page_title: Timeline of Orthodoxy in Greece (717–1204)
section_title: Byzantine Imperial era (843–1204)
hierarchical_section_title: Timeline of Orthodoxy in Greece (717–1204) / Byzantine Imperial era (843–1204)
caption_attribution_description: Русский: Изображение из книги 1891 года Леопардов Н. "О значении для России константинопольского патриарха Фотия," с фрески Киево-Софийского собора English: Image of a fresco in Saint Sophia's Cathedral, Kiev, from the book "О значении для России константинопольского патриарха Фотия" ("The significance for Russia of the Patriarch of Constantinople Photius") by N. Leopard, 1891
context_page_description: This is a timeline of the presence of Orthodoxy in Greece. The history of Greece traditionally encompasses the study of the Greek people, the areas they ruled historically, as well as the territory now composing the modern state of Greece.
  Christianity was first brought to the geographical area corresponding to modern Greece by the Apostle Paul, although the church's apostolicity also rests upon St. Andrew who preached the gospel in Greece and suffered martyrdom in Patras, Titus, Paul's companion who preached the gospel in Crete where he became bishop, Philip who, according to the tradition, visited and preached in Athens, Luke the Evangelist who was martyred in Thebes, Lazarus of Bethany, Bishop of Kition in Cyprus, and John the Theologian who was exiled on the island of Patmos where he received the Revelation recorded in the last book of the New Testament. In addition, the Theotokos is regarded as having visited the Holy Mountain in 49 AD according to tradition. Thus Greece became the first European area to accept the gospel of Christ. Towards the end of the 2nd century the early apostolic bishoprics had developed into metropolitan sees in the most important cities.
context_section_description: 843 Empress Theodora secures return of icon-veneration with Triumph of Orthodoxy occurring on first Sunday of Great Lent, restoring icons to churches; the monks of Mount Athos send a delegation to Constantinople to celebrate the restoration of the veneration of icons; Theodora, regent of Byzantine emperor, persecutes Paulicians, killing many and confiscating their property, but many escape to Muslim Arab lands; reconquest of Crete from Muslims by Theoctistus, Logothete under Theodora, but island is not held long.
  845 Execution of the 42 Martyrs of Amorium, who were taken as hostages from Amorium to Samarra in 838; the work of Dionysius of Tel Mahre provides clear understanding that Islam is a different religion rather than a Christian heresy.
  846 Death of Joannicius the Great.
  850 Third Finding of the head of John the Forerunner; conversion of Slavs in the Peloponnese.
  858 Photius the Great becomes patriarch of Constantinople.
  860 Second Rus-Byzantine War, a naval raid and the first siege of Constantinople by the Rus'; Photios, Patriarch of Constantinople dips the Holy Robe of the Theotokos into the sea and a storm drives away the invading Russians.
  c. 860 Christianization of the Rus' Khaganate.
  861 Cyril and Methodius of Thessaloniki depart from Constantinople to missionize the Slavs; Council of Constantinople, attended by 318 fathers and presided over by papal legates confirms Photius the Great as patriarch and passes 17 canons.
  863 Cyril and Methodius arrive in Moravia in the autumn, replacing Frankish missionaries and introducing the Slavonic Liturgy instead of a Latin mass; Cyril and Methodius develop the Glagolitic script for Slavic languages, which is later displaced by Cyrillic script developed in Bulgaria.
  864 Christianization of Bulgaria: Baptism of Prince Boris of Bulgaria; Synaxis of the Theotokos of Miasena in memory of the return of her icon.
  867 Council of Constantinople held, presided over by Photius, which anathematizes Pope Nicholas I for his attacks on work of Greek missionaries in Bulgaria and use by papal missionaries of Filioque; Pope Nicholas dies before hearing news of excommunication; Basil the Macedonian has Emperor Michael III murdered and usurps Imperial throne, reinstating Ignatius as patriarch of Constantinople; death of Kassia, Greek-Byzantine poet and hymnographer, who composed the  Hymn of Kassiani , chanted during Holy Week on Holy Wednesday.
  c. 867 Constantinople sends a bishop to Russia; Byzantine missions sent to Serbia and Croatia.
  869–870 Robber Council of 869–870 held, deposing Photius the Great from the Constantinopolitan see and putting the rival claimant Ignatius on the throne, declaring itself to be the "Eighth Ecumenical Council."
  870 Conversion of Serbia, when they ask for Byzantine missionaries and come under the jurisdiction of Constantinople; the pilgrim Bernard the Monk, in his Itinerary, gives the first description of the Holy Fire in 870 AD; Malta conquered from the Byzantines by the Arabs.
  874 Translation of relics of Nicephorus the Confessor, interred in the Church of the Holy Apostles; Constantinople sends an Archbishop to Russia.
  877 Death of Ignatius I of Constantinople, who appoints Photius to succeed him.
  878 Arab Muslims conquer the historic city of Syracuse from Byzantium during the Muslim conquest of Sicily (827-902), with the population massacred or enslaved and the city thoroughly looted over two months.
  879–880 Eighth Ecumenical Council held in Constantinople attended by 383 fathers passing 3 canons, confirms Photius as Patriarch of Constantinople, anathematizes additions to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, and declares that the prerogatives and jurisdiction of the Roman pope and the Constantinopolitan patriarch are essentially equal; the council is reluctantly accepted by Pope John VIII.
  881 Death of Theoktiste of Lesbos.
  883 Mount Athos receives its first imperial privilege and gains autonomy, as Emperor Basil I lays down the boundaries of the monastic republic.
  c. 884 Saint Elias the Younger founds a monastery on Mount Aulinas at Palmi, in the provin
caption: Saint Photius the Great, "Pillar of Orthodoxy".[note 25]
exif: {}