apocryphal New Testament Authorship https://www.academia.edu/s/cbbb322c87/the-apocryphal-new-testament-authorship Was Pliny The Younger, the Roman author and friend of Emperor Trajan, and who was famous for asking Trajan what to do about Christians, also writing as St. Ignatius? Is this more evidence of the Oligarchy (1%) existing even in ancient times? Pliny The Younger As Saint Ignatius http://www.academia.edu/s/99511f2e10/pliny-the-younger-as-saint-ignatiuspdf Some of the easiest evidence regarding the Roman creation of Christianity for those who are just beginning to study the way that we do in the New Classical Scholarship is in examining the works of Pliny The Younger. Emperor Trajan & Pliny The Younger: Mutual Ancestry http://www.academia.edu/s/f6541cd384/emperor-trajan-and-pliny-the-younger-mutual-ancestry Two of my forthcoming papers are very important as evidence of the Roman creation of Christianity. One of these papers is on the subject of the fabrication of Christian persecutions by Roman emperors. This can be shown by giving the descent of all Roman emperors from Antoninus Pius onward, from Arrius Piso (or his immediate family), the main creator of Christianity. And the other paper will show the direct descent of no less than 60 popes from Arrius Calpurnius Piso. At this time, I have already posted the information giving the direct descent of at least 35 popes from Arrius Piso. Scholar Names, Works & Dates: [Authors of Biblical Criticism] Bishop John William Colenso, born Jan. 24, 1814 (1814-1883), 'The Pentateuch Examined'. Sir George Birdwood. Major General Forlong, 'Rivers of Life'. James Ballantyne Hannay, 'Sex Symbolism In Religion'. James Ballantyne Hannay, 'Christianity, the Sources of its Teachings and Symbolism', 1913. James Ballantyne Hannay, 'Bible Folk Lore', a series of six volumes of about 200 pages each. Produced during WWI (1915-1917). James Ballantyne Hannay, 'The Rise, Decline & Fall of the Roman Religion', published postumously, 1925. Sir Richard Burton. Robertson, 'Christianity and Mythology', London, 1900. Matthes. Paulus (1828). Colani (1864). M. Loisy. Bertram, 1922. Van Loon. Laurentius Valla. Sir Harry Johnston. Dr. Cheyne. Lord Kichener. Dr. Barnes (the bishop of Birmingham, Oct. 13th, 1924). Ruskin. Sir Authur Evans. Payne Knight, 'Worship of Priapus'. Naville, 'Discovery of the Book of Law'. German Scholar, Theodor Noldeke (1836-1930). J.C. Oman, 'Cults, Customs and Superstitions of India'. Lecky, 'History of European Morals'. Davidson's Lexicon (issued by Bagster). German Scholar, Christian Gottlieb Wilke (C.G. Wilke), 'Der Urevangelist', 1838. Wilke stated that Mark was the original (earliest) gospel. Bruno Bauer agreed. Allard Pierson (his first published work was about The Sermon On The Mount, and other Synoptic passages, c. 1878). Dirk Loman (c. late 1800s). William Van Manen (c. 1900). Dutch Scholars, Neber and Bolland. Karl Kautsky (1854-1938) 'The Origins of Christianity', 1908. He applied Bruno Bauer's thesis. Dietz, 'Der Ursprung des Christentums', published in Stuttgart, 1908. Some Of The Earliest Scholars Writing About A Roman Creation Of Christian Texts: Hermann Samuel Reimarus (1694-1768). Lessing, an essay published between 1774-1778. Bahrdt (1784-1792). Herder (1797). Dupuis (1743-1809). Volney (1757-1820). == This Title, 'Romans Created Christianity' In Other Languages: [Afrikaans: 'Romeine geskep Christendom'] [Albanian: 'Romakët krijuan krishterimin'] ['خلق الرومان المسيحية' :Arabian[ [Armenian: ' Հռոմեացիները քրիստոնյա են ստեղծել'] [Bosnian: 'Rimljani su stvorili hrišćanstvo'] [Bulgarian: 'Римляните създали християнството'] [Chinese: '羅馬人創造了基督教'] [Croatian: 'Rimljani stvorili kršćanstvo'] [Czech: 'Římané vytvořili křesťanství'] [Danish: 'Romerne skabte kristendommen'] [Dutch: 'Romeinen gemaakt christendom'] [Esperanto: 'Romanoj kreis kristanismon'] [Estonian: 'Roomlased loodud kristlus'] [Filipino: 'Nilikha ng mga Romano ang Kristiyanismo'] [Finnish: 'Roomalaiset luonut kristinuskon'] [French: 'Les Romains ont créé le christianisme'] [Frisian: 'Romeinen skepen it kristendom'] [Galacian: 'Os romanos crearon o cristianismo'] [Georgian: ' '] რომაელები ქრისტიანობას ქმნიდნენ [German: 'Romans schuf Christentum'] [Greek: 'Ρωμαίοι δημιούργησαν τον Χριστιανισμό'] ['הרומאים יצרו הנצרות' :Hebrew[ [Hmong Daw: 'Loos tsim Christianity'] [Hungarian: 'Rómaiak létrehozott kereszténység'] [Indonesian: 'Roma dibuat Kekristenan'] [Irish: 'Chruthaigh Rómhánaigh Críostaíocht'] [Italian: 'Romans ha generato Christianity'] [Japanese: 'ローマ人キリスト教を作成'] [Korean: ' 로마인 들은 기독교 만든'] [Latin: 'Romani creavit Christianitatis'] [Latvian: 'Romieši izveidoja kristietība'] [Lithuanian: 'Romėnai sukūrė krikščionybė'] [Luxembourgish: 'Réimer hunn de Christentum geschaf'] [Macedonian: 'Римјаните го создале христијанството'] [Malay: 'Orang-orang Rom mencipta agama Kristian'] [Maltese: 'Romans maħluqa nisranija'] [Mongolian: 'Ромчууд Христийн шашныг бүтээсэн'] [Norwegian: 'Romerne skapte kristendommen'] [Polish: 'Rzymianie utworzone chrześcijaństwa'] [Portuguese: 'Romanos criaram o cristianismo'] [Romanian: 'Romanii au creat crestinismul'] [Russian: 'Римляне создали христианство'] [Samoan: 'Na foafoaina e Roma Kerisiano'] [Scots-Gaelic: 'Rinn Ròmanaich Crìosdaidheachd'] [Serbian: 'Римљани су креирали хришћанство'] ['روميون مسيحييت پيدا ڪيو' :Sindhi[ [Slovak: 'Rimania vytvorili kresťanstvo'] [Slovenian: 'Rimljani ustvaril krščanstvo'] [Somali: 'Roomaanku wuxuu abuuray Masiixiyadda'] [Spanish: 'Romanos crearon el cristianismo'] [Sundanese: 'Rum dijieun Kristen'] [Swahili: 'Warumi iliunda Ukristo'] [Swedish: 'Romarna skapade kristendomen'] [Turkish: 'Romalılar Hıristiyanlık oluşturdu'] [Ukrainian: 'Римляни створений християнство'] [Uzbek: 'Rimliklarga nasroniylikni yaratdi'] [Vietnamese: 'Người La Mã tạo cơ đốc giáo'] [Welch: 'Rhufeiniaid creu Cristnogaeth'] ['רוימער באשאפן קריסטנטום' :Yiddish[ [Zulu: 'AmaRoma adala ubuKristu'] == Do a search to find out where you can find Reuchlin's work (he authored other titles also). Piso Christ: What Is The Book About? http://pisoproject.wordpress.com/piso-christ-what-is-the-book-about/ Piso Christ: The Roman Piso Family Created Christianity. https://www.amazon.com/Piso-Christ-Book-Classical-Scholarship/dp/142692996X Related Subject Matter: ================= (Key Words & Terms) History, Ancient History, Rome, Ancient Rome, Roman Empire, Roman Emperors, Popes, Papal History, Christianity, History of Christianity, Origin of Christianity, Emperor, Emperors, Roman Catholic History, Holy Roman Empire, Arrius Calpurnius Piso, Roman Piso Family, Ancient Alias Names, Ancient Pen Names, Gordian Emperors, Emperor Antoninus Pius, Arius Antoninus, Marcus Aurelius, Oligarchy, Royal Supremacy, Royal Language, Aliases, Genealogy, Ancient Genealogy, Ancient Genealogies, Historia, Historia Augusta, Flavius Josephus, Pliny The Younger, Suetonius, Tacitus, Plutarch, Hero of Alexandria, Apollonius of Tyana, Philostratus 'The Athenian', Philostratus 'The Younger', Herodian, Emperor Constantine, Vespasian, Titus, Domitian, Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Lucius Verus, Commodus, Pertinax, Pescennius Niger, Didius Julianus, Clodius Albinus, Septimius Severus, Severus Alexander, Maximinus, Maximus, Probus, Clodius II, Constantius, Constantius Chlorus, Eusebius, Pope Eusebius, Church Father, Early Christianity, Roman Creation of Christianity, Nero, 666, Julius Calpurnius Piso, Julius Piso I, First 10 Popes, Justin Martyr, St. John 'The Divine', The Revelation, gospels, The Gospel of Thomas, Gnostic, Gnostic Gospels, Apocryphal, texts, holy, sacred, free, info, sample, paper, papers, research, research paper, Heron, Herod, Agrippa, Philo, Logos, Talmud, Pharisee, pharisees, sect, Cornelius, Theodosius I, Arcadius, Honorius, Byzantine, Byzantium, Constantinople, ancient literature, forensic history, censorship, Medieval, medieval censorship, Inquisition, Crusade, crusades, Church, Church History, comparative, religion, religious, organized religion, Abelard Reuchlin, Professor, Bruno Bauer, James Ballantyne Hannay, Marcus, Antonius, Cleopatra, Julius, Caesar, Caesars, Antonius Primus, Cestius Gallus, Nero, Vitellius, Otho, Licinianus, Frugi, Piso, Julius Servianus, Julius Severus, Julius Constantius I, Galba, New, New Testament, Bible, gospels, epistles, Panegyricus, Timothy, Justinian The Jurist, Proculus Calpurnius Piso, Silanus Piso, Herodes Atticus, ben Pantera, Scribes, genealogy, genealogies, royal, royal line, royal blood, historiography, philosophy, history of, historical Jesus, Dark Ages, Secular Humanism, Atheism, Atheist, Atheists, Historical Anthropology, Anthropology, Anthropology of Religion, Imperial, Imperial Rome, Roma, Classics, Classical Antiquity, Religion as psychological warfare, Werner Eck. Anthropology, genealogical charts, genealogy, archaeology, Origins of Christianity, Holy, Holy Roman Empire, Imperial Rome, Roman Empire, popes, emperor, emperors, King James, Bible, biblical, classics, classical history, historic, Pliny The Elder, Seneca, Aria, Arria, Arria The Younger, Arria The Elder, Arius, Arrius, Fadilla, Arria Fadilla, Arria Antonina, Antonius, Marcus Antonius, Antonius Primus, of Alexandria, of Tyana, of Rome, of Athens, Gnostics, gospel, Gospel of, Thomas, Mary, Magdalan, magi, three, three days, three wise men, rooster, hen, cock, crow, crew, Alexander, Sabina, Gaius Calpurnius Piso, Constantine, Julius Constantius, Constantius Chlorus, Emperor, emperors, Flavia, Flavian, Flavians, Titus, Domitian, Vespasian, Nerva, Augustus, Julius Caesar, Caesar, Tiberius, Gneius Calpurnius Piso, Gaius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, Pertinax, Didius Julianus, Clodius Albinus, Septimius Severus, Severus Alexander, Pupienus, Claudius Gothicus, Probus, Gallienus, Tacitus, Florian, Florianus, Balbinus, Postumus, Philip I, Philip II, Pacatian, Jotapian, Aquilia Severa, Annia, Annia Faustina, Julia Soaemias, Julia Maesa, Diadumenian, Elagabalus, Julia Domna, Caracalla, Lucius Verus, Lucilla, Geta, Titiana, Manlia Scantilla, Didia Clara, Pescennius Niger, St. Peter, Saint, Saint Peter, Linus, and Werner Eck. Roman coins, denominations, coinage, province, Augustus, Claudius, Nero, Vitellius, Domitian, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius, Septimius Severus, Severus Alexander, Elagabalus, Gordian III, Philip I 'The Arab', Claudius II 'Gothicus', denari, denarii, denarius, coins, coin, ancient coins, numismatic, celator, ancient mints, silver, gold, copper, aureus, drachm, didrachm, tetradrachm, follis, antoninianus, antoninianii, potin, billon, error, restrike, restrikes, silver wash, silvered, limes, AE, AE3, AR, AV, miliarense, siliqua, centenionalis, argenteus, dupondius, quadrans, cistophorus, sestertius, quinarius, as, As, Semis, triens, sextans, unica, quadrigatus, moneyer, victoriatus, solidus, scripulum. 

