"For those who into art history" Goreme by FAIRYCHIMNEY

‘Greek Influence on Early Byzantine Art’ :
I - Scene from Anastasis : Hades take Judas down the hell ; Here Hades depicted in chains and Jesus Christ asks him “What happened to your glory ?”Anastasis scene shows a highly influence of Greek mythology in Iconography.Christ smashes the gate of hell and resques Adam and Eve ,ie he defeats the death.This symbolizes the salvation of mankind ; on the other hand it also shows influence of Hebrew tradition : Jewish Kings David and Salamon always portrayed in the scene.From a broader point of view , Hades probably refers to Devil – and Jesus Christ changelles the hell ( Associate with the concept of kingdom of heaven).As Christian iconography ‘partly’ based on the allegorical interpretation of imagery , it can also associated with Zeus –father figure / Jesus-God (father again ) Note that “Early Christians adapted Roman motifs and gave new meanings to what had been pagan symbols. Among the motifs adopted were the peacock, grapevines, and the good shepherd. Early Christians used the same artistic media as the surrounding pagan culture. These media included fresco, mosaics, sculpture, and manuscript illumination. Early Christian art not only used Roman forms, it also used Roman styles. Late classical style included a proportional portrayal of the human body and impressionistic presentation of space. Late classical style is seen in early Christian frescos, such as those in the catacombs of Rome”.

Greek source : Orphic and Dionysiac religous movements
Firstly seen at : Christian tomb decorations
Where to see in Cappadocia : Gülsehir ‘Karsi’-Opposite-Church and Karanlik-Dark-Church in Göreme Open Air Museum

II - ‘Christianizing Roman Basilica : ‘Byzantine art begins with emperor Justinian in the 6th century AD ; we call Byzantine christian art as the expressionist way of Roman art.St. John the Baptist church is the oldest and the biggest church in Cappadocia triangle so have a chance to study it in terms of early christian art. For beginning ; its very obvious here that the way how they christianized the Roman ‘basilica form’ : In the 4th century , christians were prepared to build larger edifices for worship .Architectural formulas of pagan temples simply associated with pagan belief so they didnt want to use the same system.But as emperor Constantine the great wanted to memorialize his imperial piety , they already had useful model at hand ; Basilica : Basilica orginally very classic model of Roman meeting halls with high platform and columned large halls.Especially higy platform part gave an idea for Priests sections ,altar , as whole an apsis !!
Where to see in Cappadocia ? : St. John the Baptist Church in Çavuþin Village.

MONASTICISM –RELATED TO ROMAN PERSECUTIONS

700 BC Model of monasticism appeared on Greek –based cultures
115 BC There were monks in India (what a surprise  )
30 BC Roman periods : Vestal Virgins
20 AD At the time of Jesus, historians mention the existence of Jewish ascetics who have retired from the world.
30 AD Crucifixion of Jesus (Tiberus Ceasar’s reign )Stephen (Istefanos) stoned to death by a mob in Jerusalem
45 AD Apostle James be headed in Palastine by king Herod .Jews expelled from Rome for causing a disturbance (Cladius reign)
55 AD James the Just-brother of the Lord- stoned in Jerusalem
64 AD Christians blamed for burning Rome , some christians burned at the stake or killed by wild animals. Nero, the eccentric emperor blamed the Christians for the fire in an effort to divert attention from himself. Nero was quite insane, and is reported to have tortured Christians with great cruelties for his own enjoyment.
65 AD Apostle Peter crucified outside of Rome- probably Vatican Hills
65 AD Apostle Paul beheaded –because he was Roman citizen-

