Council of Nicaea: 318 Bishops Define Christianity
Constantine thought inviting 1,800 bishops would unify Christianity. Only 318 showed up to Nicaea, many bearing scars from recent Roman persecutions—missing eyes, broken hands from torture. The meeting wasn't about theology at first. It was about the calendar. When does Easter fall? Then Arius stood up, arguing Jesus wasn't divine, just God's greatest creation. The room erupted. Bishop Nicholas—yes, that Nicholas, future Santa Claus—allegedly punched Arius in the face. They voted. Arius lost. And from that brawl came the Nicene Creed, words billions still recite without knowing they began with a fistfight.
May 20, 325
1701 years ago
Key Figures & Places
Christian Church
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First Council of Nicaea
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Ecumenical Council
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First Council of Nicea
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Christianity
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ecumenical council
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Nicaea
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Heresy
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Arianism
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Constantine the Great
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First Council of Nicaea
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Iglesia (edificio)
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Arianischer Streit
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What Else Happened on May 20
A widow chose an emperor. When Zeno died of dysentery in 491, his wife Ariadne held something no Byzantine woman had possessed before: the right to pick the nex…
A massive earthquake leveled the Byzantine city of Antioch, claiming roughly 250,000 lives and shattering the region’s infrastructure. This catastrophe crippled…
un tremblement de terre détruit Antioche et y entraîne 250 000 morts.
Einem Erdbeben in Antiochia und Syrien fallen laut Angaben des Historikers Johannes Malalas bis zu 250.000 Menschen zum Opfer.
en la región de Siria (parte del Imperio romano de oriente) sucede un terremoto de XI grados en la escala modificada de Mercalli (que mide daños). Deja un saldo…
زلزال في الشام يودي بحياة ثلاثمائة ألف شخص.
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