The Council of Nicaea (audio story)

It unusually, though certainly not without precedent, dealt with Christianity's early history. It was also a particularly strong story for Erimem, who came close to leaving the Fifth Doctor over the morality of preserving the integrity of the timeline. In this conflict, the fact that Erimem came from an even more distant past than the story's setting of 325 AD was of central importance. Unlike most stories featuring a "historical companion", the fact of her origin, both as a former Pharaoh and an ancient Egyptian, fully mattered to the progress of the narrative.

Publisher's summary

The year is A.D. 325. In the city of Nicaea, the first great Church council, called by the Roman Emperor Constantine, is due to begin. Here, theology, philosophy and politics will be brought together for millennia to come.

The Doctor, Peri and Erimem are there simply to watch events unfold. Gaps remain in the history books, and the Doctor has come to satisfy his curiosity.

But none of them are ready for what greets them in Nicaea. Intrigue within the Imperial Palace has become violence on the streets. Mobs roam the alleyways and blood is spilt in the name of faith. Even in the face of murder and injustice, though, the time travellers must force themselves to stay aloof.

This is history, after all.

Yet what is history to one person is the future to another.

Is it possible for history to be rewritten? And if it can, can the Doctor afford to let it?

Plot

to be added

Cast

Crew

Cover Art - Stuart Manning
Director - Gary Russell
Music - Russell Stone
Producers - Gary Russell and Jason Haigh-Ellery
Sound Design - Gareth Jenkins
Writer - Caroline Symcox

Worldbuilding

History

The Doctor alludes to fixed points in time while warning Erimem against trying to change the end result of Arius' clash with the Council of Nicaea which will decide the future of the Catholic Church.

Religion

Peri was raised Baptist, but does not consider herself to be a religious person.

Notes

This audio drama was recorded on 18 and 19 April 2005 at the Moat Studios.
This story is set between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani.
This story is a "pure historical" featuring no science fiction elements apart from the presence of the Doctor, Peri, Erimem and the TARDIS.

Continuity

The Doctor previously expressed a desire to visit the Council of Nicaea. (AUDIO: Summer)
Erimem mentions meeting Cardinal Richelieu in France in 1626. (AUDIO: The Church and the Crown)
During his eleventh incarnation, the Doctor encountered Constantine once again in 312. (COMIC: Conversion)

External links

Official The Council of Nicaea page at bigfinish.com
The Council of Nicaea at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
DisContinuity for The Council of Nicaea at Tetrapyriarbus - The DisContinuity Guide

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Fifth Doctor

	Adric, Nyssa, Tegan	The Star Men • The Contingency Club • Zaltys • Kingdom of Lies • Ghost Walk • Serpent in the Silver Mask

	Nyssa	The Land of the Dead • Winter for the Adept • The Mutant Phase • Primeval • Spare Parts • Creatures of Beauty • The Game • Circular Time (Spring • Summer • Autumn • Winter) • Renaissance of the Daleks • Return to the Web Planet • Castle of Fear • The Eternal Summer • Plague of the Daleks • The Demons of Red Lodge and Other Stories • (The Demons of Red Lodge • The Entropy Composition • Doing Time • Special Features) • 1001 Nights (1001 Nights, My Brother's Keeper, The Interplanetarian, Smuggling Tales) • 1963: Fanfare for the Common Men • Alien Heart • Dalek Soul

	Nyssa, Brewster	The Haunting of Thomas Brewster • The Boy That Time Forgot • Time Reef • A Perfect World

	Nyssa, Hannah	Moonflesh • Tomb Ship • Masquerade

	Nyssa, Tegan	The Waters of Amsterdam • Aquitaine • The Peterloo Massacre

	Nyssa, Tegan, Marc	Tartarus • Interstitial • Feast of Fear • Warzone • Conversion • Madquake

