Chronology of early Christian monasticism

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Locations of significant monastic sites.

Christian monasticism first appeared in Egypt and Syria.[1] This is a partial chronology of early Christian monasticism with its notable events listed. It covers 343 years.

Year (AD) Historical event
c. 227 Paul the Great is born. He is considered to be the very first Christian eremitic ascetic. He lived very reclusively and was only discovered by Anthony towards the end of his life.[2]
249-51 Persecution of Christians under Emperor Decius forces many Christians to flee into the desert (including Paul the Great[2]), thus starting Egyptian Christian monasticism.[3][4]
c. 251 Anthony the Great is born, who is considered to have founded eremitic monasticism.[5][4][1]
c. 285 Cronius of Nitria is born.[4]
c. 290 Pachomius the Great is born, who is considered to have founded cenobitic monasticism.[6][7][4]
291/292 Hilarion the Great is born, who was inspired by Anthony.[8]
293 Athanasius the Great is born. His writings are important for the start of Christian monasticism.[9][1]
c. 300 Macarius the Great is born.[10][4]
303 Christian persecution under emperor Diocletian: the Diocletianic Persecution.[11][4]
305 Anthony the Great relocates from the Outer Mountain to the Inner Mountain of Pispir.[12]
306
c. 310-20 Athanasius the Great begins his ecclesiastical career.[12]
313 The Edict of Milan legalizes Christianity and ends persecution.[15]
314
c. 315
c. 320
320 Pishoy is born.
c. 323
324 Constantine the Great becomes the sole emperor of all of Rome.[4][13]
325 First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea.[4][18][19]
328 Athanasius the Great becomes Archbishop of Alexandria.[4][9]
329 Basil the Great is born. He influences Christian monasticism by his ascetic writings.[20]
330
337 Death of Emperor Constantine (as a Christian).[13][4]
338
339 John the Dwarf is born in Thebes.
c. 340
c. 341 Death of Paul the Great in Thebes.
c. 345 Rufinus is born.[26]
346 Death of Pachomius the Great.[7][6]
c. 347 Jerome is born.[27]
347 John Chrysostom is born.[28]
356
357 Athanasius of the Great writes his biography of Anthony the Great.[30][31]
c. 358 Death of Serapion of Nitria.
360 John Cassian is born.
361 Julian the Apostate becomes the emperor of Rome.[32][4]
362 4th exile of Athanasius the Great by Julian the Apostate.[9][12]
363 Death of Mar Awgin (a Syrian disciple of Pachomius the Great). He had established Christian monasticism in Mesopotamia.[1]
364 5th and final exile of Athanasius the Great.[9]
367 Epiphanius becomes the bishop of Cyprus.[4][33]
368 Death of Theodorus of Tabennese.
370 Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea, writes his Rules which becomes an important monastic text.[4]
371 Death of Hilarion the Great.
373
373-5 Rufinus meets Melania in Egypt.[4]
375 Death of Pambo.[34][4]
c. 376 Jerome writes his Life of Paul of Thebes.[12]
377 Euthymius the Great is born.[35]
379 Death of Basil the Great.[36][4]
380 At Gaza, Silvanus and a certain Mark the Calligrapher make a settlement.[37]
381 First Ecumenical Council of Constantinople.[38][4]
382 Jerome returns to Rome.[12]
383 Evagrius of Nitria becomes a monk at Kellia.[4][39]
385
c. 386 Death of Cronius of Nitria.[4]
c. 390 Jerome writes his Life of Malchus.[12]
390
391
394-5 Death of John of Lycopolis.[41]
395
398 John Chrysostom is ordained the Archbishop of Constantinople.[28][4]
399
c. 400
c. 404 John Cassian establishes the first Egyptian-style monastery in Gaul.[45]
405
407
407-408
410 Rome is sacked by Alaric and the Visigoths.[49][4]
411
417 Death of Pishoy on July 15.
c. 419-20 Palladius writes his Lausaic History.[50][4]
421-6 John Cassian writes the Institutes and the Conferences.[4][51]
429 Death of Sisoes the Great.
431 Ecumenical Council of Ephesus.[4][52]
434
c. 435
439 Sabbas the Sanctified is born.[4][55]
444 3rd destruction of Scetis.[47]
445 Death of Arsenius the Great.[4][53]
449 Death of Daniel of Egypt, disciple of Arsenius the Great.[4]
450
451 Council of Chalcedon.[58][4] After the Council of Chalcedon, the decision was made to put all Egyptian monasticism under church hierarchical supervision. This marked the end of the classical era of early Egyptian Christian monasticism.[59]
455 Rome under, Emperor Romulus Augustus, is sacked by the Vandals.[60][4]
459
c. 480 Birth of Benedict of Nursia who greatly shaped western monasticism ("Benedictine" monks).[62][4]
484 The Great Lavra (Mar Saba) is founded by Sabbas the Sanctified.[63]
491
ca. 520 Foundation of the monastery of Seridus by abbot Seridus of Gaza.[64]
527 Saint Catherine's Monastery is founded on Mount Sinai by Emperor Justinian the Great.[65]
c. 543 Death of Barsanuphius and John the Prophet, two hermits who wrote over 800 letters of spiritual guidance to monks, priests and lay people. Their disciple Dorotheus of Gaza goes on to found a new monastery.[66]
570 4th destruction of Scetis.[47]

References[edit]

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