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Byzantine soldiers and the afterlife
#1
Prior to the battle of Badr, Muhamad announced that every Muslim who would be killed, would immediately ascend to heaven. Heraclius made the same announcement when he crossed the Euphrates in his war against the Sasanian Empire. Are there more examples?
Jona Lendering
Relevance is the enemy of history
My website
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#2
You want to know about Byzantine (i.e. medieval Eastern Roman) soldiers only? I would not be surprised finding more examples, after all a glorious afterlife following honourable death in battle was not unknown in pagan antiquity already. Hypereides or Vergil come to mind. However the Byzantines are, for the most part, a bit late for me... sorry.
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[Image: regnumhesperium.png]
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#3
Unfortunately, I don’t know of any other examples of this. But I find this fascinating for another reason: early in the history of the Church there was apparently a belief that death in battle would not give any benefit in the afterlife. (Tertullian even tries to convince Christians not to serve in the military.) Specifically, early Church Fathers disavowed that death in battle was a form of martyrdom.

Quote:And the ancients laud the death of those among the Greeks who died in war, not that they advised people to die a violent death, but because he who ends his life in war is released without the dread of dying, severed from the body without experiencing previous suffering or being enfeebled in his soul, as the people that suffer in diseases. For they depart in a state of effeminacy and desiring to live; and therefore they do not yield up the soul pure, but bearing with it their lusts like weights of lead; all but those who have been conspicuous in virtue. Some die in battle with their lusts, these being in no respect different from what they would have been if they had wasted away by disease.

Then Heraclitus says, "Gods and men honour those slain in battle;" and Plato in the fifth book of the Republic writes, "Of those who die in military service, whoever dies after winning renown, shall we not say that he is chief of the golden race? Most assuredly." But the golden race is with the gods, who are in heaven, in the fixed sphere, who chiefly hold command in the providence exercised towards men.

Clement, Miscellanies, The Praises of Martyrdom

At some point this belief changed, and fighting for the secular empire became equated with fighting for God, and hence a form of martyrdom was given to those who died in battle.
David J. Cord
www.davidcord.com
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#4
But was it a "secular" empire? Did not the Christian Byzantine emperors hold a high position in the orthodox church? They surely were changing out disagreeable bishops and high church leaders (in Constantinople) at will.
Cheryl Boeckmann
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#5
Quote:At some point this belief changed, and fighting for the secular empire became equated with fighting for God, and hence a form of martyrdom was given to those who died in battle.
I think it's the Council of Arles, but I'm not sure.
Jona Lendering
Relevance is the enemy of history
My website
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#6
I m pretty sure that at least twice, byzantine emperors tried to import the forgiveness of sins for soldiers who fell in battle in the Orthodox faith.

The first attempt was during Nicephorus Phocas reign (10th cent) and the second during the Nicean empire.(13th cent)
These attempts were obviously influenced by Jihad and the Crusades but both failed due to the strong opposition by the Orthodox church which rejected them as non canonic and anti-christianic.

On the other hand Bishop (and saint)Basil in the 4th century advised the soldiers to fest, pray and ask for forgiveness for 3 years when they killed an enemy at battle (!!!)
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#7
I m pretty sure that at least twice, byzantine emperors tried to import the forgiveness of sins for soldiers who fell in battle in the Orthodox faith.

The first attempt was during Nicephorus Phocas reign (10th cent) and the second during the Nicean empire.(13th cent)
These attempts were obviously influenced by Jihad and the Crusades but both failed due to the strong opposition by the Orthodox church which rejected them as non canonic and anti-christianic.

On the other hand Bishop (and saint)Basil in the 4th century advised the soldiers to fest, pray and ask for forgiveness for 3 years when they killed an enemy at battle (!!!)
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