Dr. Shirley's History Pages
Part 9 - The Early Church, Constantine, Eastern and Western Empires
AD 200-450
- AD 170-236
- Hippolytus
- AD 185-254
- Origen - Christian scholar and Biblical interpreter. Produced his "Hexapla" - the Old Testament in six parallel versions of Hebrew and Greek texts : Hebrew, Hebrew transliterated in Greek, Aquila's Greek translation, Symmachus' Greek translation, Origen's revised Greek translation, Theodotion's revised Septuagint
- ca. AD 200
- The Mishnah codified under Judah ha Nasi
- AD 207
- Tertullian becomes a Montanist
- AD 212-217
- Geta, then Caraclla - emperors of Rome
- AD 215-276
- Mani, founder of Manichaean sect
- AD 217-222
- Callistus, bishop of Rome
- AD 218-222
- Heliogabalus emperor of Rome
- ca. AD 220
- Clement of Alexandria, bishop
Goths invade Asia Minor and the Balkans
- AD 220-470
- Formation of the Talmud (commentary on the Mishna)
- AD 222-235
- Alexandar Severus emperor of Rome
- ca. AD 223
- Tertullian uses the phrase "New Testament"
- AD 230-250
- Christian Council of Rome, Demetrius bishop of Alexandria condemns Origen
- AD 236-238
- Maximus emperor of Rome, ends Christian schism in Rome by deporting Pope Pontian and anti-Pope Hippolytus to Sardinia where they both die
- AD 238-244
- Gordian I, II, Balbinus, Pupienus, Gordian III emperors of Rome
- AD 240-250
- Christian Council of Carthage
- AD 240-276
- Manichaeism flourishes
- AD 244-249
- Philip the Arabian emperor of Rome
- AD 248-258
- Cyprian, bishop of Carthage
- AD 249-251
- Decius, emperor of Rome, persecutes Christians because they refused to sacrifice to his gods. The Church commemorated the martyrs as saints
- ca. AD 250
- Mandeans (followers of John the Baptist) begin compilation of the "Ginza"
- AD 250-330
- First Christian monks and nuns (in the deserts of Egypt)
- AD 250-336
- Arius, originator of the Arian controversy
- AD 250-355
- Antony of Egypt
- AD 251-253
- Gallus emperor of Rome
- AD 253-260
- Valerian emperor of Rome, executes Bishops, Priests, and Deacons
- AD 254
- Letters of Origen, who wrote that Jesus and God were of one "Substance" (adopted at Council of Nicaea in 325), compiled his "Hexapla": 6 versions of the Septuagint side by side: Hebrew, Hebrew transliterated in Greek, Aquila's Greek translation, Symmachus' Greek translation, Origen's revised LXX Greek translation, Theodotion's revised LXX; also Quinta/Sexta/Septima translations, retaining the Tetragrammaton in square Hebrew script
- AD 254-257
- Pope Steven I, major schism over rebaptizing heretics and apostates
- AD 257
- Visigoths and Ostrogoths invade Black Sea area; Franks invade Spain
- AD 257-258
- Pope Sixtus II, martyred
- AD 258
- Martyrdom of Cyprian of Carthage
- AD 260-268
- Gallienus, emperor of Rome, reverses Valerian's decrees and restores the Roman Church
Pope Dionysius, rebuilds Roman Church after Valerian's massacre
- AD 263-339
- Eusebius, bishop of Caesaria, Christian writer and historian, wrote "Ecclesiastical History"
- AD 264-268
- Christian council to deal with the Adoptionist heresy started by Paul of Samosata, Bishop of Antioch (He taught that Jesus was only human until the Holy Spirit descended at his baptism)
- AD 268
- The Goths invade and sack Athens, Corinth, and Sparta
- AD 268-270
- Claudius II, emperor of Rome
- AD 270-275
- Aurelian emperor of Rome
- AD 276
- Mani, founder of the Manichaean heretical Christian sect, executed by crucifixion in Persia
- AD 276-282
- Marcus Aurelius Probus emperor of Rome
- AD 280
- Gregory the Illuminator brings Christianity to Armenia
- AD 284-305
- Emperor Diocletian of Rome, persecutes the Christians
- AD 285
- Diocletian divides the Empire into two - the Eastern and the Western Empires
- AD 292-346
- Pachomius, establisher of the first monastery, in Egypt
- AD 296-373
- Athanasius
- AD 300-500
- The Assyrians translated the Greek scientific, religious, and philosophical writings into Assyrian. Later - the Assyrian versions were translated into Arabic, and were brought by the Moors to Spain, where they were translated into Latin and helped to ignite the Renaissance of Europe
- AD 303
- Emperor Diocletian persecutes Christians and attemptes to wipe them out
- AD 305
- Emperor Diocletian abdicates