No one knows when Emperor Constantine installed the gilded Triumphal Quadriga sculpture in his new capital city, Constantinople, near the triumphal arch which led to the Hippodrome. How it got to Constantinople has been lost to the ages, and, so is its origin story. What we do know is these four horses have traveled from Chios to Constantinople; to Venice, Paris, and back to Venice again, with some interesting stops along the way. This sculpture is best known as The Horses of St. Mark's, and what we do know about it begins after it was stolen during the Sack of Constantinople, in April of 1204.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The story of African and Caribbean people in Britain goes back to before the Roman empire. Rhiannon Davies spoke to Professor Hakim Adi to discover how their lives and stories have shaped Britain's history, from the African Roman emperor Septimius Severus to the abolition of the slave trade and the arrival of HMS Empire Windrush in 1948. (Ad) Hakim Adi is the author of African and Caribbean People in Britain: A History (Penguin, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/African-Caribbean-People-Britain-History/dp/0241583829/ref=sr_1_1?crid=NJLXJA5IV566&keywords=hakim+adi+african+people+in+britain&qid=1662116735&sprefix=hakim+adi+african+people+in+britain%2Caps%2C63&sr=8-1&tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histipad Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Când și cum se schimbă puterea? Dinastia Severilor. Septimius Severus. Caracalla și Geta. Macrinus. Elagabalus. Alexandru Sever.

We are heading back to the time when years only contained 3 digits to talk about a Roman who wanted nothing more than to expand his empire. Septimius Severus was, in many ways, exactly what you would expect a Roman Emperor to be; a charismatic, tactically astute strongman, who enforced his right to rule at the point of a sword. But then everyone thinks they are tough until they try to invade Scotland...Guest Host: Ollie Green**Special bonus feature!!! A Scottish dialect based quiz!!! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The emperors Vespasian, Titus, Hadrian, and Septimius Severus all had career-defining love affairs outside the elite of Roman Italy. Here are their stories.

Severus creates a dynasty playing a key role in the Crisis of The Third Century. While Cao Cao fights to bring former Han lands into his grip. The post The Emergence of Septimius Severus & The Campaigns of Cao Cao | 201AD-210AD appeared first on TGNR.

Aus der afrikanischen Provinz direkt auf den römischen Kaiserthron, naja jedenfalls fast... Die Rede ist von Septimius Severus, dem Begründer der sogenannten Severer-Dynastie und niemand geringerem widmen unsere Redakteure Michi und Moritz die heutige Folge. Wie er es schaffte, sich sowohl gegen seine Gegenspieler, als auch gegen den allseits gefürchteten römischen Senat durchzusetzen, erfahrt Ihr im Podcast. Wir wünschen viel Spaß beim Zuhören.

Aus der afrikanischen Provinz direkt auf den römischen Kaiserthron, naja jedenfalls fast... Die Rede ist von Septimius Severus, dem Begründer der sogenannten Severer-Dynastie und niemand geringerem widmen unsere Redakteure Michi und Moritz die heutige Folge. Wie er es schaffte, sich sowohl gegen seine Gegenspieler, als auch gegen den allseits gefürchteten römischen Senat durchzusetzen, erfahrt Ihr im Podcast. Wir wünschen viel Spaß beim Zuhören.

The Severan dynasty was founded in 193CE by Septimius Severus, but in many ways it was his wife Julia Domna and her sister Julia Maesa who would guide the family, both powerful augustae and instrumental in securing their family’s imperial position. Part X of 'Empresses of Rome' Guest: Dr Emma Southon (Historian and author of 'A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum').

Leptis Magna became a celebrated Roman city on the African shore and was the birthplace of the Emperor Septimius Severus. In this episode I chat with special guest Maria Lloyd all about how the city developed and grew. We then discuss Severus, how did he rise to power and what did he do? Politics, intrigue, betrayal and even whether it's Leptis or Lepcis. We cover loads -  so get listening! Music by Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai Instrumental).

In 197 AD, the armies of Septimius Severus and Clodius Albinus met at Lugdunum, on the site of present day Lyon. If we believe the numbers given in Cassius Dio, this was the greatest and bloodiest clash between two Roman armies in history. 300,000 soldiers were present in total, according to Dio. The numbers are debated, but nevertheless the titanic scale of this clash in ancient history is clear to see. In this episode Tristan speaks to Dr Jonathan Eaton about the lead up to the battle, how Severus and Albinus went from friends to foes, and whether we can really call this the biggest battle in Roman history. Jonathan is Academic Registrar at Teeside University and author of ‘Leading The Roman Army: Soldiers and Emperors 31 BC - 235 AD’. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The living at Hadrian's Wall wasn't as austere as you might think for those stationed there--especially in the beginning. Merchants flocked from all over the Empire to sell their wares to soldiers with regular paychecks. But conditions changed drastically in the decades and centuries after Hadrian died. New Emperors--Antoninus Pius, Diocletian, Septimius Severus, and others--would all leave their mark on the Wall and its territory. This week, we're going to talk about what became of the Wall—and those who lived there—after Hadrian's death.  Get ad-free episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/ancienthistoryfangirl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mitt i mörkaste december kommer här ett avsnitt som handlar om några olika saker - det handlar om den enorma romerska handeln med olivolja, det handlar om den dramatiske romerska kejsaren Septimius Severus och det handlar om en 35 meter hög kulle mitt i Rom bestående av kraschade lerkrus. Vad är den gemensamma nämnaren frågar ni er, jo det är den nordafrikanska staden Leptis Magna (i dagens Libyen) som under några år blommade upp som en av Roms mest dynamiska - allt finansierat av oljepengar. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

  The following witness state below:  James Anderson3 weeks ago (edited) Very deep discussion. The original Romans were Etruscans, who were Black people. Caucasians started migrating into Italy and eventually led a coup to overthrow King Tarquin Superbus in 509 B.C. The Caucasians established the Roman Republic because they did not have the Divine Kingship and Bloodline of the Etruscans . For a time the Caucasians ruled though the African element never left. Africans served in the Roman army, as legionnaires, officers, and Generals . They expanded the Roman Empire. Septimius Severus restored Black rule in Rome after a struggle with various Generals for the imperial throne. What he said about Godship is true too. The Gods gave us the wisdom to build civilization. The Book of Enoch and other hidden African books speak of this and our connection to the Higher Powers. What do you have to say about that, it 100% certified history. You cannot get that in the uncivilized uncertified holy bible.

Dan Snow talks to Simon Elliott about Septimius Severus, the first Hammer of the Scots, about his Northern Campaigns, and the true story of this savage 3rd century invasion of Scotland. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

From Roman emperor Septimius Severus to Senegal's Signares to the ten days in Harlem that Fidel Castro used to link up with African leaders at the UN, through to the missed opportunity to enshrine racial equality in post war negotiations following World War I; Olivette Otele, Simon Hall and Jake Hodder share their research findings with New Generation Thinker Christienna Fryar. Olivette Otele is Professor of the History of Slavery at the University of Bristol and Vice-President of the Royal Historical Society. Her book African Europeans: An Untold History is published on 29 October 2020. Simon Hall is Professor of Modern History at the University of Leeds. His book Ten Days in Harlem: Fidel Castro and the Making of the 1960s is out now. Jake Hodder is Assistant Professor in the School of Geography at Nottingham University and has published articles on Black Internationalism and the global dynamics of race. New Generation Thinker Christienna Fryar runs the MA in Black British History at Goldsmiths, University of London You can find Catherine Fletcher talking about Alessandro de Medici in this Essay for Radio 3 https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06nrv7k Robin Mitchell discusses her researches into Ourika, Sarah Baartman and Jeanne Duval in a Free Thinking episode called How we talk about sex and women's bodies https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000f5n6 The Early Music Show on Radio 3 looks at the life of Joseph Boulogne de Saint Georges https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0801l4g The Shadow of Slavery discussed by Christienna Fryar, Katie Donington, Juliet Gilkes Romero and Rosanna Amaka https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000f7d5 Slavery Stories in the fiction of Esi Edugyan and William Melvin Kelley https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0001bch What Does a Black History Curriculum Look Like ? https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000kpl5 Johny Pitts looks at Afropean identities with Caryl Phillips https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0005sjw This episode of Free Thinking is put together in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council, part of UKRI as one of a series of discussions focusing on new academic research also available to download as New Thinking episodes on the BBC Arts & Ideas podcast feed. You can find the whole collection here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03zws90 Producer: Karl Bos

The Temple of Concord is the site of a series of shrines dedicated to the Roman goddess Concordia, and erected at the western end of the Roman Forum. The earliest temple is believed to have been vowed by Marcus Furius Camillus in 367 BCE, but it may not have been built until 218 BCE.   The temple which had been occasionally repaired was completey rebuilt by Emperor Tiberius and dedicated in the year 10 after the original had been burnt down following a lightning strike.  Tiberius paid for the construction with the spoils of his and his brother Drusus’ highly successful campaigns conquering and pillaging across vast areas of Germania. The early version of the temple was similar to the nearby Temple of Castor and Pollux with steps leading up through lines of columns supporting a pediment that led to the entrance doors and a long and narrow main cella.  However Tiberius’ version was quite different as the temple expanded sideways with the main cella being wide rather than long – in part this was necessary because of the space limitations at the foot of the Capitoline hill and the fact that is was sited at the foot of the Tabularium. Its sideways expansion meant it ate into the space that had been occupied by the Basilica Opimia (sited to the left of the original building when looking from the path that runs in front of the Arch of Septimius Severus).

