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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
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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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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.
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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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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 (!!!)