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The seed of Christianity was first sown in Athens when the [[Apostle Paul]] visited the Athenians in 50 AD. Three centuries later, [[Constantine the Great]] inaugerated the [[Byzantine Empire]] with the [[Edict of Milan]], moving "Rome" to his new capital at Constantinople, allowing Christianity to be openly practiced. Athens, along with the rest of the empire, formally confirmed Christianity as the state church in 380 AD and changed forever. Pagan worship was then entirely banned from the city some twelve years after this but retained its reputation as the centre for classical learning.
During the fourth-century, Athens educated some of the most well-known Orthodox fathers including the [[Cappadocian Fathers]] (St. [[Basil the Great]] and St. [[Gregory Nazianzes]]). Temples dedicated to the pagan gods were slowly converted into churches and Athens became a centre for Byzantine worship.
==Hierarchy==