The Arch commemorates the victories of Emperor Septimius Severus and his sons, Caracalla and Geta, in the two campaigns waged against the Parthians between the years 194 and 199.  Before this the Romans had been in conflict with Parthia for hundreds of years with notable campaigns taking place under the command of various of its leaders including Crassus, Trajan and Hadrian spanning from 52BCE through to the early third century. In the first of these, Crassus led an invading army into Mesopotamia, with catastrophic results; at the Battle of Carrhae, Crassus and his son were defeated and killed by the Parthian army under General Surena. The bulk of Crassus’ force was either killed or captured; of 42,000 men, about half died, a quarter made it back to their base in Syria, and the remainder became prisoners of war. Rome was humiliated by this major defeat, which was made even worse by the fact that the Parthians had captured several Legionary Eagle standards. Such history made Severus’ campaigns and the eventual defeat of Parthia particularly important to Rome and worthy of memorialization. The arch has four carved panels that describe, in chronological sequence, the major events in the course of Severus’ campaigns.  Unfortunately some of these are in a poor state of preservation and many scenes are barely discernible. The side that faces the forum is particularly damaged because it has always been exposed to the wind and a fire in the Middle Ages. If, as we work our way around the monument, you’re having trouble making out the panel details, bear in mind that clearer modern versions of these reliefs can be seen in the Museo Nazionale della Civiltà Romana.

You’re listening to an Audio Guide to Ancient Rome.  This episode is one in a series of short descriptions of monuments in the Roman Forum.  In this episode I’m describing the Black Stone, Rostra and the Column of Phocas. The Roman Forum sits in a saddle between the Capitoline and Palatine Hills.  Originally a marshy area, successive improvements to the land’s drainage allowed this to eventually become the center of power for the city.   As its armies conquered new territories and money flowed into Rome, the Forum’s original meat and produce sellers were pushed out, to be replaced by majestic temples and monumental structures that accommodated the key societal, political and judicial systems needed for the empire to function.  This area served as a central market and meeting place over many centuries although the nature of the proprietors and clientele changed significantly over time. The Forum and its surrounding buildings grew to be the focal point for nearly everything associated with the lives of the people of Rome including political discussions, legislative processes, civic entertainment, as well as a logical place to hold a riot or even a cremation. The area was first surfaced with gravel in 7th Century BCE around the time of the establishment of the Comitium and Senate House (or Curia). Although lost for many centuries and no longer recognizable other than through its archaeological footprint, the Comitium was sited in front of where you now see the meeting house of the Roman Senate (which is often called the Curia Julia). If you’re having trouble locating this, it is to the south east of the Arch of Septimius Severus and hidden underneath a low sloping temporary roof that covers ongoing excavation work. Also the location of the sanctuary for the fire god Vulcan, this was an important cult center from the very beginning of Rome’s development. The sanctuary consisted of an open-air U-shaped altar, a column which was probably for a cult statue, and an inscribed stela, known as the Lapis Niger (or Black Stone). 

The Baths of Caracalla occupy a truly huge site to the south of the city.   This particular construction was likely originally commissioned by Septimius Severus; but inaugurated in the year 216 during his son Caracalla’s reign. The opening of the baths came at a time when Caracalla had serious need of a positive public relations message given he'd recently murdered his brother, Geta, and thousands of Geta's friends in Rome. In use for roughly 300 years, the baths fell into disrepair around the time of the gothic siege of Rome in 537. Second only in size to the Baths or Diocletian which were built 100 years later, these remains are the best preserved of their kind.

Beside breaking boundaries as the first black Romulan in Star Trek history, Michael Mack led a life of service and craft. From a family with preacher roots, Michael grew up ministering to the less fortunate. When he returned to the DC area he became renowned for his work with at-risk youth in communities of color. His method was using theatre training to allow kids access to speak their truths. He talks about theatre from the ancient Greeks onward as social policy and how many historical atrocities were not based in difference but in sameness. He shares how the Man of La Mancha unlocks the central truth: the way forward is not to think of life as it is but life as it should be. Michael discusses Septimius Severus, the first African senator in Rome, in this "family portrait"Michael discusses the film Becket as an example of the Saxons versus the NormansMichael recommends the book Racism: A Short HistoryWe discuss his favorite teaching tool: Don Quixote/The Man Of La Mancha, book and filmMichael's film about MLK: The Drum MajorThe influence of the Roots miniseriesTrisha Nelson's Black stories essential viewing lists articles one and two

On today’s show we’re taking a short trip through the history books to see what history might teach us about today. The year was 27 BC and Augustus was the emperor of Rome. Their money was the roman denarius, made of 98% pure silver. The pure coinage remained until 64AD when there was the Great Fire of Rome which destroyed close to 60,000 buildings, almost 90% of the dwellings in the city. Nero was the emperor at the time and it took a lot of money to rebuild the city. In order to afford the rebuilding, Nero made monetary reforms which reduced the silver content in the coins to 93%. Emperor Vespasian reduced the silver content to 89%, Marcus Aurelius reduced the silver to 75% and Septimius Severus reduced the silver content to 50%. By the time Gallienus was Emperor from 260AD to 268AD, the denarius had a meager 2.5% silver content. These coins were made of bronze and had a thin coating of silver which tended to wear away very quickly. It was during the time of Gallienus, despite a number of military victories, that important provinces started to splinter away from the Roman Empire. From 249AD to 262AD, the Plague of Cyprian which lasted 13 years caused widespread shortages across the empire and was one of the major contributing factors to the eventual demise of the Roman Empire. Rome was the epicenter of trade in Europe. As the coins had less and less silver, soldiers in the empire demanded higher pay. Prices for commodities increase. Eventually runaway took hold. By 265AD, there was less than 0.5% silver left in the coins and prices increased 1000%. Only mercenary solders were paid in gold. The trifecta of rising administrative costs which caused soaring taxes, runaway inflation and worthless money caused much of Rome’s trade to collapse. I totally understand why governments all over the world are printing money in response to the pandemic. In some ways, I think they have little choice. Many think that we’re not in an inflationary period. That prices are not rising out of control. So the printing of money is appropriate. Remember, inflation is an average. We have seen prices for oil drop in the short term as the level of economic activity fell during March and April. What will happen when there are shortages of food? What will happen when there are shortages of building materials like steel or ceramic tiles? Will those prices go up? In places they already have gone up in price. You see, if printing money were the path to prosperity, the Zimbabwe and Venezuela would be the richest nations on earth and they’re not. So here we are in the year 2020 AD. We have global trade splintering into local trade. We have plagues. We have printing of money. Every time this has been tried in human history, the path to prosperity has been interrupted by economic collapse. We’ve seen this movie before. We know the ending. The actors are different in this remake of the movie. But the plot is basically the same. I’m calling this movie “The return of Caesar’s coin stamping machine, part 29.” When newly printed money is dropped from the sky, it’s not falling uniformly, or even fairly on the population. It’s going to some people first, and then to others not at all. When the unfairness of this wealth transfer has become visible in the past, the result has almost always brought armed conflict. The headlines this morning tell the story of economic recovery that is now underway. The economy is the result of output of its people, not the printing of money. When people are sitting at home, collecting a check from the government, they’re not producing. That check breeds dependence. It stifles creativity. I know that I would not be thinking hard about business strategy if I was getting paid to sit home and watch movies. In truth, I don’t think I would want that check.

În acest episod vorbesc despre sfârșitul dinastiei Severilor. Cu un început bun și un sfârșit bunicel, nimeni nu va uita însă că doi dintre cei mai nocivi împărați, Caracalla și Elagabalus, au făcut parte din această dinastie. Se anunță o criză de proporții.

În acest episod vorbesc despre Dacia Romană sub stăpânirea lui Commodus, unul dintre cei mai dezastruoși împărați ai Imperiului Roman. Apoi, despre criza de succesiune ce i-a urmat, și anume "anul celor 5 împărați". În final, ajung la Septimius Severus, probabil ultimul împărat bun cu care vor mai avea de-a face locuitorii provinciei Dacia. E începutul sfârșitului pentru Imperiul Roman...

The team are back to discuss Ancient Warfare Magazine XIII.3 The Rise of Septimius Severus. 'Septimius Severus, also known as Severus, was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna in the Roman province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through the customary succession of offices under the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. Severus seized power after the death of Emperor Pertinax in 193 during the Year of the Five Emperors.'  

This Podcast Episode continues with answering the question, what does the book of Revelation mean?  My focus for answering this question is on the statement that the Messiah told John, when he said that those who do the commandments of God will have a right to the tree of life, and they will be allowed to enter through the gates into the city. Revelation is warning those of us living on the earth today to prepare for a great tribulation that could possibly reach a greater height than that of the Spanish inquisition. As a result of this, I decided to look at the fourth commandment of God; to remember the sabbath day. My search took me through the following paths: Exodus 31:12-18 Daniel Roman History on the Emperors Revelation Current events with the Vatican and Sanhedrin Exodus 31:12-18 God said to Moses: Speak to the Israelite people and say: Nevertheless, you must keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between Me and you throughout the ages, that you may know that I the Lord have consecrated you. You shall keep the Sabbath for it is holy for you, etc. Most importantly, is that God has placed His identifying mark on the seventh day, for all people who profess to worship Him.  Therefore, God's people have received His seal of identification if you are doing what is required by Him in regarding to the seventh day sabbath. Of greater importance, is that God said it is a sign between Him and His people for as long as they live. In retrospect, my personal experience has proven to me that this statement is absolutely true.  When I started doing God's appointed sabbath, I was often asked, "are you Jewish?" Daniel In this book Daniel, chapter 2: 31-41 explains to King Nebuchadnezzar that over time his kingdom was going to be ruled by a fourth kingdom who would be known for their iron characteristics. After Daniel described the image of the stature to the king, he tells him that towards the end of the ages the iron kingdom would be partly strong and partly weak. In the end, God is going to destroy the iron kingdom and set up a new kingdom on the earth that will never be destroyed. Following this further, in Daniel 7; Daniel falls asleep on his bed and starts to dream. Upon waking up, he immediately writes down the vision of his dream. In the dream 4 beasts are violently fighting each other. The fourth beast is extremely strong, has iron teeth,10 horns, tramples the other beasts and is different from the other beasts. Although Daniel 2, and 7 appear to be two different visions, the meaning of the visions is in fact the same. Firstly, iron is represented as the leg and feet in the stature, as well as the teeth of the fourth beast. Secondly, four kingdoms represent the stature and the beasts. Thirdly, God is going to destroy the fourth kingdom and set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed. In light of the vision, Daniel asks for clarity. The man of God tells him that the 10 horns is 10 kings from the kingdom, and one of the kings is going to be different from all the previous kings. Furthermore, the king that is different is going to conquer 3 of the other kings. Likewise, this king is going to speak arrogant words against God, and he is going to persecute the saints of God; as well as act on his heart's intent to change times and laws. And the saints will be given into his hands for a time and times and half a time. Roman History on the Emperors These 10 Roman Emperors ruled during the Iron age, which was from 1 to 400 AD. The following 10 Roman Emperors obtained the highest title of Augustus: a) Augustus aka Octavian b) Tiberius ruled 14 - 37 AD c) Nero ruled 54 - 68 AD d) Vespasian ruled 69 - 79 AD e) Trajan ruled 98 - 117 AD f) Hadrian ruled 117 - 138 AD g) Marcus Aurelius ruled 161 -180 AD h) Septimius Severus ruled 193 - 211 AD i) Diocletian ruled 284 - 305 AD j) Constantine ruled 306 - 337 AD All things considered,

