The Second Persecution

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The pagan persecution did not only contribute to the spread of Christianity , but also its unity . Well , as soon as the new religion was recognized as an official religion of the Roman empire , theological differences broke out , causing wars and persecutions .

Constantine hold the Nikaia forum in the year 325 to bridge differences between Arius and Bishop Athanasius of Alexandria . The outcome of the forum was disastrous because , initially Arius was sent to exile and , then Athanasius and thus sowed divisions among the Eastern churches and was the beginning of the conflict between the state that wanted to control the church and the church that claimed that old previlegies of ancient pagan temples .

After the death of Constantine the empire was divided , and Egypt depended to the orintal or Byzantine empire . In the times of Alens , who were a fanatic asdipt of Arius , again the Egyptian suffered the persecution and Athanasius was assassinated . Christian Egyptians had to flee to the desert and groots where they founded the first monasteries in the world .

After The death of Valens , Theodosius declared Christianity , the only official religion of the empire and a new persecution began; The persecution and destruction of pagans and their temples .

At the Council of Chalcedon , the Egyptian Church was isolated from the western church and Christianity was divided into three churches: The Egyptian and the Syrian called the orthodox or Jacobite; The roman church called the catholic and the Church of Constantinople called the Malakite .