Paulicianism was an early Christian pre-Protestant heresy influenced by Novatianism, originating in Armenia during the 7th century AD.
The movement was founded in Kibossa, Byzantine Empire by an iconoclast named Constantine, who changed his name to Silvanus after one of Paul the Apostle’s disciples.
Constantine-Silvanus aimed to return his movement to the innocence of the early church under the apostles. His followers had a tradition of renaming themselves after the Apostle Paul’s disciples, from where they got their name “Paulician”, meaning “follower of Paul”.
Early leaders of the sect included Constantine-Silvanus (from 653-684), Simeon-Titus (684-690), Paul of Episparis (690-715), Gegnaesius (715-745), Baanes (745-c.770), Sergius-Tychicus (801-835), Karbeas (843-863) and finally Chrysocheir Goldenhand (863-c.875).[1]
The Paulicians flourished between 650 and 872 in Armenia and Anatolia. After 872, the Byzantines forced the Paulicians to resettle at Philippopolis in Thrace to defend the boundaries of the empire from the Bulgars, and they eventually re-entered the Christian Church under Alexius I of Byzantium.