Origin of religious positions and title

Facts about Position/Title

Date Founded	325 CE	Place Founded	Constantinople
Founder(s)	Byzantine Emperor Constantine (309-337)
Etymology	From Latin presbyter (Greek presbyteros) both meaning "elder".
Original Function	A presbyter was the imperial title granted to various messianic sect leaders under the formation of the official Imperial Roman religion of Christianity. Under the new system, presbyter were responsible for reporting to the vicar of their respective diocese.
Superior Position(s)	Vicar
Inferior Position(s)	Deacons

The position of presbyter, was first instituted under the formation of the official religion of Christianity of the "Holy Roman Empire" first formed under Emperor Constantine in 325. Initially, it was purely an honorary title granted to the each of the various messianic and doomsday cult sect leaders arrested and brought (mostly against their will) together at Nicaea to help finalize and form Christianity.

In turn, the presbyter were expected to report to their respective vicar in charge as both absolute temporal and spiritual governor of the diocese.

However, continued resistence by leaders of the major religious sects to adopt the newly formed Imperial religion of Christianity, led to continued tension between the Vicarii and the assorted magi, hiereus, hierarches, kohen, iereus and episkopoi who refused to adopt the title of Presbyter.

As a result, the official title of "presbyter" within the Imperial religion of the Holy Roman Empire often went unused and by the 6th and 7th century became virtually extinct as a common title.

However, the word gained use as an official religious title under various Christian reform groups against the Popes and the Vatican -- the most obvious being the Presbyterian movement who effectively banned the position of bishops to re-introduce the concept of Presbyter's or "elders" again.

The Theodosian Presybters

Probably the most famous early Presbyters were the Theodosian dynasty of Rome starting with Presbyter Damasus (366-384) and ending with Presbyter Leo (440-455) --the last of the Theodosian line holding power in Rome.


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