Migration and movement of scholars/A study in the history of diffusion of knowledge; Part 2

摘要

Religious Schism and the Persecution of Reformers In ancient times, all persons within the state might be required to pay formal homage to the god of the state. Those who protested and refused to perform these religious rites were considered disorderly elements. In Roman times, Jews, and later Christians, were persecuted because they worshipped their own god. It was Emperor Constantine who granted religious freedom in 313 AD by signing the Edict of Milan. The division of the Roman Empire became permanent when Constantine moved his capital to what became known as Constantinople. Gradually, Christianity became the state religion and all those who did not follow the teachings of the Church were considered heretics and were persecuted. The first schism started with the different concepts about the nature of Christ, which resulted in the split of the Oriental churches. Then came the antagonism between Latin-speaking Catholics in the West and Greek-speaking Catholics in the East. It grew steadily more acute, reaching a peak when Byzantine Emperor Leo III (680-740) ordered the removal of images of the saints from churches. Riots against this policy ensued throughout Italy, but the policies of the emperors' successors were even more harsh. The hatred between the two camps continually widened the breach. The sack of Byzantine Constantinople by Roman Catholic Crusaders followed in 1204.