COUNTDOWN TO 2000

321-440 A.D.

321-340 A.D.
Every Sunday, Catholics recite a prayer written in 325, but many of them don't know why it was composed or why it is called the Nicene Creed. The first general council of the Church was summoned by the Emperor Constantine in order to quell troubles caused by the Arian heresy. Arianism held that Jesus was not fully divine and not equal with the Father. To settle the dispute, Constantine called 300 bishops to Nicaea, where his palace was. (It is now a city in Turkey.) The bishops condemned Arianism and adopted the Nicene Creed as a statement of common belief. While they were together, the bishops also decreed that all Christians should observe Easter on the same day, ending confusion over when it was to be celebrated.
Elsewhere in time...
Constantine the Great dies...the first church is built at what is thought to be the birthplace of Jesus...first St. Peter's Basilica is constructed.
341-360 A.D.
An Egyptian by birth and a hermit by choice, St. Antony spent almost all of his life in isolation, praying and doing penance, eating only bread and water, and struggling with Satan. When he finally emerged from solitude, he founded the monastic life so that others could live away from the world and find God, as he had done. But away from the world meant away from people, not from all living things. He kept company with animals, was famous for his sheepskin clothing and is pictured in paintings with a dog at his feet. As a result, Antony, whose feast day is January 17, is the patron saint of domestic animals.
Elsewhere in time...
Roman Empire splits into two...Persians conquer Armenia...Picts and Scots attack Britain...Books begin replacing scrolls...Liberius rules, the first pope not to be canonized.
361-380 A.D.
When Pope Liberius died in 366, a dispute arose over his successor. "Dispute" does not mean disagreement; it means gangs in the streets fighting each other. One side elected Ursinus; the other chose Damasus. His supporters decided to resolve the problem by attacking their rivals. Fights broke out that left several people dead. One response from the Ursinus group was to accuse Damasus of adultery. This bickering went on for years. Finally, Damasus prevailed, and his enemies were exiled. As pope, he faced more battles -- against heretics, pagans and those who believed the papacy should rule from the East, not from Rome. Despite the scandals at the start of his rule, Damasus is considered a great pope and was canonized.
Elsewhere in time...
Huns invade Russia...Visigoths defeat and kill Emperor Valens...Emperor Theodosius bans Olympic Games.
381-400 A.D.
He was born in Italy and died in Bethlehem after one of the most distinguished lives in the history of Christianity. He was an author, translator, Scripture scholar and mystic. Some have called him the most learned man of his time. He was St. Jerome. Secretary to Pope Damasus, Jerome was thought to be in line to become the next pope. But his strict, ascetic lifestyle and criticism of priests who were lax doomed his chances of election. Moving to the Holy Land to live in monasteries in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, Jerome may be best known for his translations of and commentaries on the Old and New Testaments. Father of the Church, saint and Churchman par excellence, Jerome is often shown in art with a lion as his companion in study.
Elsewhere in time...
Roman soldiers begin evacuating England...records of Japanese history begin to be preserved...Visigoths poise to invade Italy.
401-420 A.D.
Few saints are more fascinating than Augustine, the north African who dabbled in debauchery and heresy before becoming one of the greatest Churchmen in history. Born in 354, he sired an illegitimate child and was interested in Manichaeism, the belief that the universe is engaged in a battle between two equal forces -- one for good and one for evil. But the influence of St. Ambrose, the bishop of Milan, turned Augustine's life around. He was converted, ordained and appointed bishop of Hippo, a city in Africa. There, he battled heresies, including the one he used to believe in. A prolific writer, Augustine penned two famous works that are still read 1,500 years later: 'Confessions' and 'City of God.'
Elsewhere in time...
Visigoths invade Italy...Nanking restored as capital of northern China...alchemy begins search for Philosopher's Stone and Elixir of Life...Popes include Anastasius and Innocent...
421-440 A.D.
In 431, Emperor Theodosius II summoned a council of about 150 bishops to Ephesus in Asia Minor. Among the notables who were to be present was St. Augustine of Hippo, but he died just before the council started. The main result of the Council of Ephesus was to refute the Nestorian heresy, which held that Jesus had two entities, one human and one divine, which were not united. Therefore, Mary was the mother of only the human Jesus and not the Mother of God. Ironically, Nestorius had demanded that the council be convoked in the hope that it would support his view. But under the guidance of St. Cyril, who had been sent as Pope Celestine's representative, the council members condemned Nestorianism and upheld the title of Theotokos ('God-bearer') for Mary.
Elsewhere in time...
St. Patrick begins ministry in Ireland...Theodoric reigns as king of Visigoths...Constantinople University founded...Attila becomes leader of Huns...Roman troops abandon England...