Fitz Jenő (szerk.): Religions and Cults in Pannonia. Exhibiton an Székesfehérvár, Csók István Gallery 15 May - 30 September 1996 – Szent István Király Múzeum közleményei: A. sorozat 33. (1998)

their Greek culture which they transmitted here together with the evangelization. Impact and role of Aquileia became really important in the later period (BRATOZ 1994, 29-62; JARAK 1994, 174-175). As for archaeological finds the 2nd century is that of real silence. A period of mutual reflections in the meeting of Christianity and the pagan world. Restraint, sapience and seeking ways and means are characteristic for the Roman Empire as well as for Christians. This period cannot be dealt with in short because this was the period of the real maturing, towards whose end the behaviour to the Christians became a legal question (BERWIG 1970). For Pannónia we can consider the Christian soldiers living among pagan soldiers stationed here as indirect proofs. This period is, on the other hand,characterized within the frame of unity by philosophizing and elucidating the ideas, which could not have meant, however, no active participation for the indigenous population or for the army stationed here, either. This, however, does not justify us to negate the presence of Christianity. This would be impossible for the very cause that we have at our disposal a list of the episcopates for the year 250 (SZALÁGYI 1784), and these sees could not be born in a minute but were the results of a progress. These episcopates were considered in fact only by the 18th century literature. Modern research thought them irreal and rejected the whole of it. If we, on the other hand, do not think in modern terms and would not consider episcopates according to the present structure, this would be, though, not so impossible. As for the personality, office, dignity of the bishop in the pre-Constantine times we can say that he might have been much more an experienced person, the leader of a community than a person positioned administratively (KARP 1954, 400-405).21 Summarizing the 150 years beginning with the 50s we might say that though we have but a few direct data for the Christianity of Pannónia, we have, though, many indirect ones.22 These data make the conclusion possible to speak of a missionary activity in Pannónia which was not extensive but continuous, whose first scene was the area between Drava and Save, later in the section between Poetovio and Savaria Curta and some of the camps along the limes. These Christian episcopates/communities might have been not more than house communities, whose leaders were called bishops. Certain years of the reign of Diocletian meant also here a persecution of Christians (NAGY 1939, 53-73; JARAK 1994, 158-172). Though we know of martyrs, we cannot assert that the whole province would become Christian, for even in the second half of the 4th century we hear of conversions.23 The Constantine turning-point is generally judged in the history of Christianity as very positive. It is indisputable that from the legal point of view Christianity got its state as admitted religion. Its legal progress brought along virtually a dilution and made a way for stubborn polemics, whose object was largely Arianism in this period. The role of Pannónia in religious disputes was even larger than that in the history of the soldier-emperors. As the Synod of Nicea banished Arius here, Arianism took root in the province. The participation of Southern Pannónia in religious polemics24 cannot be identified, though, with the Arianism which was caused by the presence of the Germans. Germans did not participate in religious polemics, they became Christianized and this happened to be according the heresy of Alius.25

I would not assert that the whole province became by entireties Arian, on ground of the data it could be expressed so that all such areas became Arianized in the real meaning of the word (and not in the German way) which were Christianized in the 1 st and early 2nd century. On other areas of Pannónia we have no right for supposing an Arian transformation. The struggle for restituting the Nicaenum originated a new heretic movement represented by Photinos. This heresy was, however, of a minor significance in view of Arianism and had rather only some importance for Pannónia because it started from our region (NAGY 1939, 110-126). According to Hieronymus Pannónia became empty, the cause of which were partly the devastations of the barbarians and partly the emigration of its inhabitants (BULIC 1994, 152). There were certainly devastations as well as migrations. History proved, though, by recent occurrences that events of such a character may be large-scale and bewildering, they are, nevertheless, never total. Pannónia became thus not unpopulated and heaps of corpses. There were survivors who continued and bequeathed the antique tradition and Christianity. I dare naming this continuity.26 It is the 6th century when survivors as well as migrators met under more peaceful circumstances. This meeting was perhaps quieter on some parts of the one-time Pannónia for the very reasons that the inhabitants were Christians.27 21 To reminder I recall that neither metaphysical roots, nor a compulsion to write, or other buraucratic reasons either did the recording necessary, we must not therefore expect numerous data. 221

do not detail these data in the present study but they can be found in the monograph referred. 23 St. Martin returned for evangelizing 24Sirmium formulas of faith, NAGY 1939, 74-139, 74-109, 127-156; JARAK 1994, 178. 25 With this remark I do not try to justify the Germans, I would rather suggest raising a question in a different direction, namely that this act of the Germans created the first such Christian community which had a "local's" character. We could raise the question so that it was rather all the same to which Christianity they attached themselves, only that it would be a Christian creed, because in their eyes it meant, in opposite with their barbaric way, "Culture", v. the efforts of Theoderic for obtaining Antique culture and for living with it. 26 A detailing of this and the archaeological proofs can be found also in the mentioned monograph. 271

would recommend to everybody the short summarizing which is completed for the territory of Croatia: MIGOTTI 1994,187-209. 48