	Nyssa, Tegan, Turlough	Cobwebs • The Whispering Forest • The Cradle of the Snake • Heroes of Sontar • Kiss of Death • Rat Trap • The Emerald Tiger • The Jupiter Conjunction • The Butcher of Brisbane • Eldrad Must Die! • The Lady of Mercia • Prisoners of Fate • Mistfall • Equilibrium • The Entropy Plague

	Tegan, Turlough, Kamelion	Devil in the Mist • Black Thursday • Power Game • The Kamelion Empire

	Tegan, Leela	Time in Office

	Turlough	Phantasmagoria • Loups-Garoux • Singularity • The Memory Bank and Other Stories (The Memory Bank • The Last Fairy Tale • Repeat Offender • The Becoming) • The Blazing Hour • The End of the Beginning

	Peri	Red Dawn • Exotron • Urban Myths • Mission of the Viyrans

	Peri, Erimem	The Eye of the Scorpion • The Church and the Crown • Nekromanteia • The Axis of Insanity • The Roof of the World • Three's a Crowd • The Council of Nicaea • The Kingmaker • Son of the Dragon • The Mind's Eye • The Bride of Peladon

	Amy	The Judgement of Isskar • The Destroyer of Delights • The Chaos Pool

	Vicki, Steven	The Secret History

	Solo travels	The Sirens of Time • Omega • The Gathering • The Four Doctors • The Burning Prince • The Secret History • And You Will Obey Me • The Helliax Rift • Time Apart (Ghost Station • The Bridge Master • What Lurks Down Under • The Dancing Plague) • Thin Time • Shadow of the Daleks 1 (Aimed at the Body • Lightspeed • The Bookshop at the End of the World • Interlude) • Shadow of the Daleks 2 (Echo Chamber • Towards Zero • Castle Hydra • Effect and Cause)

Sixth Doctor

	Peri	Whispers of Terror • ...ish • Cryptobiosis • The Reaping • Year of the Pig • Recorded Time and Other Stories (Recorded Time • A Most Excellent Match • Question Marks • Paradoxicide) • 1963: The Space Race • Breaking Bubbles and Other Stories (Breaking Bubbles • Of Chaos Time The • An Eye For Murder • The Curious Incident of the Doctor in the Night-Time) • The Widow's Assassin • Masters of Earth • The Rani Elite • Memories of a Tyrant • Emissary of the Daleks • Harry Houdini's War • Plight of the Pimpernel

	Evelyn	The Marian Conspiracy • The Spectre of Lanyon Moor • The Apocalypse Element • Bloodtide • Project: Twilight • The Sandman • Jubilee • Doctor Who and the Pirates • Project: Lazarus • Arrangements for War • Medicinal Purposes • Pier Pressure • The Nowhere Place • 100 (100 BC • My Own Private Wolfgang • Bedtime Story • The 100 Days of the Doctor) • Assassin in the Limelight

	Evelyn, Brewster	The Crimes of Thomas Brewster • The Feast of Axos • Industrial Evolution

	Frobisher	The Holy Terror • The Maltese Penguin

	Charley	The Condemned • The Doomwood Curse • Brotherhood of the Daleks • Return of the Krotons • The Raincloud Man • Patient Zero • Paper Cuts • Blue Forgotten Planet

	"Jamie"	City of Spires • The Wreck of the Titan • Legend of the Cybermen

	Flip	The Curse of Davros • The Fourth Wall • Wirrn Isle • Antidote to Oblivion • The Brood of Erys • Scavenger • Vortex Ice • Cortex Fire

	Constance	Criss-Cross • Planet of the Rani • Shield of the Jötunn • Order of the Daleks • Absolute Power • Colony of Fear • The End of the Beginning

	Constance, Flip	Quicksilver • The Behemoth • The Middle • Static • Cry of the Vultriss • Scorched Earth • The Lovecraft Invasion

	Mel	The One Doctor • The Juggernauts • Catch-1782 • Thicker Than Water • The Wishing Beast • The Vanity Box • The Wrong Doctors • Spaceport Fear • The Seeds of War