The year was 211BC and ancient Rome introduced the denarius as its money. The coins were nearly pure silver and the coins had a theoretical weight of about 4.5 grams. The standard, although not usually met in practice, remained fairly stable throughout the Republic, with the notable exception of times of war. The large number of coins required to raise an army and pay for supplies often necessitated the debasement of the coinage. An example of this is the denarii that were struck by Mark Antony to pay his army during his battles against Octavian. These coins, slightly smaller in diameter than a normal denarius, were made of noticeably debased silver. The denarius continued to decline slowly in purity, with a notable reduction instituted by Septimius Severus. By the year 274, the denarius contained virtually no silver. On today’s show we’re taking a closer look at the latest collapse of the Italian Government and what it might mean in the future. Now I know what you’re thinking, I’m investing in real estate in the heartland of America. What does the resignation of an Italian Prime Minister have to do with my life? Italy has had 61 governments since WW-II, more than any other nation on earth. Part of the problem is that Italy’s electoral system is based on proportional representation. That means that if there are a large number of parties, which there are, it’s virtually impossible for a single party to get enough votes to form a majority government. They almost always end up being a coalition government between parties with differing ideologies. Italy is the 8th largest economy in the world and they rely heavily on exports for their economic sustenance. Now Italy has had numerous failed governments in the past. Their electoral system appears a bit dysfunctional. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte resigned on Tuesday after Matteo Salvini, leader of the League Party withdrew support for the government. Now none of this matters to real estate investors in North America. This is nothing more than a power struggle. But the issue runs a bit deeper, and here’s why we care. Italy is part of the European Union, one of 28 countries, soon to be 27 after the Great Britain exits later this year. The European Union is like a family where each member of the family has their own personality and values. Oh, and like a lot of families, they fight about money. Italy has never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis. When I was there a few weeks ago, the news media were still talking about the financial crisis like it was something new. But we’re 11 years later. It’s no longer a crisis. It’s the new normal and the Italian people have not yet woken up to the fact that they need to adapt. Italy is trying every trick in the book to try and jump start their economy. They haven’t realized yet that some of their policies are in fact responsible for the anemic economic growth. It’s easier to print money. But wait, that’s in contravention of EU rules. You probably remember a couple of years ago when all the financial markets were spooked over the possibility of Greece defaulting on their national debt. Greece is one of the smaller members of the EU. They only have 12M people. They’re a rounding error on the side of Europe. I’ve been saying for some time that the next financial crisis is going to be a sovereign debt crisis. I still stand by that. I just can’t tell you which country is going to be the trigger. Will it be Greece, Turkey, Italy, Argentina, or the good ol US of A. The headwaters of the next financial crisis are wrapped up in governments that believe spending their way to prosperity is the path to economic growth.

Efter en urolig periode med flere døgnfluekejsere bragte Septimius Severus stabiliteten tilbage i Romerriget. Men da han døde under et felttog i Brittanien, kom sønnerne Caracalla og Geta til magten sammen. Det gik ikke godt. Caracalla myrdede sin bror og blev enekejser, men også han endte med at blive dræbt. Inden da havde han dog nået at skænke alle i Romerriget borgerskab. Siden faldt tingene til ro under Alexander Severus, men det rykkede ikke ved, at Rom var på vej ind i en ny krise efter den romerske fred.

The death of Septimius Severus left a strong line of succession with two sons ready to take control of the empire. There was no love lost between Caracalla and Geta, and it would be the Roman empire that bore the scars of their relationship. Guest: Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University)

In episode 71, the girls get into their Thanksgiving experiences, how most of the hamsters in America descend from Syria, the ancient Syrian history in the Roman Empire that no one knows about, and more! They also read some reviews and emails! Is Mohammad Morsi actually Eugene Levy?? We don't know and need you to email us back and explain, Noura. FOOTNOTES: 1. Golden hamster 2. Domestication of the Syrian hamster 3. Julia Domna 4. Julia Domna 2 5. Septimius Severus 6. Septimius Severus 2 7. Caracalla 8. Ethnically Ambiguous Merch on Tee Public (Discount code for 25% off: Hungry) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Septimius Severus was a Roman Emperor. He became a Roman Emperor by having money and being a good general. Then he died, and Rome slid slowly into the sea. Not really, but it started. He was relatively interesting? The events and circumstances that led to and played out from the reign of Septimius Severus are just as if not more important than his reign itself. Also, lots of primary sources (!) and stuff. Ancient Robin Hood. All of this and more in this exciting new episode of History Shmistory!

So close to the tourist trail, yet so far, Libya sits on the Mediterranean yet has been isolated for decades by poverty, dictatorship and civil war.  But should peace return, Leptis Magna is the jewel in Libya's crown: potentially the largest and best preserved Roman city in the Mediterranean.  With a resplendent forum, theater, basilica, harbor, amphitheater, and especially, a colossal arch, Leptis is an unvisited gem. Leptis' golden age came under the leadership of local-boy-made-good Septimius Severus.  To help tell the story of how a lad from Leptis became ruler of the "known world," Rob and Jamie from the Roman Emperors: Totalus Rankium podcast stop by.   Not only do we talk about Severus and the disastrous emperor who preceded him (Didius Julianus), but we also discuss Severus' evil son Caracalla.  Evil.  Oh so evil. No discussion of Libya would be complete without discussing the cuisine: a blend of North African and Middle Eastern, highlighted by couscous. This isn't your store-bought fluffy cardboard; we'll be properly steaming it this time.  

In our first part, we take a look at the life of Septimius Severus in order to better understand how a single individual can maintain their grip on power.

Herodes was a distinguished Roman senator from Greece, and also had the reputation of being the greatest sophist of the age. While he wasn’t always the most popular person in his home province, he did do a lot to elevate the culture and standing of Athens in the Roman Empire. Guest: Dr Estelle Strazdins, (Research Fellow, Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens).

Determined to end his time as Emperor on a high note, Septimius Severus sets his sights on what is one of the few places in the empire having trouble with the locals – Brittania, an island that has never been entirely under Roman rule. Guest: Dr Caillan Davenport (Roman History, Macquarie University).

Three completely different events in the reign of Septimius Severus. Act I – If you build it they will come Septimius Severus was establishing a dynasty, and one of the best ways to do that is through building. Not only did you get to beautify the empire, but it gives the opportunity to list your names and accomplishments for all to see Act II - The superfluous senators of Septimius Severus Many Roman emperors were harsh towards the senators, and Septimius Severus in particular was adept at thinning the ranks and getting rid of perceived threats. This continued throughout his reign. Act III - I beg of no man There will always be dissatisfaction in the empire, but every now and then a figure will rise from the lower classes, so to speak, and rally some men around him. This happened during the reign of Septimius Severus, when an individual known as Bulla the Brigand started causing trouble in the empire. Guest: Dr Caillan Davenport (Roman History, Macquarie University).

Three different events in the reign of Septimius Severus. Act I - A hair of the beard Gaius Fulvius Plautianus was a trusted relative of Septimius who became pretorian prefect and remained a close advisor. There was no love lost with the rest of the emperor’s family, which led to a swift demise. Act II - Princes who adore you Septimius’ sons Antoninus and Geta were constant rivals, and the Emperor worried about their behaviour and indulgences during the idle days in Rome. Act III - Cordially detested Septimius had a close relationship with his wife Julia Domna, and the empire respected her as the mother of the dynasty. She is remembered as having a keen political mind and being a patron of thinkers, but she wasn’t always respected in the palace. Guest: Dr Caillan Davenport (Roman History, Macquarie University).

Septimius Severus is now ruler or Rome without opposition, had been all things, and all was of little value. He is now distracted with the care, not of acquiring, but of preserving an empire. Guest: Dr Caillan Davenport (Roman History, Macquarie University).

Septimius Severus is proclaimed the new Emperor of Rome, but doesn’t have time to rest on his laurels. With rivals to the east and west, not to mention the problematic Parthians, he has an empire to consolidate. Guest: Dr Caillan Davenport (Roman History, Macquarie University).

The Roman Empire shudders in the wake of Commodus’ death, which if you recall, was a matter of months but a whole two emperors ago. Striding into Rome at the head of an army is Septimius Severus, ready to set the right path and found a new, powerful dynasty. Year of the five emperors, take three. Guest: Dr Caillan Davenport (Roman History, Macquarie University).

In the year that held 5 possible emperors, only one would come out on top! Who would was anyone's guess... Well, sort of... No one expected Julianus to last. And Pertinax obviously was upsetting too many Praetorians. Oh, and Albinus clearly was not in a strong enough position without the backing of the German legions. And as for Niger, well he just needed to get a bloody move on! But still, the empire was up for grabs and one man saw a way to take it, re-mould it and hand it to the next generation with pride...

Covering the years 211 - 222, we meet the child-Emperors related to Septimius Severus and learn about a new Germanic coalition forming on the southern Rhine frontier. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rhinecast/?fref=ts Twitter: @rhinecast Email: rhinecast@gmail.com

Synopsis: Julia Domna marries Septimius Severus and gives birth to Caracalla and Geta. Left behind in Rome with her young children, Julia watches as Commodus re-founds the Empire in his own image. “The effect of Commodus upon the Romans was worse than that of all pestilences and all […] The post Episode B28 – Bestiarius first appeared on THE ANCIENT WORLD.

Synopsis:  Julia Domna was daughter of the Emesene High Priest, destined to marry a king.  Then she met Septimius Severus. “Our history now descends from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust.” – Cassius Dio, Rome, Book 71 “The primitive Christians perpetually […] The post Episode B27 – Lucifugus first appeared on THE ANCIENT WORLD.

