|
188. FROM THE DEATH OF SEVERUS ALEXANDER TO THE CAPTURE OF VALERIAN BY THE PERSIANS.
235
Soldiers at Moguntiacum kill Alexander and Mamaea (18 Mar.) and select as emperor C. Iulius Verus Maximinus (a Thracian). He has success on the Rhine in this and the next year.
288
M. Antonius Gordianus, pro-consul of Africa, declared emperor. He associates his son with himself. They are crushed and killed by the legate of Numidia (6 Ap.). The Senate deifies them and selects two new emperors, M. Clodius Pupienus Maximus to command the legions, and D. Caelius Balbinus to administer civil affairs (16 Ap.). Maximinus killed while besieging Aquileia (17 June), The Praetorians kill Pupienus and Balbinus and raise the third Gordianus (aged 13) to the throne. The Goths cross the Danube for the first time. Barbarians ravage Moesia. Censorinus de die natali.
242
Victories of Gordianus over Goths and Sarmatae, and next year over Persians.
244
Death and deification of Gordianus. Philippus the Arabian succeeds. Peace with Persia.
247
Goths in Moesia.
248
Decius, commander in Moesia, declared emperor, kills Philippus in the following year near Verona. Thousandth anniversary of Rome's foundation celebrated.
250
Widespread persecution of Christians by Decius. Plague appears and rages for 15 years.
251
Great advance of Goths. Decius perishes on the Danube. Trebonianus Gallus, made emperor, takes as partner a son of Decius (Hostilianus).
253
M. Aemilius Aemilianus, commander in Moesia, named emperor by his troops; so also P. Licinius Valerianus (Valerian) in Moesia. Trebonianus Gallus de feated and killed by Aemilianus, who is himself killed soon after. Valerian reaches Rome and is recognised. His son Gallienus declared Augustus.
255
Goths invade Illyricum and Macedonia. Progress of other barbarians; Scythians (in Asia Minor) and Alamanni. Sapor, king of Persia, penetrates to Antioch.
257
Edict of Valerian against the Christians. Gallienus checks the Alamarmi and Aurelian the Goths. Valerian visits the East.
258
Troubles with barbarians. Postumus proclaimed emperor in Gaul.
259
The Alamanni in Italy; defeated by Gallienus at Milan, and again in Gaul at Aquae Sextiae. Postumus, accepted by the legions of Britain and Spain, establishes the imperium Galliarum.
260
Valerian captured by Sapor, who raids Asia Minor but is checked by a Palmyrene force. First edict of toleration for Christians.
189. THE ERA OF CONFUSION, TO THE ACCESSION OF DIOCLETIAN.
261
Several ephemeral emperors. Successes of Odaenathus, the general of Palmyra, against Sapor. Franks take Tarraco (about this time).
262
Scythians pillage Ephesus. Honours bestowed by Gallienus on Odaenathus, now recognised as king of Palmyra.
266
Attack on Postumus by Gallienus fails. Victories of Postumus over the Franks.
267
The Goths make their debut as pirates, attack Illyricum and besiege Thessalonica. Odaenathus assassinated. A new pretender, Aureolus, marches on Rome, but fails. The Heruli taken into Roman service.
268
Postumus and Gallienus perish. M. Aurelius Claudius, the survivor of a number of pretenders, becomes emperor and defeats the Alamanni heavily by the Lago di Garda.
269
Ravages by Goths. Zenobia (widow of Odaenathus) seizes Egypt.
270
Claudius dies of plague at Sirmium. His brother is chosen at Rome as successor, but is soon killed. Aurelian, proclaimed at Sirmium, is hard pressed by barbarians, and abandons the left bank of the Danube; also recognises Zenobia's conquests. Death of Plotinus.
271
Barbarians invade Italy, and are defeated by Aurelian. Probus recovers Egypt. Aurelian begins the construction of a new wall round Rome.
272
Aurelian defeats Zenobia, and captures Palmyra. Zenobia pardoned.
273
Revolt of Palmyra, which is destroyed by Aurelian. Two pretenders, Firmus in Africa and Tetricus in Gaul, are overcome.
274
Birth of Constantine. Temple of the Sun built at Rome. Decree against Christians. Sanguinary disorders in Rome; many thousands killed.
276
Aurelian murdered in Thrace (Jan.). The troops ask the Senate to choose an emperor; Tacitus is elected, but early next year meets his death in Asia.
276
Florianus, brother of Tacitus, chosen emperor at Rome; and M. Aurelius Probus by the Eastern legions. Florianus killed at Tarsus.
278
Probus beats the Germans and Goths, of whom he takes 16,000 into his service.
279
Large settlement of barbarians in Thrace.
280
Piracies by Franks. Several pretenders fail.
282
Soldiers kill Probus and raise Carus to the throne, but next year, after victories on the Danube and against Persia, he perishes (Dec.).
