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The Christian Church in Gaul first appears in history in connexion with the persecution in Lyon, the religious center of Roman Gaul where the Sanctuary of the Three Gauls was located, under Marcus Aurelius in 177. Positive information concerning the Church of Gaul is then not available until the 4th century. ==Establishment of Christianity in Gaul== The forty-eight martyrs at Lyon (ancient Lugdunum, "citadel of Lugus," the so-called Gallic Mercury) represented every rank of Gallo-Roman society. Among them were Vettius Epagathus, an aristocrat; the physician Attalus of Pergamus, of the professional class; from the Church, Pothinus, Bishop of Lyon, with the neophyte Maturus and the deacon Sanctus; and the young slaves Blandina and Ponticus. The sole account of the persecution is a letter preserved by Eusebius,〔''Historia Ecclesiastica'', V, i-iv.〕 supposedly written by the Christians of Lyon and Vienne, the latter still known then as ''Vienna Allobrogum'' and the capital of the continental Celtic Allobroges. The letter is considered one the gems of Christian literature. It implies that the Church of Lyons was the only organized church in Gaul at the time. That of Vienne appears to have been dependent on it and, to judge from similar cases, was probably administered by a deacon. How or where Christianity first gained a foothold in Gaul is purely a matter of conjecture. Most likely the first missionaries came by sea, touched at Marseilles, and progressed up the river Rhône till they established the religion at Lyon, the metropolis and centre of communication for the whole country. The firm establishment of Christianity in Gaul was undoubtedly due to missionaries from Asia. Pothinus was a disciple of St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, as was also his successor, Irenaeus. In the time of Irenaeus, Lyon was still the centre of the Church in Gaul. Eusebius speaks of letters written by the Churches of Gaul of which Irenaeus is bishop.〔Hist. Eccl., V, xxiii.〕 These letters were written on the occasion of the second event which brought the Church of Gaul into prominence. Easter was not celebrated on the same day in all Christian communities; towards the end of the 2nd century Pope Victor wished to universalize the Roman usage and excommunicated the Churches of Asia Minor which were Quartodeciman. Irenaeus intervened to restore peace. About the same time, in a mystical inscription found at Autun (ancient Augustodunum, the capital of the Celtic Aedui), a certain Pectorius celebrated in Greek verse the Ichthys or fish, symbol of the Eucharist.〔See also Roman Catholic Diocese of Autun: History.〕 A third event in which the bishops of Gaul appear is the Novatian controversy. Faustinus, Bishop of Lyons, and other colleagues in Gaul are mentioned in 254 by St. Cyprian〔''Ep.'' lxviii.〕 as opposed to Novatian, whereas Marcianus of Arles was favourable to him. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Christianity in Gaul」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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