Gülsehir central church

66 AD Jewish revolt against Rome begins in Israel.Some christians flee across Jordan river to Pella. Despite these extreme cruelties, Nero's persecution was local and short-lived. However, it was the first official persecution and marked the first time the government distinguished Christians from Jews (Nero’s reign)
70 AD Destruction of Jerusalem by Roman army (Vespasian’s reign)
90 AD St. John exiled on the island of Patmos (Domitian’s reign) Domitian is recorded as having executed members of his own family on charges of atheism and Jewish manners, who are thus generally assumed to have been Christians.
107 AD Bishop Ignatius of Antioch condemned to fight wild beasts in Rome (Trajan’s reign)
11O AD Pliny, a Roman governor writing circa 110 AD, called Christianity a
"superstition taken to extravagent lengths”
124 AD Emperor Hadrian granted Christians even more concessions. Also responding to a request for advice from his governor, this time in western Asia Minor, Hadrian decreed that Christians could be brought to trial but only for specific illegal acts.
150 AD Bishop Polycarp of Smyrna martyred
150 AD People in Syria and in Corinth who led a life of poverty and asceticism, and practised chastity.
160 AD Response of the church to Roman persecutions : Apologies: The bishops and leaders who wrote these defenses are known as the Apologists. Writing especially in the 2nd century AD, the Apologists' primary goal was to defend Christianity against pagan accusations and misconceptions in an effort to stop the persecution. The Apologists explained, for example, that the Christian "love feast" did not involve cannibalism or orgies as many thought, but was a sacred meal of bread and wine in honor of Christ's death.
177 AD It was during the reign of Marcus Aurelius that Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, was martyred. Later, there is record of "new decrees" making it easier for Christians to be accused and have their property confiscated. 48 Christians were martyred in the amphitheater in Lyons (modern France). { Belonging to the later Stoical school, which believed in an immediate absorption after death into the Divine essence, he considered the Christian doctrine of the immortality of the soul, with its moral consequences, as vicious and dangerous to the welfare of the state. Marcus Aurelius was a well-educated, just, kind, and amiable emperor, and reached the old Roman ideal of self-reliant Stoic virtue, but for this very reason he had no sympathy with Christianity
199 AD The word "monk" appears for the first time at the end of the second century in the apocryphal gospel of Thomas which celebrates the blessedness of the monachus
200 AD Converting to christianity is illegal / persecutions in Catharge, Alexandria,
Rome and Corinth between about 202 and 210. The famed St. Perpetua was martyred during this time, as were many students of Origen of Alexandria.(Reign of Severus)
235 AD First example of organised monasticism came out: the "Sons of the Covenant" who lived in common, at the service of the Church and dedicated to worship, and leading a life of poverty. This is the first known example of cenobitism, nearly a century before the first signs of Egyptian monasticism.
251 AD Major empire –wide persecution ; christians required to participate in emperor worship.Bishop Fabian of Rome martyred , Bishop Cyprian of Carthage exiled, Origen of Alexanderia tortured to death. The persecution under Decius was the first universal and organized persecution of Christians, and it would have lasting significance for the Christian church. In January of 250, Decius issued an edict requiring all citizens to sacrifice to the emperor in the presence of a Roman official (Reign of Decius)
253 AD All Christian clergy were required to sacrifice to the gods. In a 257 edict, the punishment was exile; in 258, the punishment was death.
269 AD The great father of ‘monastic’ form of life is St. Anthony (withdrawal from 269 to 285 AD)

300 AD St. Anthony, the first monk whos story is written.His vocation came through hearing the gospel.The history of Christian monasticism properly so-called begins.
303 AD Major empire-wide persecutions begins 303 AD , confiscation of christian boks &churches,arrest , torture, and execution of many christian leaders.( Mostly caused by Galerius, 2nd emperor ( 305 – 311 AD )based on Balkans. Diocletion mosty tolerated christians as his wife & daugther was christians too .The emperor ordered the burning of Christian books and churches, but promised not to spill any blood. In actuality, the Diocletian persecution turned out to be extremely violent. This violence "did not succeed in annihilating Christianity but caused the faith of the martyrs to blaze forth instead." (Diocletion’s reign)
305 AD Having attracted a number of followers who were inspired by Anthony’s discipline and holiness , he came out of his seclusion to advice others in their own struggles.
313 AD Constantine and his co-emperor Licinius Official persecution of Christians ended with the Edict of Milan,Toleration for all religions ,including christianity , ends persecutions.
325 AD Constantine I convened the Council of Nicea, which asserted that Jesus, the Son, was equal to the Father, one with the Father, and of the same substance (homoousion in Greek). The council condemned the teachings of the theologian Arius
330 AD Basil set the pattern for monasticism in the Eastern Church "Messalian" movement, which comes from the Syrian word meaning "to pray". Those who were influenced by this spiritual movement though that no human activity should be undertaken apart from prayer. Among those who adopted this attitude, some remained within the Church, others left. In the 4th century Basil tried to lead them and the 'encratists' back to orthodoxy.
361 AD Emperor Julian abondons christianity , tries to revive worship of pagan gods.
380 AD Establisment of Nicene orthodoxy two days after Theodosius arrived in Constantinople.
380 AD Christianity declared the one and only offical religion of the Roman empire. (Reign of Theodosius)
381 AD Emperor Theodosius in 381 Reuniting the eastern and western portions of the empireTheodosius was the last emperor of both east and the and west Western Roman Empire. After his death, the two parts split permanently. He is also known for making the official of the Roman Empire
391 AD Theodosius outlawed blood sacrifice and decreed "no one is to go to the sanctuaries .The eternal fire in the Temple of Vesta in the Roman Forum was extinguished, and the Vestal Virgins were disbanded
391 AD Pagan members of the Senate in Rome appealed to Theodosius to restore the Altar of Victory in the Senate House; he refused.
392 AD The destruction of the gigantic Serapeum of Alexandria and its library by a mob in around .
393 AD Last Olympic Games.
510 AD Benedict set standard model of monasticism in Europe.

• Pros:smurfs actually lived here....