284
Diocletian proclaimed emperor. Carinus, the son of Carus, holds Italy, and defeats Diocletian at Margus (in the following year) but is assassinated. The Persians cede Armenia and Mesopotamia.
286
Maximian becomes Caesar.
286
Diocletian takes the title Herculius and bestows that of Iouius on Maximian, who is now made Augustus, having won victories over the barbarians. Carausius proclaimed emperor in Britain.
287
Maximian crushes the Franks.
289
Diocletian defeats the Sarmatae.
290
Maximian recognises Carausius as lord of Britain.
291
Franks settled in Gaul by Maximian. Reform of the silver coinage.
293
Two Caesars appointed, Galerius and Constantius Chlorus; the former to serve under Diocletian in the Eastern half of the empire, the latter under Maximian in the Western half. Allectus kills Carausius and takes his place.
296
Arnobius Aduersus nationes.
c.296
Persians defeat Galerius. Constantius makes an end of Allectus.
297
Great and successful operations against Persia. The subdivision of the old provinces is made about this time. Galerius persecutes Christians.
301
Diocletian's great edict fixing the prices of commodities.
303
General persecution of Christians begins.
191. STRUGGLES FOR ASCENDANCY AND FINAL SUCCESS OF CONSTANTINE.
306
Diocletian and Maximian abdicate; Galerius and Constandus become Augusti; Flauius Seuerus and Maximinus Daia made Caesars. Persecution relaxed in the East; ceases about this time in the West.
306
Constantius dies at York. Disputes about the succession bring on civil war. Galerius recognises Seuerus, while Constantine (son of Constantius) is Caesar. Maxentius, son of Maximian, proclaimed Augustus at Rome (27 Oct.), but Maximian comes out of retirement and is recognised as Augustus again. Seuerus defeated and killed by Maxentius. Maximian quarrels with his son, and flees; then weds his daughter to Constantine, on whom he bestows the title of Augustus. Licinius appointed Augustus.
307-310
Lactantius, Diuinae Institutiones.
308
Maximinus named Augustus by his troops. Maximian proclaims himself an independent Augustus at Arles; is captured by Constantine and pardoned.
310
Maximian, disloyal to Constantine, is forced to kill himself. Constantine, after a great victory over Germans (27 June), crosses to Britain.
311
Edict of Toleration by Galerius, Constantine and Licinius. Death of Galerius (5 May). Maximinus drives Licinius out of Asia.
312
Conversion of Constantine. His defeat of Maxentius at the Pons Muluius. Suicide of Maxentius. Abolition of Praetorians. Reform of gold coinage:
313
Constantine and Licinius at Milan decree religious freedom. Final defeat of Maximinus by Licinius at Adrianople. His death and that of Diocletian.
314
Constantine defeats Licinius twice, and makes peace, gaining large territories.
318
The arch of Constantine set up at Rome, to commemorate his presence there.
317
Three new Caesars; Constantine's sons Crispus and Constantinus, and Licinianus, son of Licinius.
322
Great defeat by Constantine of Sarmatae and Goths.
323
War between Constantine and Licinius, who is driven into Asia Minor.
324
Final defeat of Licinius at Chrysopolis, and his execution.
192. FROM THE SUPREMACY OF CONSTANTINE TO THE DEATH OF JULIAN.
326
Council of Nicaea, with Constantine as president.
326
Execution of the empress Fausta, the emperor's son Crispus, and his nephew Licinianus, son of Licinius. Constantine in Rome.
330
Byzantium becomes the new capital, Constantinopolis.
332
Goths, numbering 40,000, enter Roman service as foederati.
334
More than 300,000 Sarmatae settled within the empire.
335
Constantine appoints as heirs to the empire his three sons and a nephew, Dalmatius.
337
Baptism of Constantine. His death (22 May). Massacre of members of the imperial family (including Dalmatius). The three sons of Constantine recognised as Augusti (Constantinus, Constans, Constantius).
338
The three Augusti meet and define their territories.
340
Constans defeats and kills Constantine II and annexes his dominions.
343
Constans in Britain. The basilica of Sancta Sophia built at Constantinople.
350
Magnentius assumes the purple in Gaul, drives Constans to his death and enters Rome (Aug.), having overcome the pretender Vetranio.
351
Gallus, nephew of Constantine and brother of Julian, made Caesar. Great defeat of Magnentius by Constantius at Mursa (28 Sept.).
353
Magnentius kills himself in Gaul.
354
Gallus fails in an insurrection and is executed.
355
Julian marries the sister of Constantius and is sent to Gaul, and the Rhine, where he wins victories.
359
War with Persia.
360
Julian made Caesar. The Caesares of Aurelius Victor ends with this year.
361
Death of Constantius in Asia (3 Nov.). Julian enters Constantinople as emperor (11 Dec.) and re-establishes heathen cults.
363
Julian mortally wounded in the war against Persia. Iouianus (Jovian), raised to the throne by soldiers, establishes Christianity again.
 |
