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=='''[[Timeline of Church History: Ante-Nicene Era (100-325)|Ante-Nicene era (100-325)]]'''== : Main article: [[Timeline of Church History (Ante-Nicene Era (100-325))]]''

*120 Beginning of time of the Apologists: [[Justin Martyr]], [[Apostle Aristides|Aristides]], [[Tatian]], [[Athenagoras of Athens]], [[Theophilus]], [[Minucius Felix]], [[Tertullian]] and [[Apostle Quadratus|Quadratus]], writing to defend the Church against internal heresies, and to defend the faith before the Jews, and before the larger pagan world, using Greek philosophic concepts and terms.

*144 Excommunication of [[Marcion]] for his [[heresy|heretical]] rejection of the [[Old Testament]] and for his semi-[[Gnosticism|Gnostic]] teachings, particularly [[Docetism]].

*ca. 175 Tatian’s Tatian's [[w:Diatessaron|Diatessaron]] harmonizes the four canonical gospels into single narrative.

*180 [[Irenaeus of Lyons]] writes ''Against Heresies''; Saint [[Dyfan ]] first martyr in British Isles (at Merthyr Dyfan, Wales).

*210 [[Hippolytus of Rome]], bishop and martyr and last of Greek-speaking fathers in Rome, writes ''[[w:Refutation of all Heresies|Refutation of All Heresies]]'' (''Philosophumena''), and ''Apostolic Tradition'', the latter containing the earliest known description of the rite of ordination.

*ca.225-250 ''[[w:Didascalia Apostolorum|Didascalia Apostolorum]]'', ''"Teaching of the Apostles"'', oldest extant manual of church order describes church life at that time; circulated widely in Persia, being translated early on from Greek into Syriacwritten.

*238 During reigns of Gordian and [[w:Philip the Arab|Philip the Arab]] the church proclaims the faith Church preaches openly and increasingly attracts well-educated converts.*ca.240 [[Origen|Origen's]] produces [[Hexapla]] of the [[Old Testament]], largest critical production of antiquity.*244 [[w:Plotinus|Plotinus]] founds [[w:Neoplatonism|Neoplatonist]] school in Rome, whose system is developed in conscious opposition to Christianity, however whose teachings indirectly influenced [[Augustine of Hippo]] and [[Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite]] and hence medieval theologians and mysticsChurch. *246 [[Paul of Thebes]] retreats to the Egyptian desert and becomes in Egypt first Christian hermit. *247 Rome celebrated its celebrates thousandth anniversary this year, witnessing a period of increased persecution of Christians.*248 [[Origen]] writes in ''Against Celsus'' that the [[Pax Romana|Roman empire is a Divine WillEmpire was ordained by God]].

*258 Bp. Martyrdom of [[w:Cyprian|Cyprian of Carthage]] martyred.*260 [[Paul of Samosata]] begins his heretical preaching against the divinity of Christ; Synod in Rome condemns Sabellianism and Subordinationism.

*265 The word "''[[Homoousios]]", "of the same substance", to define relationship between [[God the Father|Father]] and Son, '' used for first time by Modalist Monarchians of Cyrene, playing an important part in defining Orthodoxy at [[First Ecumenical Council|Nicene Council]] in 325.

*270 Death of [[Gregory the Wonderworker|Gregory Thaumaturgus]]; [[w:Porphyry of Tyre|Porphyry of Tyre]] writes ''Against the Christians'', a powerful anti-Christian book, causing several Christian contemporaries to try and refute him, and which was later banned and burned in 448.

*285 [[Anthony the Great]] flees to the desert to pursue a life of prayer. *300 By this date, the Chrisitan Christian population is reaches about 6,200,000, or 10.5% of the population of the Roman Empire (based on population of 60 million).

*303 '''Outbreak of the [[w:Diocletianic Persecution|Great Persecution]] (303-311) (10th)''', as Diocletian and Galerius launch the last and most severe persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire; martyrdom of [[George the Trophy-bearer]]. *ca.305-311 [[Lactantius]] writes ''[[Divinae Institutiones]]'', the first systematic Latin account of the Christian view of life. *ca.306 [[w:Synod of Elvira|Synod of Elvira]] in Spain, requires continence of all clergy, clerical celibacy and sets severe disciplinary penalties for apostasy and adultery, becoming the pattern in the westWest.*308 Pope [[w:Pope Marcellus I|Marcellus]], a rigorist, opposes more lenient treatment of the leniency for Christians who had lapsed under the recent persecution.

*311 Galerius issues Edict of Toleration , ending persecution of Christians in his part of the Roman Empire; rebellion of the [[Donatism|DonatistsDonatist]] rebellion in Carthage. *312 Vision and conversion of [[Constantine the Great]]; defeat of Maxentius at the [[Battle of Milvian Bridge]], making Constantine Emperor of the West; martyrdom of [[Lucian of Antioch]], who had completed a recension of the [[Septuagint]] and the Four [[Gospels]] in Greek, and inspired the development of the [[w:School of Antioch|School of Antioch]] and Biblical textual study.*313 '''[[Edict of Milan]]''' issued by [[Constantine the Great]] and co-emperor Licinius, officially declaring religious freedom in the Roman Empire, specifically naming religious toleration for Christianity, restoration of property to Christian churches, and legal recognition.

*318 Publication of ''[[On the Incarnation]]'' by [[Athanasius the Great]], influencing the condemnation of [[Arianism]]; beginnings of [[Arianism|Arian Controversy]]. *318 [[Pachomius the Great]], disciple of [[Anthony the Great]], organizes a community of ascetics at Tabennis in Egypt, founding [[cenobitic]] [[monasticism]].

*320-21 Licinius' measures against Christians in the east East enforced.