Antony organizes a colony of hermits in Egypt
- AD 306
- Constantine the Great succedes his father as Emperor of the West
- AD 306-312
- Maxentius emperor of Western Roman Empire
- AD 311
- Emperor Galerius issues edict shortly before his death, tolerating Christian religion throughout the empire and allowing reconstruction of the churches; Galerius believed his fatal illness to be the vengeance of God
- AD 311
- Civil war between four emperors: Licinius, Maximin, Maxentius, and Constantine
Start of the Donatist controversy in N. Africa
- AD 312
- Lucian, founder of the Exegetical School of Antioch, martyred
Constantine's vision of the Sign of the Cross over the sun with the message "In This Sign Conquer"
Constantine's victory at Milvian Bridge (outside Rome) over Maxentius, reunites the Roman Empire
"Edict of Constantine", or "Edict of Milan" : Christianity is to be tolerated in the Roman Empire
- AD 313
- Donatus excommunicated by Miltiades for requiring the "rebaptism" of apostates
- AD 314
- Council of Arles, called by Constantine to deal with the Donatist schism. Bishops from Briatin attend (this is also evidence for the presence of Christianity in Britain)
- AD 321
- Constantine makes Sunday the offical Roman-Christian day of rest
- AD 324
- Constantine defeats Licinius and unifies the Empire
Emperor Constantine becomes a Christian. His mother St. Helena tours the Holy Land identifying sites of Biblical importance and building churches
- AD 325
- The First Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church, at Nicea in Asia Minor, to deal with the Arian heresy (that Christ was created by God, and so was not fully divine). The Nicean Creed traditionally dates from this Council
- AD 325-420
- Jerome translates the Scriptures into Latin - his translation is known as the Vulgate
- AD 330
- Saint Peter's Basilica dedicated by Constantine, located over the traditional burial site of Saint Peter the Apostle in Rome on the Vatican Hill
Constantine founds Constantinople on the site of Byzantium, makes it the capital of the Eastern Empire
- AD 330-379
- Basil the Great, one of the three "Cappadocian Fathers"
- AD 330-390
- Gregory of Nazianzus, one of the three "Cappadocian Fathers"
- AD 331
- Headquarters of the Roman Empire moved from Rome to Constantinople
- AD 335-394
- Gregory of Nyssa, brother of Basil the Great, one of the three "Cappadocian Fathers"
- AD 337
- Death of Constantine the Great. He was baptized as a Christian on his death-bed. The Empire was divided between his three sons, Constantine II, Constantius II and Constans I, who started fighting between themselves
- AD 338
- Jewish calendar modified to bring it into alignment with the Solar year
- AD 340
- Roman Empire split between West and East again. Constans emperor of West until 350. Constantius emperor of East until 361
- AD 340-420
- Jerome (Hieronymus), Latin scholar, translator of the Hebrew and Greek scriptures into Latin
- AD 341
- Eusebius consecrates Ulfilas as "Bishop in the land of the Goths"
- AD 347-407
- John Chrysostom (his nickname means "Golden-mouth" because of his great preaching ability)
- ca. AD 350
- Codex Sinaiticus (S or "ALEPH"), and Codex Vaticanus (B)(oldest Bibles still in existence);
Ulfilas, apostle to the Goths, translates the Greek New Testament into Gothic;
Founding of the "School of Nisibis" - claimed to be the first University, in Assyria;
Founding of the Schola Cantorum for Church singing, in Rome;
- AD 351-410
- Alaric, King of the Visigoths
- AD 353
- Synod of Arles - attended by Bishops from Britain, indicating that there were Christian Churches in Britain
- AD 354-435
- Augustine of Hippo, (N. Africa), Church father and philosopher. Used the term "Original Sin", wrote "The City of God" and his "Confessions" (autobiography)
- AD 360
- The "book" form for texts starts to supplant the scroll form;
The Huns invade Europe
- AD 361-363
- Julian the Apostate, cousin of Emperor Constantius, defeats an invasion of Germanic tribes, and is declared Emperor. Julius renounced Christianity and reverted to paganism
- AD 363
- Death of Julian the Apostate while attempting to invade Persia. His army acclaimed the general Valentinian as Emperor. Valentinian chose to rule from Rome, and made his brother Valens co-Emperor in the East. Valens was an Arian;
