The Manic!mans were organized under a sort of hierarchy, in some respects like that of the Catholic Church. Augustine tells us of a graded system of officers, including 12 'teachers,' 72 `bishops,' and a number of 'elders.' Above them all stood one supreme authority, for a long time resident in Babylon, but afterwards in Samar kand, who was apparently regarded as the rep resentative of Maui. The worship of the Mani elnuans was not elaborate. It included, besides the ordinary service of prayer and song, an in itiatory rite of baptism, in which oil was used instead of water, and a eucharistic meal. Fast ing was emphasized as very important for the elect. An annual festival, called the Brew, com memorated the death of the founder, _Mani.
From the latter part of the third century Mani chaeism spread rapidly within the Roman Em pire. Among its early adherents were survivors of the Gnostic sects, especially the Marcionites. (See MAROON.) It also won converts from the non-Christian educated classes of Europe, and in Africa even elergy embraced its teachings.
By the end of the fourth century it had become one of the three great world-systems„ competing with Neo-Platonism and Christianity for religious and intellectual leadership. The most notable of its early Christian opponents were Titus of Bostra, Metropolitan Bishop of Arabia, and Saint Augustine. The Roman Government took measures against the Maniehfeans almost from the beginning. Diocletian issued an edict against them, commonly dated about 287. Valens (3G4 373) issued other similar decrees. Manichfeans were condemned to exile under Valentinian (425-455), and to death under Justinian (527 5G5). But nothing seemed capable of crushing the movement. It, survived even the attacks of Islam, and flourished in Asia beyond the tenth century, whence it made its way once more into Europe in the heresies known under the names of the Paulicians, Bogomiles, Cathari, and Al bigenses (qq.v.). For references to the litera ture, see MAUI.