Στοιχεία για τον εκχριστιανισμό του Πόντου

Abstract

By the opening of the fourth century, it is commonly assumed, Christianity
may have numbered nearly one half of the population of Asia Minor.
In some areas, including Bithynia and Pontos, there were districts,
both urban and rural, which appear to have been practically Christian.
Many scholars have seen in the choice of Constantinople as the new capital
of the Roman empire the significance of the widespread influence of
Christianity. However, in spite of the well established conviction that
Asia Minor and Thrace were Christianized already from an early period,
there is precious little information concerning the process and the type of
conversion. Phrygia and other large provinces of Asia Minor, as it is
known from the account gived by the fourth century church historian
Eusebius, were influenced by the prophetic heresy of Montanism rather
than by orthodox Christianity. Bithynia and Pontos, on the other hand,
are hardly even mentioned by Eusebius.
A detailed investigation of the extant pagan and Christian sources,
undertaken in the present article, reveals that though the conviction of an
early and wide conversion of Pontos has good foundation, there is almost
nothing to suggest that the prevailing doctrines in the district were in
accordance with those of the orthodox parties favoured by Constantine.
In fact, after the conversion of the empire, much of Asia Minor and in
particular its Northeastern regions which were vital to the religious policy
of the new capital, had to be re-Christianized, i.e. brought into conformity 

with the prevailing parties of the major centers of Christianity in Rome
and Alexandria.