Council of Laodicea names 26 books of the New Testament (does not mention Revelation)
- AD 364-378
- Valens as Eastern Emperor
- AD 370-425
- Rabbi Hillel, formulates the interpretation of the Torah
- AD 374
- Ambrose becomes bishop of Milan
- AD 376
- Barbarian invasions - Emperor Valens gives permission to the Visigoths to cross the Danube and settle within the Empire
- AD 378
- Death of Valens in battle against invading Goths
- AD 380-392
- Emperor Theodosius I of the East, reunites the Roman Empire, makes Christianity the official state religion and prohibits the practice of pagan rituals including the Olympic Games; but allows Judaism and the religion of the Samaritans. Theodosius began inviting barbarian cavalry to fight for the Empire against other barbarians
- AD 381
- Council of Theodosius at Constantinople (The Second Ecumenical Council), affirms that Jesus had a truly human soul
- AD 382
- Pope Damasus I calls a council, lists the Canonical Books of the Old and New Testaments
- AD 382-384
- Pope Damasus I has Jerome revise and unify Latin Bibles
- AD 383
- Roman Legions start to evacuate Britain as they are needed to defend Rome from invaders. Britain is cut off from the Roman Empire
- AD 384
- Jerome presents Pope Damasus I with the new Latin translation of the Gospels
- AD 386
- Ambrose of Milan introduces the singing of hymns as part of the Church liturgy;
Conversion of Augustine;
Jerome moves to Bethlehem, lives as a monk in a cave, learns Hebrew, translates the whole Bible into Latin
approx. date for the completion of the Jerusalem Talmud (commentary on the Mishnah)
- AD 390
- Apollinaris of Laodicea, teaches the heresy that Jesus had a human body but a divine spirit
- ca AD 391
- Ammianus Marcellinus, Christian historian, writes "Res gestae"
- AD 392
- Death of Theodosius the Great
- AD 395
- Roman Empire divided again into the Western Empire, centered on Rome, and the Eastern Empire, centered on Byzantium (modern Istanbul in Turkey)
- AD 395-641
- Byzantine period in Egypt. Egyptian hieroglyphics drop out of use and their meaning is forgotten
- AD 396-398
- Alaric the Goth invades and plunders Greece and the Balkans
- AD 397
- Ambrose, bishop and governor of Milan, writes "de Fide"
- AD 398
- John Chrysostom becomes bishop of Constantinople
- ca. AD 400
- The Vulgate, Latin translation of the Bible, by Jerome. The Vulgate Latin text becomes the standard Western Christian Bible;
The Peshitta, Syriac (Aramaic) Bible, produced. The Peshitta becomes the standard Syrian Christian Bible
- AD 400-461
- Leo I (the Great) of Rome
- AD 400-600
- Egyptian, Syrian and Armenian Christians translated the Bible and the Liturgy into their own languages and rejected traditional Eastern Orthodoxy (They became the Melchite Churches)
- AD 401
- Visigoths invade Italy
- AD 403
- Letters of the Church Fathers Epiphanius of Constantia and John Chrysostom
- AD 410
- Alaric and the Goths sack Rome
- AD 412-444
- Cyril, bishop of Alexandria, expels the Jews and kills the female philosopher Hypatia
- AD 416
- The Council of Carthage condemns Pelagianism;
Visigoths take Spain
- AD 418
- Franks take Gaul
- AD 422-432
- Pope Celestine I, sends Palladius to Ireland as its first bishop
- AD 428
- Nestorius becomes Patriarch of Constantinople
- ca. AD 430-460
- St. Patrick in Ireland
- AD 431
- The Council of Ephesus - condemns Nestorius, and uses the title "Mother of God" for the Virgin Mary;
Syrian Church splits into Eastern (Nestorian, those who disagreed with the Council of Ephesus) and Western (Jacobite) parts
- AD 433-453
- Attila the Hun, the "Scourge of God"
- AD 440-461
- Pope Leo I (45th Pope)
- AD 442-450
- Attila and the Huns of central Asia attack Greek and Roman cities
- AD 451
- The Council of Chalcedon - affirms that Christ is "One Person in two Natures". The Churches in Egypt and Syria break off from the Greek and Roman Churches
Main Sources : Simsothian Timelines of Ancient History, The Timetables of History (Bernard Grun)
Go here for Geography Pages
Copyright © 1999 Shirley J. Rollinson, all Rights Reserved
Dr. Rollinson
Department of Religion
ENMU
Portales, NM 88130
Last Updated: January 1, 2007
