Chapter 344: Mutual Appreciation among Heretics

They taught their followers not to obey their masters; they despised the rich, they hated Caesar, they mocked their superiors, they rebuked the nobles, they believed that God hated those who worked for Caesar, and advised every serf not to work for his master.

— Father Cosmas, Homily Against Heresies

Unlike Western Europe, the Empire did not have large-scale witch hunts, but it did have its own unique heresy movements.

Unlike the powerful Catholic Church in Western Europe, the empire has never stopped internal sectarian conflicts since the advent of Christianity.

If you open the Brief History of Byzantium, you can see various doctrinal struggles.

If we say that in theory Rome held the highest religious authority in Western Europe and maintained a transcendent position in doctrine.

In the empire, the church became a part of the political struggle. In order to strengthen their own authority, emperors of all dynasties often personally supported certain sects and declared some sects as heretics.

Several iconoclastic movements were supported by the emperor.

The rise of the Paulicians was probably closely related to the Iconoclasm movement.

But things have changed. Today, the mainstream of the empire is icon worship, so the Paulicians, who are against icons, crusades and state religion, have become heretics that everyone wants to kill.

In fact, as early as 878, Basil I had conquered the Paulician strongholds in Asia Minor, making them displaced.

Some of them were moved to Armenia, and some were sent to the western border of the empire.

This also triggered the rise of other heretical movements in Europe, and French or Italian heretics including the Albigensians were influenced by their ideas.

But even the Paulicians who remained in Armenia had already declined due to the passage of time and the joint suppression of various forces.

There are some snowflakes floating in the sky.

Zoe, whose legs were slightly better, stood on the path in the village.

The ground, which should have been muddy in spring and summer, is now frozen solid.

Opposite her was a group of farmers wrapped in tattered fur coats, holding pitchforks or hoes in their hands, pointing at Zoe.

“Let’s go, Zoe. Ioannis already knows that you’re back. It won’t be long before he brings his men over to arrest you.”

Manuel advised Zoe next to her.

But Zoe looked a little stubborn, she didn’t want to leave.

Turning her head, Zoe looked up at the tall Manuel and said, “I’m leaving, and you’re left here?”

“Do you think Ioannis is really coming after us ‘good Christians’? Doesn’t he want to take over the land of this village and make us work for him?”

In response to Zoe’s question, Manuel said: “Smbat has been dead for hundreds of years, and Soros and the others have all left long ago.”

“Do you think it really makes sense to continue on the previous path?”

“You have to know that they have even denied the immortality of the soul. If you die, you are really dead. Is it really necessary to stay here and wait for death?”

“There’s nothing wrong with farming for the nobles…”

The snow fell a little more. As Christmas was approaching, there was not a single festive atmosphere in this desolate land, but only deeper despair.

One road is blocked if you go left, and it is also blocked if you go right. Our ancestors sacrificed a lot, and hundreds of years of struggle have never been successful, and all we got in return is more and more tyranny.

It’s not that they didn’t have peasant uprisings, but they were all suppressed and massacred…

And the farmers in this village want to live.

While Manuel and Zoe were chatting for a few words, the villagers over there couldn’t hold back any longer.

The fear of Ioannis prompted the peasants to eagerly drive Zoe away to avoid being implicated. “Basil is dead, and you have found a new man! Are you trying to harm us again?”

“Manuel, stop protecting him! If you continue like this, you can’t stay in the village anymore.”

After all, the villagers treated Manuil and Zoe differently. After all, one was a middle-aged man in his thirties, quite famous in the village, and the other was a teenage girl whose family was broken up.

“Young man! You seem to be a good person, so I advise you to stay away from her!”

“Anyone who has anything to do with her will die a miserable death!”

Alexandros, who was standing by, didn’t expect that he would be implicated.

During these days, Alexandros helped many people in the village chop wood, fetch water, did some good things, and chatted with many people.

Because of his handsome appearance and enthusiastic interactions, people have a good impression of him.

Besides, Alexandros’s face also had some Greek flavor, which made it easy for them to feel close to each other.

But Alexandros shook his head. The reason he stood next to Zoe was not because she was a woman, nor for any other reason.

But Zoe has similar pursuits as him and has the goals that Garys expects.

She demanded that farmers’ property be protected and that men and women have equal rights.

Gregory of Narek, an Armenian theologian and monk who had zoned his sect, made a ten-point summary:

1: They deny us the priesthood, which the apostles received from Christ.

2: They deny that the Eucharist is the true body and blood of Christ.

3: They deny our baptism, considering it to be nothing more than bath water.

4: They believe Sunday is equal to other days.

5: They refused to bend the knee.

6: They deny the worship of the cross.

7: They ordain one another, thereby following a self-appointed priesthood.

8: They do not accept marriage as a sacrament.

9: They refused to acknowledge that animal sacrifice was a Jewish custom.

10: They have a promiscuous sex life.

Coincidentally, the Pope of Rome also used many similar expressions when criticizing their Jerusalem Church.

Therefore, the reason why Alexandros stood here was no longer for personal gain, but a choice of faith. Just like Garys, he could not sit idly by and watch his fellow travelers perish.

“Come on, Zoe, you can’t convince them. You can’t do anything here.”

“They are sheep tamed by wolves, and they no longer dare to contradict their ‘masters'”

“There’s room over there in the tent now. You can recover there.”

“I promise you that when you join our cause, you will see an army that declares war on the corrupt state religion.”

Alexandros was not a prophet after all, and he could not face the army alone like Gairis, so when there were many people around, it was best to leave.

It’s just a matter of calling on people. Alexandros knows many like-minded friends.

(End of this chapter)