Ancient Rome went from a thriving civilization to a dystopia before its eventual collapse. My guests today explain how that happened. Lawrence Reed and Marc Hyden co-authored "The Slow-Motion Financial Suicide of the Roman Empire." Lawrence is the President of the Foundation for Economic Education, and Marc is a political activist and amateur Roman historian. Many accounts of the fall of Rome focus on military problems and the barbarian invasions. However, the Empire was in decline long before the barbarians showed up to finish it off. The barbarians didn't kill the Roman Empire; the Roman Empire committed suicide. There were six important factors in the Empire's decline: 1. Political violence became normalized. The populist reformer Tiberius Gracchus redistributed public farmland to Roman citizens. His reforms angered the Senate, and his political enemies clubbed him to death in 133 BCE. This was the first open political assassination in Rome in nearly four centuries, but it wouldn't be the last. Suddenly, it became acceptable for powerful Romans to kill their political enemies, and this would spell doom for Rome's republican government. 2. The Roman state gave ever-increasing amounts of free food and entertainment to the masses. Despite having killed Tiberius Gracchus, the senate did not repeal his reforms in an effort to assuage the masses. Tiberius' brother Gaius Gracchus would take his brother's position and further his reforms, also introducing a system of subsidized grain for the masses. When Gaius also succumbed to political violence, most of his reforms died with him, but not the grain dole. The dole was retained and expanded, proving a huge burden on the Roman state. Successive generations of Roman leaders would buy political popularity with panem et circenses (bread and circuses). The Roman people came to value the dole over all other values. When the emperor Caligula was assassinated, there was a brief opportunity to restore the Republic, but the people preferred the rule of strong men who could provide them with ever more panem et circenses. 3. Roman armies became personally loyal to their generals rather than being loyal to the Roman state or the people. In the early Roman Republic, the two elected consuls would raise forces from the eligible land-holding citizenry in times of crisis. These soldiers would return to their ordinary lives upon the completion of the war. This would change with the reforms implemented by Gaius Marius in 107 BCE. Marius expanded military eligibility to the landless masses and granted farmland to his veterans. He also set a precedent for much longer military campaigns (consulships had been ordinarily limited to one year). These changes made the soldiers personally loyal to their generals rather than to the Senate and People of Rome, and the generals would use their military strength to intimidate the Senate. Eventually they supplanted the Senate altogether, turning Rome into an empire with a series of strong men leading it as emperors. However, the soldiers' loyalty only lasted as long as the wealth and land kept coming in increasing amounts, as future emperors would discover while wrestling with the Empire's deteriorating finances. 4. They debased the currency. The silver denarius was introduced by Augustus with a silver content of about 95 per cent. However, successive emperors, facing ever-increasing demands on the treasury, both from the people who demanded panem et circenses and from the military who demanded ever-more land and money for their loyalty, needed whatever revenue they could get. When taxes would not suffice, emperors would melt down old coins and mint new ones with reduced silver content. During Trajan's rule, the denarius was about 85 per cent silver. By Marcus Aurelius' reign, that was down to about 75 per cent. Septimius Severus dropped it to 60 per cent, and his son Caracalla reduced it further to only 50 per cent. Eventually this would spiral out of control into hyperinflation; emperors couldn't debase the currency fast enough to keep up with skyrocketing prices. By 268 CE, the denarius was just a bronze coin with a bit of silver brushed on its surface; the silver content was less than one per cent. Nor did they understand the connection between rising prices and currency debasements, which led to… 5. They instituted Draconian price controls. Rather than halting the debasement of the denarius, the Romans instituted (predictably) disastrous price controls. Dicoletian issued his Edict on Maximum Prices in 301 CE. Diocletian set one price for the whole of the empire, from modern-day Iraq in the east to Britain in the west. In regions where the costs of goods were significantly higher than the legal limit, markets dried up, riots broke out, and many people were put to death for selling at too high a price. The law was so disastrous that it was eventually dropped. 6. They instituted onerous taxes. Monetary reforms under Diocletian and Constantine switched the empire largely to a gold standard, which was an improvement over the hyperinflationary denarius. However, the benefits of this gold currency were not felt by those outside of the military and the bureaucracy; most people had to scramble to get enough gold to pay their taxes. People who couldn't pay were sold into slavery. When the barbarian invasions came in the fifth century, the people welcomed them as liberators, freeing them from the yoke of the Roman tax collectors.   [Note: A phone rings in the background of the recording at 10:20. Don't be alarmed! Your phone isn't ringing.]

Tertullian of Carthage lived and wrote in Roman Africa during the reigns of the emperor Septimius Severus (193-211) and his son Caracalla (211-217). He was the first major Christian author to write in Latin and hence is remembered as the father of Latin Christianity. His views and theology would shape the Western Church for centuries to come... Music “Sons of Constantinople” by Tyler Cunningham, licensed under Pond5. HistoryoftheEarlyChurch.wordpress.com HistoryoftheEarlyChurch@gmail.com Facebook.com/EarlyChurchPodcast

Marcus Aurelius had a son who ruined the good work of the dynasty. Septimius Severus had TWO sons. They were no better!

Septimius Severus died in 211 while campaigning in Britain. He left the Empire to his sons, but their mutual hatred for one another meant that one of them was going to wind up dead.

After defeating Clodius Albinus, Septimius Severus turned over daily administration of the Empire to his Praetorian Prefect Gaius Plautianus, while the Emperor himself went looking for further military vicotries in Parthia.  

Septimius Severus became the undisputed Emperor of Rome after defeating Pescennius Niger in 194 and Clodius Albinus in 197.

After buying the Imperial throne, Didius Julianus only remained in power for 66 days before being ousted by Septimius Severus.

Professor Kleiner discusses two Roman cities in North Africa: Timgad and Leptis Magna. Timgad was created as an entirely new colony for Roman army veterans by Trajan in A.D. 100, and designed all at once as an ideal castrum plan. Leptis Magna, conversely, grew more gradually from its Carthaginian roots, experiencing significant Roman development under Augustus and Hadrian. Septimius Severus, the first Roman emperor from North Africa, was born at Leptis and his hometown was renovated in connection with his historic visit to the city. This large-scale program of architectural expansion features the Severan Forum and Basilica and the nearby Arch of Septimius Severus, a tetrapylon or four-sided arch located at the crossing of two major streets. The lecture culminates with the unique Hunting Baths, a late second or early third-century structure built for a group of entrepreneurs who supplied exotic animals to Rome's amphitheaters. Its intimate vaulted spaces are revealed on the outside of the building and silhouetted picturesquely against the sea, suggesting that the bath's owners knew how to innovate through concrete architecture and how to enjoy life.

Professor Kleiner discusses the increasing size of Roman architecture in the second and third centuries A.D. as an example of a "bigger is better" philosophy. She begins with an overview of tomb architecture, a genre that, in Rome as in Ostia, embraced the aesthetic of exposed brick as a facing for the exteriors of buildings. Interiors of second-century tombs, Professor Kleiner reveals, encompass two primary groups -- those that are decorated with painted stucco and those embellished primarily with architectural elements. After a discussion of the Temple of the Divine Antoninus Pius and Faustina and its post-antique afterlife as the Church of S. Lorenzo in Miranda, Professor Kleiner introduces the Severan dynasty as it ushers in the third century. She focuses first on the Arch of Septimius Severus in the Roman Forum, the earliest surviving triple-bayed arch in Rome. She next presents the so-called Septizodium, a lively baroque-style facade for Domitian’s Palace on the Palatine Hill. The lecture concludes with the colossal Baths of Caracalla, which awed the public by their size and by a decorative program that assimilated the emperor Caracalla to the hero Hercules.

Professor Kleiner discusses the increasing size of Roman architecture in the second and third centuries A.D. as an example of a "bigger is better" philosophy. She begins with an overview of tomb architecture, a genre that, in Rome as in Ostia, embraced the aesthetic of exposed brick as a facing for the exteriors of buildings. Interiors of second-century tombs, Professor Kleiner reveals, encompass two primary groups -- those that are decorated with painted stucco and those embellished primarily with architectural elements. After a discussion of the Temple of the Divine Antoninus Pius and Faustina and its post-antique afterlife as the Church of S. Lorenzo in Miranda, Professor Kleiner introduces the Severan dynasty as it ushers in the third century. She focuses first on the Arch of Septimius Severus in the Roman Forum, the earliest surviving triple-bayed arch in Rome. She next presents the so-called Septizodium, a lively baroque-style facade for Domitian’s Palace on the Palatine Hill. The lecture concludes with the colossal Baths of Caracalla, which awed the public by their size and by a decorative program that assimilated the emperor Caracalla to the hero Hercules.

Professor Kleiner discusses two Roman cities in North Africa: Timgad and Leptis Magna. Timgad was created as an entirely new colony for Roman army veterans by Trajan in A.D. 100, and designed all at once as an ideal castrum plan. Leptis Magna, conversely, grew more gradually from its Carthaginian roots, experiencing significant Roman development under Augustus and Hadrian. Septimius Severus, the first Roman emperor from North Africa, was born at Leptis and his hometown was renovated in connection with his historic visit to the city. This large-scale program of architectural expansion features the Severan Forum and Basilica and the nearby Arch of Septimius Severus, a tetrapylon or four-sided arch located at the crossing of two major streets. The lecture culminates with the unique Hunting Baths, a late second or early third-century structure built for a group of entrepreneurs who supplied exotic animals to Rome's amphitheaters. Its intimate vaulted spaces are revealed on the outside of the building and silhouetted picturesquely against the sea, suggesting that the bath's owners knew how to innovate through concrete architecture and how to enjoy life.

