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In the previous article, we tackled the persecution which Pope Theodosius, the 20th patriarch, went through. During the tenure of Constantius II and Julian the Apostate, he was detained from his see several times. He never enjoyed peace except for a few months during the reign of Jovian. Then, we spoke of Valentinian I who did not plunge into the religious conflicts of the West, after which we started speaking of his brother Valens who ruled the East.
Valens’ Internal Policy
Unlike his brother, Valens was not tolerant: for he followed the Arians and persecuted the Orthodox Church. So much so, that it was said that some bishops disappeared and several members of the congregation were put to death. The Egyptian Church, in specific, underwent a great deal of hardships during his tenure, whereas the Emperor did not meddle with pagans’ affairs!
No sooner had Valens taken over the reign of the East, than he ordered the re-banishing of the Orthodox bishops who were banished by Constanitius II yet were returned by Julian. Palladius, the proconsul of Egypt, thought the decree applied to Pope Athanasius. So, he strove to banish him. But the congregation opposed the decree, justifying their stance by the fact that Pope Athanasius was restored to his see in accordance to the decree of Jovian, not Julian. Yet, the proconsul did not comply. However, he was fully aware of the fact that he could not resist the people who rebelled for Pope Athanasius. So, he decided to deceive them. He feigned approval. Meanwhile, he tried to seize any opportunity to arrest and banish the Pope. When the Pope got to know of his intention, he fled.
At that time, Egypt went through a lot of turmoil. So much so, that the proconsul sent a message to Emperor Valens, telling him, “People would not cool down, unless their patriarch returns.” When the message reached the Emperor, he feared lest the news reach his brother Valentinian I and ignite his wrath. So, he ordered the return of the Pope where he remained until his departure. He was succeeded by Pope Peter (Botros) II.
Pope Athanasius was greatly admired by the West. So much so, that someone wrote a poem entitled “The Apostolic Harp”, saying:
What a great heart Athanasius is!
In people’s hearts he now dwells.
Wearing Paul’s cloak,
he gave it more holiness.
His relics were carried to Constantinople, Venice, France, and Spain. Then, Pope Shenouda III restored his relics to Egypt in 1973.
Valens Persecutes Pope Peter II
No sooner had Pope Peter II become patriarch in 373, than Valens became upset. So, he decided to avenge himself on Christians by persecuting the Pope of Alexandria and banishing him.
At that time, a Lucius had become bishop in an illegal way. Yet, being an Arian, the Emperor appointed him patriarch in Pope Peter’s stead. He ordered Palladius to banish the Pope and hand the see over to Lucius, sending several sentries with him to ensure the carrying out of the order. Upon reaching Egypt, they attacked the church where the Pope was. But he fled to Rome where he spent five years.
At that time, Christians continued to rebel against the Emperor’s decree, which is why they underwent lots of tribulations by the Lucius, Palladius, and the Roman sentries. It came to pass that archpriests were summoned and ordered to succumb to the Emperor’s orders. When they refused, they were put in an old ship and left in the sea. Some of them died, while others were saved. Moreover, Palladius banished eleven bishops who rejected the Emperor’s orders.
The Church’s History chronicles the story of bishop Millas who Palladius wanted to banish. When the order reached him, he was cleaning the church’s lamps. The sentries did not recognize him due to his humble appearance. When they asked him about the bishop, he took them to his residence where had a feast prepared for them. Then he told them he was the person they were seeking. So, they offered to help him run for his life. Yet, he refused, declaring his fearlessness of death. He went with them. Likewise, they tried to compel monks in all monasteries to succumb to the Emperor’s decree, but they refused.
While Pope Peter II was away from his see, the congregation used to assemble in the desert for prayers, rejecting the intruding patriarch. When Valens got to know, he sent proconsul Modestus, Count of the East, to segregate them and kill whoever prayed in the wilderness. Despite the fact that Modestus hated Orthodox Christians, he warned them from conducting prayers in the desert on the following day: for he did not want to use violence. But, the congregation disagreed, having decided to go hold prayers in huge numbers that did not fear death. Here, it is worthy to recount this story: while the proconsul was heading to the prayer site escorted by his sentries, they met a poor lady who was hurrying to the place, carrying her baby in her arms. When the proconsul knew she was going there, he warned her.
Yet, she told him that she wanted to be martyred with her baby! Modestus marveled at the woman’s bravery, and decided to return to court. He convinced Valens to retract, indicating that persecuting faithful Egyptians was no good. Rather, it would strengthen and make them braver than ever.
Christians clung to their request that their Pope return. They deposed Lucius and expelled him from Alexandria. Then, they restored their patriarch. At that time, Valens was busy with warfare. So, he did not give Lucius any attention. Shortly afterwards, he died in war. During his tenure, great turmoil occurred in Alexandria whereby pagans attacked Caesarium Church and burnt it in 366.
The Beginning of Division
Historians believe that the true beginning of the splitting of the Roman Empire into two parts (Eastern and Western) dates back to the division which took place between Valentinian I and his brother Valens. Earlier, there was administrative division. Yet, unity was gradually being restored. However, that division was comprehensive. Despite the fact that the Empire was re-unified during Theodosius’ tenure, it was short-lived, which is why historians consider this very division the beginning of the splitting of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) and the Western Roman Empire.
Gratian (375-383 A.D.)
Gratian became his father’s co-emperor from 364 to 375. Then, he became his uncle Valens’ co-emperor from 364 to 368. Gratian took over the affairs of the Western Kingdom after the death of Valentinian I. At that time, he was seventeen years old. He appointed his youngest brother, Valentinian II, co-emperor despite his youth: he ruled Gaul, Britain, and Spain, whereas he left his brother Illyricum, Africa, and Italy. Gratian resumed his father’s war against the Germanic tribes, as well as securing the kingdom’s provinces and borders. When his uncle Valens asked him to support him in his warfare, he went to him. But he arrived late: for his uncle was defeated and dead. Barbarians’ power increased during his tenure. So much so, that historians include his name in the list of the Emperors who brought about the downfall of Rome.
After his uncle had been killed in 379, he appointed Theodosius ruler of the East, proclaiming him Augustus of the East. He ruled the Balkans, Asia, Egypt, Dacia, and Macedonia. Theodosius was a good choice for the Romans and Christians: for he was a brave commander. He loved Christianity and was zealous for it. He defeated the Empire’s enemies in the East, secured the country, and … Stories will never end in Beautiful Egypt.
General Bishop
Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
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