mountainman

At the end of the fourth century Jerome wrote:
"The world groaned to find itself Arian"

What do you think Jerome was saying?
What can he possibly be saying?
In fact, why did he not say
"The world groaned to find itself Christian"

Can anyone provide a satisfactory explanation?

Huon

"The whole world groaned in astonishment to find itself Arian".

This quote belongs to the commentary on the Council of Rimini (359) formulated by St Jerome, much later, of course.

St Jerome was born at Stridon, a town on the confines of Dalmatia and Pannonia, about the year 340-2; died at Bethlehem, 30 September, 420.

During his life, the Roman emperors were :
Julian the Apostate (360-363)
Jovian (363-364)
Valentinian I (364-375)
Valens (364-378)
Gratian (367-383)
Valentinian II (375-392)
Theodosius I (378-395)
Magnus Maximus (383-388)
Eugenius (392-394)
Arcadius (383-408, Orient)
Honorius (384-423, Occident)

All these emperors were confronted with religious quarrels between the Niceans, the Arians, the Semi-Arians (many varieties) on a religious point of view, and on a political point of view, they had also to face many revolts, and also the menace of the Goths and the Vandals.

Another person who can be mentioned is Ulfilas :
"their overwhelmingly Catholic neighbors and subjects" is a catholic modern opinion, of course. The question was not so clear. The history of the Roman emperors of the late empire is full of names of persons who held important offices and were also leaders of fractions of Christians.

Clivedurdle

I'd be interested in your views on how Barbarians treats this.

Ideologist

Arianism was a heresy that was widely practiced in the time period being written about, that was for a time practiced by the majority of people in parts of the Empire. Jerome, being Orthodox, did not view Arianism as necessarily Christian; therefore, saying "the world groaned to find itself Christian" would have validated Arianism.

I really don't see how this is confusing.

mountainman

I made some notes and a brief review of Barbarians here.

I also split up my notes according to century in a chronological
fashion, and here is what Terry Jones had to say about the fourth
century (below). Jone's skillfully avoids any historical references
to the existence of christianity prior to Constantine, with the
exception of Mani, the prophet. I make a note of this in my
review of the book; that it is Eusebian evidence alone by which
the third century philosopher/sage Mani, were "fabricated to
appear in some fashion "christian".)

NOTES:

BARBARIANS
CENTURY: 4th
=============
309 Sassanian Emperor Hormizd II dies
Magi appoint unborn baby as successor (Shapur II)

DIOCLETION: Pound of Gold = 50,000 denari
c.307 ? 100,000
c.324 ? 300,000
c.350 ? 2.1 billion denari
“Rich got richer and the poor got poorer” ?

DOMESDAY BOOK – 295 ? 305 CE: The Emperor commissioned this
book so that he could correctly tax everyone in the
Empire, it was ordered that none could ever leave
their farm or change their job”.

306 CE – Constantine accepted as “Saviour of Social Order”
in Gaul/Britiain; ruler of Celtic Lands

“The distinction between Roman & Barbarian at the time
when Constantine assumed power was not at all clear”

312 "Thorough-going military conquest of Italy by a Balkan-born
military commander, Constantine." p.188

324 Huge war with the commander of the Eastern forces; 25,000 dead

325 "Having come to power he decided to move the whole focus of
the empire to the East, replacing the palace-city of Byzantium
with a great new capital, Constantinople, New Rome, on the
very border of Asia.

The old latin Empire was doomed to a peripheral enterprise,
concerned with agriculture and the Germans."

337 Constantine dies, almost a signal for ...
337-350 PERSIAN WAR Resumes: Shapur II vs Constantius

p.69 350CE: “Land tax had tripled within living memory”

p.75 CLAUDIUS MAMERTINUS:
“Rural revolt became quite overtly anti-Roman” – (x1, 3 & 4)
362 CE – “People preferred to live under the barbarians”

363 Julian marches on Ctesiphon, and loses life.
Rome loses territories acquired 295.

350-357 Shapur II defends Persia against the Huns
375 Huns appear in Dacia, their origin still a mystery.
Long range bows 50-63"; equivalent to Medieval English longbow)

aa5874

Who determined that Arianism was a heresy? If by your statement Arianism was widely practised in a certain time period, by the majority of people in parts of the Empire, then Arianism must have been orthodox at that time and any other 'new doctrine' should be heresy.

Based on the definition of 'heresy', Christianity, in any form, at some time must have been heresy and that includes the Eusebian heresy.