In part 1 we took a look at some of the sociological reason for persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. Then last time we began a narrative-chronology of the waves of persecution and ended with Antonius Pious.A new approach in dealing with Christians was adopted by Marcus Aurelius who reigned form 161–180. Aurelius is known as a philosopher emperor. He authored a volume on Stoic philosophy titled Meditations. It was really more a series of notes to himself, but it became something of a classic of ancient literature. Aurelius bore not a shred of sympathy for the idea of life after death & detested as intellectually inferior anyone who carried a hope in immortality.Reversing the Trajan policy of not going after Christians, Aurelius crafted a system of spies to gather intelligence and evidence against them. Rather than check riots that frequently called for martyr's blood as the previous emperors had done, Aurelius encouraged them. It was during his reign Christians began to be blamed for natural catastrophes. The supposition was that the gods were upset Christians weren't being persecuted by good Romans. With this as their moral backing, and making up for lost time, persecution under Aurelius moved to a new level of brutality. Thousands lost their heads or were tossed to beasts. It was at this time Justin Martyr became one.But we have to note that as fierce as the Aurelian persecution was, no official edict calling for an Empire-wide extermination of Christians was issued. Nor did one come during the reigns of Septimius Severus from 193–211 or Maximinus from 235–238 when persecution of the followers of Christ was renewed. The Severian campaign sought to root out the church in Egypt and North Africa, while the Maximinian chapter aimed only at Christian leaders in specific locales.The mid-3rd C saw a dramatic change.As Rome celebrated its thousand-year anniversary, people cast longing eyes back to the Golden Age & Glory Days of a bygone era of power & prosperity. In comparison, Rome now seemed a tottering old-hag hobbling along on arthritic knees. She was no longer able to kick away the barbarian dogs snapping at her heels. The superstition of pagans, who of course were in the vast majority, believed the gods who favored their ancestors FOR their devotion, were now punishing them for allowing the Christians to reject them.That being the case, wasn't it morally right & for the public good to actively go after the followers of Jesus?Decius only ruled from 249-51, but he was convinced maintaining Rome's cultus was essential to political stability and a return to prosperity. As soon as he took the purple, he gave orders everyone in the empire had to swear by the Emperor's genius; that is, practice emperor worship, as we talked about last time. This flushed out Christians who refused. They were declared traitors; enemies of the emperor, state, and public good. Their very presence was deemed a dangerous blight since the wrath of the gods was on them.As harsh as all this sounds, the evidence indicates that at first, the goal wasn't to kill them so much as it was to get them to recant under the threat of pain. Getting a Christian to recant was far more effective than killing them because many people are inspired by martyrdom. And of course, the martyrs were held in ultra-high esteem by The Church. So much so, a bit later, we'll find Church Leaders telling church members to use common sense and to not run around making a big to-do about being a believer, just so they WOULD be arrested and executed!No – most officials didn't want to make martyrs; they preferred apostates. Think of it this way . . .In ancient warfare, men would psych and pump themselves up in anticipation of battle. Once battle began, you wanted to present yourself like a man; tough, courageous. When you see your buddies taking blows and giving as good as they get, you stay shoulder to shoulder – a band of brothers!But when one guy turns his back to the enemy and begins to run, it's a fast spreading contagion of fear. Soon the entire line collapses in a rout.Watching some Christian publicly executed for their faith often inspired as many as it freaked. But hearing of Christians recanting & returning to the paganism of their past made many wonder why THEY should remain true.Under Decius, the 1st to be seized as treasonous were Church leaders. The hope was that a leaderless church would fall apart. In some places it did; but in others it went on as if nothing had changed.In those places were the Church winked out, it was because by the mid 3rd C, Christianity had already produced a brand of Faith that was more image than substance. Shocking as it may seem to some, there's been shallow Christians since the very beginning. And now, under Decius, they were flushed out into the open where they were forced to recant or die. Recant they did because their Faith was more social than sincere. But a host of others suffered martyrdom.After a year it was clear the Decian persecution wouldn't succeed in its goal of ending the Faith. In July of 251, Decius was killed in battle. His edict was no longer enforced.In 253, Valerian became emperor. He was at first friendly to the Faith. But a series of calamities stirred his advisors to press him to renew the pogroms in appeasement of the gods. During this wave of persecution several great leaders of the church were killed.The 40-some yrs from 260 to 303 were a time of relative peace for Christians. But it was the calm before the storm which arrived with the ascension of Diocletian.While his origins are sketchy, it seems Diocletian was a slave's son who worked himself up to supreme power. An utterly brilliant administrator, Diocletian recognized what pervious rulers ought have–that Rome was too large to be led by a single ruler. I'll leave it to you to listen to Mike Duncan's The History of Rome podcast to learn the details of Diocletian's reign. Edward Gibbon calls Diocletian a 2nd Augustus because he believes he framed a new empire rather than just restore the old. And indeed, Diocletian distanced himself from his political ancestors & heritage. He very consciously adopted the ostentatiousness of an Eastern ruler, something previous Roman Emperors would have condemned as scandalous. It was he who divided the Empire into a formal E & W, each with its one major Augustus & subordinate Caesar.In his first 2 decades, Diocletian honored the Toleration Edict Gallienus passed in 259 that restored Christians churches and burial places. His wife & daughter, along with most of his court & officials were either Christians or were favorable to them because THEIR wives & friends were. The Emperor himself was a pagan of the more superstitious flavor. But as a pragmatic politician, he believed restoring the Empire demanded a return to the old religion. Although due to family & friends he postponed the religious question, ultimately he had to take it on. There could be no peaceful co-existence between Christianity & Paganism. It was High Noon in Diocletian's court.The chief instigator in all this was Diocletian's co-ruler, his son-in-law, Galerius. He prevailed on Diocletian to authorize the persecution for which his reign is so well-known.In 303, at Gallerius' urging, Diocletian issued a series of edicts calling for the total eradication of Christianity. Places of worship were to be torn down, sacred writings were to be burned, and clergy were to be slaughtered. The next year, all Christians had to engage in a very public display of emperor worship or face immediate execution. Although it wasn't exactly like this, it's close enough . . .A raised dais was built in the center of town with a little altar where people would drop a pinch of incense and say, “Caesar is Lord.” Then they'd take a few more steps and be handed the libelli; that little scroll affirming they were good, loyal subjects. Another path led form the altar to a chopping block where an executioner stood. Those who refused to drop incense & said “Jesus, not Caesar, is Lord,” took that route where they got a haircut at the neck. Thousands died.In the Eastern empire were Diocletian and Galerius ruled, the persecution was especially fierce. The Western Augustus Maximian, fastidiously carried out the edicts in Italy and Africa. But his subordinate, Constantius, who ruled Gaul, Britain, & Spain, refused to execute people for their faith. Persecution effectively ended in 305, when Diocletian abdicated and retired to grow cabbages at his estate.But it was Galerius who'd put Diocletian UP to it in the first place. And Galerius stepped into the role of Eastern Augustus – so why didn't the persecutions continue? The answer to that is because Galerius realized à It wasn't working! He admitted that the policy of eradicating Christianity had failed miserably. In fact, he reversed himself and wrote à"Wherefore, for this our indulgence, they ought to pray to their God for our safety, for that of the republic, and for their own, that the republic may continue uninjured on every side, and that they may be able to live securely in their homes."It's reported that at the end of his life, as he lay abed, ill, he asked his Christians subjects pray for him. To encourage their prayers he passed an Edict of Toleration in 311, officially ending persecution. It was followed a year later by Constantine's famous Edict of Milan saying much the same.Since we shared a little about the interplay of the Early Church in the Roman Empire & their enemies to the East, the Persian Sassanids, in Season 1, we won't go into that whole chapter now, except to say that when Christians were persona non-grata in the W, the Sassanids welcomed them with open arms. Many refugees fled there, turning the E into a Christian enclave that quickly developed into a HQs and center of scholarship. The Sassanids followed the old line that the enemy of my enemy is my friend & assumed the Christians would be allies in their on-going tussle with Rome. But when Constantine revoked persecution and claimed to be a Christian, the Sassanids began to fear Christians as a dangerous 5th column in their ranks and persecution began. More of the details to that are to be had in Season 1.Let's end this short series on the Persecution of the Church in the First Centuries by considering the impact in had on the Church. Most of the Emperors eventually realized, as did Galerius too late, persecution didn't really work. Killing Christians didn't end the Faith. On the contrary, many were won to Christ by observing the gracious & courageous way so many of the martyrs died. A quote from the early church father Tertullian is oft given: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” The sheer NUMBER of Christians may be less due to persecution. But one positive effect persecution yielded was that those who DID claim the name of Christ were real-deal followers of the Son of God. People didn't join a church just so they could pad their resume or enhance their social standing. Being a Christian was risky across the board. People stood in danger socially, economically & physically. Persecution also encouraged the spread of the faith to new regions as people fled hostility.Persecution helped to settle the challenge church leaders faced on what belonged in the canon of NT Scripture. The tests they applied to settling the canon had to be rigorous, because they knew people would not give their lives for spurious inkings.Persecution also sharpened the thinking of church leaders as they defended the faith in the face of often erudite attacks by pagan critics. What's interesting is that the vast majority of arguments against the Faith voice by critics & skeptics today were leveled by critics of the 1st thru 3rd Cs. These critics were learned men, skilled in philosophy and rhetoric. But each of their objections were amply answered by early Church Fathers known today as The Apologists. The answers modern day apologists use in defense of the Faith are largely built on the pioneering work of the originals. Even many of the objections raised by the New Atheists are rebutted by 2000 year old answers.Though it's questionable whether or not they ever read them, the Early Apologists wrote some of their defenses of Christianity to no one less than the Emperor, seeking to reason with him on why persecuting Christians was bad policy. These “Apologies” as they're called, weren't wild-eyed polemics threatening the Emperor with God's wrath if they didn't lighten up. They were most often attempts to use Roman law, Greek philosophy and the weight of tradition, which remember the Roman's put great store by, to persuade the Emperor that Christianity ought to be tolerated along with Rome's other faiths.All that is persecution's up-side. What about the down? Well, Believers ended up so busy protecting themselves there was scant opportunity for them to develop a deep theological heritage to enrich those who came after. Yes, there were a handful like the Apologists who managed to get out some material, but with the many thousands who DID in fact come to faith, we would expect a much larger body of literary work. Persecution both limited the opportunity to produce that, and what work that WAS produced, was frequently used to fuel the fires Christians were then burnt on.Another problem that rose, and we dealt with this in Season 1, was what to do with those believers who faltered during persecution and gave in to the pressure to recant. What was to be done with those Christians who burned a pinch of incense, said “Caesar is Lord,” took a libelli, then, once the threat of persecution was passed, repented of recanting and wanted to come back to church? These were called the lapsed, because their faith had lapsed in the heat of persecution. This became an especially trying issue after Constantine officially revoked persecution once & for all, for 2 reasons . . .1) Constantine took over right after the 10th & most virulent phase of persecution. It was also  empire wide, though it was enforced more firmly in the E. A major test used for weeding out believers was the requirement of swearing by the Emperor's genius, which as we've seen, the faithful could not do. But, a bunch of the lapsed, DID! And that leads to the 2nd reason à2) All those who'd lapsed realized that with the Edict of Milan official persecution was most likely over for good. So, instead of staying de-canted, so as to avoid upcoming persecutions, they figured it was safe to return to Church. Andà Here they came.The Church was split over whether to allow them back or not. Some favored restoration, others, not so much. Many fellowships split over the issue. Church leaders took sides in the debate and fired off sometimes heated missives at one another. For more on this, you can listen to the episode in Season 1 called The Lapsed Dance.Another negative effect of persecution was a warped result of a positive. The faith & courage of the martyrs not only challenged the shallowness of rank paganism, it inspired people to follow their example. But not just to live by faith in Jesus; they went further and longed to die like their heroes. The desire to suffer martyrdom became a problem church leaders had to address at a few points.Ha! Think of that. Instead of Pastor Alexius asking for volunteers for the nursery ministry, he had to plead with his people not to go to the marketplace crying out that they're Christians; “Please! Somebody arrest & torture me to death.” But that gives us a hint as to just how highly martyrs were regarded in the Early Church. When they were regarded that highly, it's not difficult to see why there were many in the Church who regarded lapsed believers as scum.What made for a major brouhaha was when it wasn't just everyday church members who'd lapsed, but when it as a pastor.

