324 ce: emperor constantine declares christianity as the only official religion of the roman empire. at dydima, asia minor, he sacks the oracle of god apollo and tortures its priests to death. he also evicts the gentiles from mt. athos and destroys all local greek temples. 326 ce: emperor constantine, following the instructions of his mother helen, destroys the temple of asclepius in aigeai of cilicia and several temples dedicated to aphrodite in jerusalem, aphaca, mambre, phoenice, baalbek and elsewhere. 330 ce: constantine steals the treasures and statues of the ancient temples in greece to decorate nova roma (constantinople), the new capital of his empire. 335 ce: constantine sacks countless greco-roman temples throughout asia minor and palestine and orders the execution by crucifixion of "all magicians and soothsayers". the neo-platonist philosopher sopatros is executed. 341 ce: emperor constas, son of constantinus, persecutes "all the soothsayers and the hellenists". many gentiles are either imprisoned or executed. 346 ce: new large-scale persecutions against the gentiles in constantinople. banishment of the famous orator libanius, who is accused of being a "magician". 353 ce: an edict of constantius orders the death penalty for any form of worship involving sacrifices to "idols". 354 ce: a new edict of constantius orders the closing of all gentile temples. some of them are profaned and turned into brothels or gambling rooms. executions of gentile priests. first burning of libraries in various cities of the empire. the first lime factories are built next to closed temples. a large part of religious greco-roman art and architecture is turned into lime. 356 ce: a new edict of constantius orders the destruction of the gentile temples and the execution of all "idolaters". 357 ce: constantius outlaws all methods of divination, including astrology.
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