The Feast of the Three Hierarchs and Hellenic learning:
The Great theologians and preachers of Christianity from the 4th century, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom, stand out as the people who provided a transition from the pagan flavor of Classical Education to the Christian synthesis between Classical learning and the Gospel. Being themselves immersed in Classical Education, they were able to show the world how the writings of the ancient philosophers were filled with the Logos of God (Jesus Christ). These great thinkers were able to provide a way to look at the Classical writings of the ancient Greek Philosophers as precursors of the teaching of Christ in the Greek speaking world. They were able to show how this prepared the way for the Christianization of the Greek speaking and Classically trained peoples of their time. This was a major achievement brought about by the work of the Holy Spirit. Their contemporary, and classmate of Basil and Gregory, prince Julian (the apostate) who became emperor, tried to stop the advancement of this synthesis of Classical learning with Christianity by forbidding Christians from teaching during his tenure as Emperor. Upon the death of Julian, however, Christianity proceeded to adopt the tools of Classical learning for the sake of the promotion of the Gospel. The Empire was soon converted to the Christian Faith.