This episode is titled, “Striving to Give an Answer”In his first epistle, the Apostle Peter urged Jesus' followers to always be ready to give a defense, an apologia, of their faith to anyone who asked. That word meaning an articulate, reasoned position. It was used of the arguments lawyers carried into court to argue their case. Peter added that the Christian must share his/her defense of the Faith, not in a combative or argumentative tone, but with meekness & respect.If there was any Church Father who sought to embody that command, it was Origen of Alexandria.Origen was what some might term a “religious fanatic” who gave up his job, slept on the floor, ate no meat, drank no wine, fasted twice a week, owned no shoes, & according to one account castrated himself for the faith. He was also the most prolific scholar of his age, penning hundreds of manuscripts. He was a 1st rate philosopher, & profound student of Scripture.So outstanding in resisting all the forces that came against him, Origen was nick-named “Adamantius” = man of steel. If that sounds familiar, Adamantine is the metal that makes up Wolverine's skeleton in the X-Men series. But no! Origen was not a 3rd C Wolverine. à Let's not get carried away.A child prodigy, Origen was born near Alexandria in Egypt about AD 185. The oldest of 7 children, he grew up in a Christian home learning the Bible & the meaning of commitment. In 202 his father, Leonidas, was beheaded for the faith in one of those regular rounds of persecution at the hands of hostile Roman officials during the reign of Septimius Severus. The grief stricken 17 year old Origen wanted to join his father as a martyr but his mother prevented him from leaving the house by hiding his clothes.So; I guess he was willing to DIE in public but not go out naked in it. Sounds like your typical 17 yr old to me.Origen quickly realized he had more to offer than martyrdom & went to work to support his family. He started a grammar school, copied texts, & instructed new believers in the basics of the faith. While engaged in all this, he himself studied under the pagan philosopher Ammonius Saccas in order to better defend his faith against the arguments of hostile pagans.As persecution went on, Origen boldly visited the imprisoned, attended their trials, & comforted the condemned.  His fame spread & the number of his students increased rapidly. The Bishop of Alexandria at this time was Demetrius, with whom Origen had a hot & cold relationship. There were brief seasons of good will broken by longer periods of antagonism between the two. Origen was by far the sharper intellect & it seems Demetrius was jealous. He demanded Origen limit himself to teaching students issues of doctrine alone. He was not allowed to preach.Around AD 211-12, during the reign of the Caracalla, Origen visited Rome. The moral looseness he witnessed on the part of Church officials disturbed him. You see, Origen was a confirmed ascetic; committed to self-discipline & an austere lifestyle that shunned anything hinting of a weakening of moral virtue. So on his return to Alexandria he resumed his teaching with a zeal increased by his determination to not follow the example he saw in the capital.His school had by this time outgrown the strength of a single instructor & administrator. The students clamored for more instruction, & graduates wanted materials to help them study the Bible. Origen brought on others and increasingly devoted himself to the study of the Bible and producing high quality resources. He learned Hebrew so he could get at the text of the OT more efficiently. It was at this time, about 212, that Origen became friends with a wealthy man named Ambrose of Alexandria. Ambrose was a Gnostic whom Origen persuaded to leave his errant views and become a Christian.Their friendship continued for years, & in appreciation for Origen's friendship & concern for his soul, Ambrose provided several secretaries to help transcribe Origen's copious writings. A large number of Origen's works were dedicated to this friend, Ambrose.In 214, Origen visited Arabia & the Holy Land. The following year, a popular uprising at Alexandria caused the Emperor Caracalla to allow his soldiers to loot the city. The schools were closed & all foreigners expelled. This meant Ambrose had to leave so Origen went with him. They took refuge in Caesarea on the coast of Israel. Though he wasn't an ordained priest, the bishops of both Jerusalem & Caesarea asked Origen to carry on a temporary preaching ministry in the local churches.While this was in line with the practice of the churches in Israel, it was NOT allowed by the Church in Alexandria. When Origen returned there in 216, Bishop Demetrius was furious & tried to limit Origen's on-going work.Of his activity over the next decade little is known. He likely engaged mostly in writing & the instruction of new believers.Origen understood the threat being posed by Gnosticism. He also knew when Gnosticism finally disappeared, another error would rise to replace it. The only way to deal with the sure coming waves of heretical challenge was to provide tools for believers to use to study & understand the Bible. To that end he produced the Hexapla, an early form of what we know today as a Parallel Bible. The Hexapla had the original Hebrew text of the OT, a Greek, transliteration & several other Grk translations. All arranged in 6 parallel columns. One of these Greek translations he found in a jar in the city of Jericho. This was a massive undertaking and required 28 years to complete. The Hexapla obviously became an important part of the development of the NT canon & helped shape scriptural translation. Unfortunately it was lost. It was so massive modern scholars doubt anyone ever copied it entirely. We know of its existence because portions of it exist, and it's referenced in several comments by contemporary Christians.Origen might rightly be called the 1st Bible scholar who analyzed the Scriptures on 3 levels: the literal, the moral, and the allegorical. As Origen himself put it, “For just as man consists of body, soul, and spirit, so in the same way does Scripture.” In truth, Origen preferred the allegorical because it allowed for more spiritual interpretations. There were many passages he considered impossible to understand literally.Origen's method of allegorical interpretation became the standard for Bible study of later church ages, and would end up leading people pretty far astray.Origen's main work, was De Principiis = On First Principles. It was the first systematic exposition of Christian theology ever written. He created a distinctly Christian philosophy by synthesizing Greek techniques of analysis with Biblical texts. Add to these the 2 massive works of the Hexapla & De Principiis, his homilies & commentaries, and it's clear how he kept 7 secretaries busy and caused the later church father Jerome to say in frustrated admiration, “Has anyone read everything Origen wrote?”While what we've looked at so far makes Origen out to be a pretty solid guy, he wasn't without warts.  In fact, one of the later Church Councils will go so far as to label Origen a heretic.But hang on; as we'll see, those councils weren't always the most unbiased and righteous courts of discernment. Far from it!It was Origen's interpretation of Scripture that got him into hot water. He advocated the idea that the real meaning of a text wasn't its straight-forward, literal reading but that Scripture had an allegorical meaning & THAT was the primary purpose of the text. Finding the allegorical key was the main point, Origen and his followers, claimed.While there is certainly some deep allegory to some of Scripture, the vast majority of the Biblical text ought to be understood literally. But those who followed Origen took his idea of allegory too far and made allegory the main interpretive method for all of Scripture. This methodology of Bible study held sway for hundreds of years & ended up countering the very thing Origen had set out to do – make the Bible accessible to all believers. For in the allegorical method of interpretation, only those educated in the often esoteric symbols of the Allegoricalists can rightly interpret & understand the Word of God.Another thing that Origen did which had a negative effect on the Church was his fanatical dedication to self-denial. Origen was so anxious to present himself to God as holy he engaged in practices that were surely aberrant. It was this fastidious devotion to asceticism that encouraged the monastic movement of later times. He denied himself sleep, engaged in extreme fasting, & went barefoot.There's one aspect of Origen's asceticism that bears recounting because modern students of church history often hear only a partial story. A fuller report is warranted as it illustrates how more knowledge on a subject often sheds a very different light on the how & why of things the ancients did.So – Origen's great zeal for holiness moved him when he was young & immature to castrate himself.Yes, you heard me correctly; he castrated – HIMSELF! è Ouch!!!!!!!His motive was to avoid any potential for scandal because of his instruction of women. Now this is interesting, because though Origen later developed an allegorical method of interpretation, when he was younger he took Matthew 19:12 pretty literally when it said; “There are those who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.”The early church historian Eusebius says Origen's self-castration was “proof of an inexperienced and youthful heart but also of faith and self-control.”It seems Origen later thought better of his youthful act. In his Commentary on Matthew he condemned those who took 19:12 literally, and said such an action was an "outrage." Based on this, modern skeptics contend the report of Origen's self-castration is false. But Origen goes on in his writings to speak of the physical problems resulting from castration in a way that suggests personal experience.This isn't all that got Origen into trouble with later church leaders. While some of his writings were surely hypothetical, Origen taught the pre-existence of the soul; that a person's spirit existed before conception, & that all spirits had fallen into sin before birth.  Furthermore, he said these sinful spirits were then enslaved in bodies in proportion to the grievousness of the sins they committed. So some were made demons, some men, & some angels. He also believed all spirits could be saved, even satan.But what got Origen into the biggest trouble doctrinally was his description of the Trinity. He said it was a hierarchy where Father, Son, and Spirit were NOT equal. Though he attacked Gnostic beliefs, like them, he rejected the goodness of material creation.Three centuries after his death, the Council of Constantinople pronounced Origen a heretic. But try to file that little factoid away for later because we're going to spend quite a bit of time on this topic of the church debates over the Trinity & the nature of Christ in upcoming episodes. The 4th & 5th Cs were dominated by these debates & while the issue is largely settled for us today, we really ought to have a better appreciation for the agony the church endured for 200 years as church elders tried to figure all this out.The question is: Did Origen REALLY mean Father, Son & Spirit weren't equal, thus making him a genuine heretic? Of by referring to them as a hierarchy, was he speaking of their submission to each other in the relational matrix of the Trinity?Ah—there's the rub. In order to answer that, we need to know what Origen and later writers meant by the WORDS they used to describe what they believed. And that's not always an easy task – especially when someone like Origen was oblivious to the arguments and debates that would rage 2 & 300 years later.Many scholars now contend Origen was merely trying to frame the Faith in the ideas of his day. But after the Council of Constantinople his works were suppressed; many of them being rounded up and burned, making modern evaluation difficult.Origen's Against Celsus is one of the finest defenses of Christianity produced in the early church. Answering the charge that Christians, by refusing military service, failed the test of good citizenship, he wrote, “We who by our prayers destroy all demons which stir up wars, violate oaths, and disturb the peace are of more help to the emperors than those who seem to be doing the fighting.”The authorities weren't convinced. In AD 250 the Emperor Decius had Origen imprisoned and tortured. He was deliberately kept alive in hope he'd renounce his faith. But Decius died first and Origen was set free. His health broken, he died shortly after his release.

