Keywords
Christianization
Moesia Inferior
Early Christian Church
Marcianopolis
bishopric
basilicas
How to Cite
Abstract
The author presented the process of Christianization of Lower Moesia and the role of the bishopric in Novae in the development of the church organisation on the lower Danube. The aim of the article is to determine the time of the establishment of the bishopric in Novae, reconstruct its history and assess the importance of the city as a centre of Christian life. The author used a historical method. He analysed written sources, hagiographic records, inscriptions and archaeological research results. The article shows that the actual Christianization of Moesia began only in the 3rd century CE, and the dynamic development of the church organisation took place after the recognition of Christianity by the Roman state in the 4th century. During this period, a network of eight bishoprics subordinated to the metropolis in Marcianopolis was established, including Novae. The article discusses the evidence of the presence of Christians in the city (inscriptions, seals with Christian symbols, remains of basilicas). The author cited a list of bishops of Novae known from sources and pointed to their participation in dogmatic disputes of the era. The analysis of sources allows us to conclude that the bishopric in Novae was formed relatively late, but quickly took a permanent place in the church organisation of Moesia Inferior.
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© by Adam Mickiewicz University, Faculty of History, Poznań, 1984
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