	Jamie, Zoe	Last of the Cybermen

	Solo travels	The Sirens of Time • Davros • The Wormery • Her Final Flight • I.D. • Urgent Calls • The Four Doctors • The Acheron Pulse • Trial of the Valeyard • Last of the Cybermen • Vampire of the Mind • The Lure of the Nomad • Iron Bright • Hour of the Cybermen • The Hunting Ground

Seventh Doctor

	Mel	The Fires of Vulcan • Bang-Bang-a-Boom! • Flip-Flop • Unregenerate! • Red • We Are The Daleks • The Warehouse • Terror of the Sontarans

	Ace	The Fearmonger • The Genocide Machine • Dust Breeding • Colditz • The Rapture • 1963: The Assassination Games • You Are the Doctor and Other Stories (You Are the Doctor • Come Die With Me • The Grand Betelgeuse Hotel • Dead to the World) • The Grey Man of the Mountain

	Ace, Hex	The Harvest • Dreamtime • LIVE 34 • Night Thoughts • The Settling • No Man's Land • Nocturne • The Dark Husband • Forty-Five (False Gods • Order of Simplicity • Casualties of War • The Word Lord) • The Magic Mousetrap • Enemy of the Daleks • The Angel of Scutari • Project: Destiny • A Death in the Family • Lurkers at Sunlight's Edge • Protect and Survive • Revenge of the Swarm • Mask of Tragedy • Shadow Planet • World Apart • Muse of Fire • The Flying Dutchman • Displaced

	Ace, Benny	The Shadow of the Scourge • The Dark Flame

	Sally	House of Blue Fire

	Ace, Hex, Lysandra, Sally	Black and White • Gods and Monsters

	Ace, Hex, Sally	Afterlife • Signs and Wonders

	Ace, Mel	A Life of Crime • Fiesta of the Damned • Maker of Demons • The High Price of Parking • The Blood Furnace • The Silurian Candidate • Red Planets • The Dispossessed • The Quantum Possibility Engine

	Mags	The Monsters of Gokroth • The Moons of Vulpana • An Alien Werewolf in London

	Klein	A Thousand Tiny Wings • Klein's Story • Survival of the Fittest • The Architects of History • Warlock's Cross

	Klein, Will	Persuasion • Starlight Robbery • Daleks Among Us

	Jo	The Defectors

	Solo travels	The Sirens of Time • Project: Lazarus • Master • Return of the Daleks • Valhalla • Frozen Time • Death Collectors • Spider's Shadow • Kingdom of Silver • Keepsake • The Four Doctors • Robophobia • The Doomsday Quatrain • The Shadow Heart • The Two Masters • Dark Universe • The Psychic Circus • Subterfuge • The End of the Beginning

Eighth Doctor

	Mary Shelley	Mary's Story • The Silver Turk • The Witch from the Well • Army of Death

	Charley	Storm Warning • Sword of Orion • The Stones of Venice • Minuet in Hell • Invaders from Mars • The Chimes of Midnight • Seasons of Fear • Embrace the Darkness • The Time of the Daleks • Neverland • Zagreus • Scherzo • The Girl Who Never Was • The End of the Beginning

	Charley, C'rizz	The Creed of the Kromon • The Natural History of Fear • The Twilight Kingdom • Faith Stealer • The Last • Caerdroia • The Next Life • Terror Firma • Scaredy Cat • Other Lives • Time Works • Something Inside • Memory Lane • Absolution

	Solo & other travels	The Company of Friends (Benny's Story • Fitz's Story • Izzy's Story) • An Earthly Child • The Four Doctors

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The Council of Nicaea (audio story)

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The Council of Nicaea (audio story)

Publisher's summary

Plot

Cast

Crew

Worldbuilding

History

Religion

Notes

Continuity

External links

Navigation

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