This week's episode is titled “Hammering out the Details. ”That group of guys known as the Early Church Fathers for the most part were pastors. They were leaders of churches who had a pastoral concern for both the Faith & their people.The later 1st through 3rd Cs saw the Church expand around the Mediterranean basin, in a few places up into central Europe, across North Africa, across the Middle East and into Mesopotamia and the Persian East. While believers contended with periodic outbursts of persecution in Roman controlled territory, the great threat was that presented by aberrant sects that kept rising up aiming to hijack the Faith.It's understandable why this was such a problem in these early centuries. Christian theology was still being hammered out. In fact, it was the threat posed by aberrant groups that forced church leaders to formalize precisely what it was Christians believed. Just as today, some new wind of doctrine blows thru the church and most Christians have little idea what's wrong with it; they just sense something is. It doesn't sound or feel right, but they couldn't say precisely what it is. It takes some astute pastor, Bible student, or theologian to show HOW said doctrine is contrary to Scripture. Then everyone's clued in and has an idea of why & how that aberration or heresy is off.Multiply that process by many years & lots more of those winds of doctrine, and you can see how a large & detailed body of Christian theology developed. Most times, church leaders turn to the Bible to compare the new idea to what's already known to be God's Word & Will. But sometimes what's needed is some new words – or at least to make sure we know what the words we're using when we explain something mean! And we need to make sure we all mean the same thing by those words. We see how important this is today when dealing with the cults. Two people can say they're Christians, and both believe in & follow Jesus. But while one person's “Jesus” is the eternal Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin Jewish teenager named Mary, the other person's “Jesus” is really just a manifestation of the archangel Michael, or à the human son of a god named Elohim who used to be a man on another planet a long time ago who ascended into being a god with a heavenly harem by which he produces spirits looking for human bodies. Believe it or not, that is what a couple prominent pseudo-Christian cults believe today.My point is è we need to make sure we pour the same meaning into the words we use, especially when we're talking theology, because what we believe about God is the most important thing about us.We'll see how complex & what a major deal this all was when we get to the debates about the trinity & the nature of Jesus in the 4th & 5th Cs. For now, realize that even earlier, during the latter 1st thru 3rd Cs, it was usually pastors who did most of the theological work as they dealt with the challenge of goofy teachings about God & Jesus confronting the people they led.Let's take a brief look at some of the major doctrinal challenges & groups that challenged the early church.We already considered the threat of Gnosticism. We spent a whole episode on that topic because it was a huge challenge that a few letters of the NT addressed.We considered the challenge Marcion presented, with his virulent anti-semitism & attempt to separate the God of the OT from the God of the New.We took a brief look at Montanus and his, what we might call, early Charismatic Movement. Ws saw that while there were indeed some aberrant elements in Monantism, they did not rise to the level of heresy the Early Church ended up labeling them with.A group we've not looked at yet was a kind of anti-Marcionist sect called the Ebionites. They emerged toward the end of the 1st Century & continued into the 4th.  Their beliefs smack of the error the Apostle Paul deals with in his Galatian Epistle.Ebionites said Jesus wasn't the Eternal Son of God; he was just a successor to Moses whose mission was to enforce a strict legalism.  They claimed Jesus was just a Jew who kept the law perfectly. And because He did, at his baptism, the Spirit of God descended on him, empowering him to be a prophet. This sounds a lot like one of the many Gnostic sects.Ebionites were ascetics who avoided any & all forms of pleasure, assuming if it was pleasurable, it had to be wrong.  They practiced poverty, ultra forms of self-denial, & elaborate religious rituals. They abhorred the Gospel of Grace. Their name, “Ebionites” comes from the Hebrew word meaning “Poor Ones.” They likely took this name to honor their founder, Ebion, who spurned his given-name in favor of the title “Poor One.”What little we know about the Ebionites comes to us from the accounts of their opponents. The first Christian to write about them was Irenaeus who mentions them in his work, Against Heresies. Origen also mentions them, his account matching that of Irenaeus.They rejected the NT in favor of a scroll known as “The Gospel According to the Hebrews.” Keeping the Jewish flavor of their origins, they met in synagogues. As would be imagined, they considered the Apostle Paul with his emphasis on salvation by grace through faith to be a dangerous heretic. To Ebionites, Jesus wasn't the Savior; Moses was because he gave the Law. Jesus was nothing but a Solomon-like figure who proved people COULD obey the law.When the Romans Titus laid siege to Jerusalem, the Ebionites join forces with the Gnostics. And a close reading of Paul's letter to the Colossians gives a hint that it was this Gnostic-Ebionism that was troubling the church there.Another group that presented a challenge to the Early church were the Manichaeists. I'm not going to go into a lot of depth here. Suffice it to say Manichaeism was a rather bizarre cousin to Gnosticism. Like the Gnostics, they were dualist; meaning they considered the spiritual realm to be unalterably good while the material world was hopelessly corrupt.Their founder was the 3rd C mystic Mani. He proposed two opposing forces, light & darkness, forever locked in eternal combat. Salvation was defined as the victorious struggle of the Children of Light overcoming the darkness by a life of self-denial and celibacy. If some of this sounds a lot like the Zoroastrianism of Persia – Give yourself a gold star; you figured out where it came from!Mani was a Parthian who'd grown up in a home that was nominally Christian. He was loath to give up the ancient Zoroastrianism of his peers and homeland, so he decided to mix the two. And once he'd begun, he decided to go ahead and add a dash of Buddhism, some Hinduism, & a sprinkle of Judaism. Mani's religion was an ancient version of Baha'i – you know, just snag whatever seems most appealing from a handful of major religions, toss it all in a bowl, mix thoroughly, cook at 350 for 20 minutes, let cool, and serve with a cup of Koolaid.But it's not hard to understand WHY Manichaeism would appeal to so many people at that time. The Romans had brought dozens of different people under one political & economic system. Since religion was a crucial part of most people's lives in that day, the diversity of faiths was a potential stress point that could lead to conflict. A religion that seemed to appeal to everyone because it contained a little bit of them all seemed a good move.Let's turn now to take a look at another key Church Leader; Clement of Alexandria.Titus Flavius Clement was born in Athens to pagan parents. He became a Christian by studying philosophy. He settled in Alexandria in Egypt & attended a school there because he was impressed by the director's interpretation of Scripture. When that director retired in AD 190, Clement succeeded him as head of the school, the same Origen would later take over.Now, I hope you find this as interesting as I did. This school, while run by Christians & dedicated to Christ, was anything BUT a narrow-minded academy aimed at spitting out mind-numbed followers. The school reflected the cultural mixture of Alexandria. It welcomed Christians, pagans, and Jews who wanted the best education the time could field. The Christian directors of the school believed that the Christian faith, given a fair hearing, would prevail over other ideas. So among others, the non-Christian philosopher, Ammonius Saccas taught there. Among his students were both Origen and Plotinus, founder of Neoplatonism.During his years as a teacher in Alexandria, Clement wrote most of his works. He followed the example of Philo, an Alexandrian Jewish scholar who'd used Greek philosophy to interpret the Old Testament. Clement adopted Philo's allegorical method of interpreting Scripture, often quoting him at length.Now, I need to pause & define a term I've used a lot, not just in this episode but in several previous = Pagan. Today, in popular usage the word ‘pagan' is fraught with a shipload of negative baggage. If you call someone a “pagan” it's an insult; you're saying they're godless & immoral.That's NOT what I mean here when I refer to someone as a pagan. I mean it as it's come to be used by a growing number of alternative religious groups today. Pagans are those who've returned to a worldview that sees the forces of nature as worthy of worship. Witches & Wicca are pagan and draw their inspiration from the ancient world that believed in a plethora of gods & goddesses who controlled the forces of nature and exerted dominion over only certain regions. By pagan, I mean it in this technical sense; the worshippers of the Greek & Roman gods. People who believed the myths & legends of the Greco-Roman civilization.I pause to define “pagan” because Clement wrote specifically to them, seeking to reason with them about why they ought to put their faith in Christ. In his Exhortation to the Gentiles he used the same arguments employed by the Apologists, but with more sophistication.  By cherry-picking quotes, he showed an ascending revelation upward through poets, philosophers, the Cybeline oracle, & Hebrew prophets to the highest revelation; Christ.Clement's major work was titled Miscellanies. As the title suggests, Clement said that the seeker has to go through a “patchwork” of ideas to get to the truth, like winnowing wheat through a sieve. He called philosophy a “schoolmaster” to bring the Greek-thinker to Christ. He believed God used philosophy to lead pre-Christian Gentiles to a knowledge of the truth of Christ. Although the teaching of Christ was complete in itself, philosophy served Clement as a kind of “wall for the vineyard” to defend the truth of Christianity.What's of interest to us about Clement of Alexandria is the impact he had on Origen. It was his ready use of philosophy and allegorical style of interpreting Scripture that had a far-reaching consequence in the Early & Medieval Church.Clement fled Alexandria during persecution under the Roman emperor Septimius Severus in 202 and died in Asia Minor.Next up is Tertullian.Tertullian was born in Carthage, North Africa, about AD 160. While his pre-christian life is sketchy, it seems he was a scholarly lawyer who was won to Christ in his 30's.Tertullian is reckoned one of the more important church fathers because he wrote a long list of apologetic and theological works in both Latin & Greek.  His Apologeticus was addressed to the Roman governor of Carthage. It refuted the charges leveled against Christians, demonstrated the loyalty of Christians to the empire, and showed that persecution of Christians was foolish because they multiplied when persecuted.Tertullian is rare among the Church Fathers in that he wasn't a pastor as most were. He did teach at Carthage, but he remained a layman who devoted himself to writing works aimed at presenting the reasonableness of the Faith, both to believers and outsiders.Tertullian became concerned over the way holiness was being neglected in the Church. When his appeals to church leaders fell on deaf ears, he decided to join the growing Montanist movement. You'll remember it was their aberrant views about asceticism that got them into trouble with the Church. Well, their moral discipline appealed to Tertullian. In his mind, if it was a choice of staying in a spiritually lethargic & morally compromised but doctrinally-right church or joining a Spirit-filled, morally excellent group that held some questionable practices, he'd rather be part of the later and use his influence to bring them in line. His influence had been rejected by the apostolic church at Carthage so he jumped ship. Tertullian remained doctrinally orthodox until his death. His followers rejoined the church at Carthage several decades later.Soon after conversion, Tertullian began a massive output of Christian writings occupying his last 25 years. A good part of these manuscripts, 31 Latin works, have survived to our time. These can be divided into 3 groups: Apologetics, Doctrine & Ethics.In his apologetic works, Tertullian answered the charges against Christians made by their enemies. He refutes accusations of, get this à infanticide and incest.Some of Christianity's most time-honored sayings are quotes from Tertullian, such as . . .Christians are made, not born.See, they say, how these Christians love one another, for the pagans are animated by mutual hatred; how the Christians are ready even to die for one another, for the pagans themselves will sooner put to death.We multiply whenever we are mown down by you; the blood of Christians is seed.Truth persuades by teaching, but does not teach by persuading.Truth does not blush.Out of the frying pan into the fire.He who flees will fight again.It is certainly no part of religion to compel religion.We worship unity in trinity, and trinity in unity; neither confounding the person nor dividing the substance It's in Tertullian that the phrases, “If God will,” “God bless,” & “God grant” make their first appearance in writing.Tertullian helped provide a theological position others would later draw on in the looming debates that occupied the Church for generations. It was Tertullian's treatment of the Trinity as being 3 persons in 1 substance; the divine and human natures of Christ; the subjection of man to original sin; and Christ's virgin birth and bodily resurrection that helped later generations articulate a cogent position on these difficult subjects.Both Athanasius & Augustine, as well as a whole host of later church fathers, look back to Tertullian for a clue how to proceed. Tertullian appears to be the first one to use the Latin trinitas as a descriptor for the doctrine of God as 3 person in 1 Substance.The what, when, & where of Tertullian's death is unknown. Jerome says he lived to a great age, but we have no record of him after 225 in Carthage, making him 65 at the time of his graduation to glory.