The First Millenium

[Vince]

Welcome to 173!

Avidius Cassius, the governor of Syria,whose brilliant military exploits had defeated the Germans in various areas, is given control of the eastern Empire. He crushes a major shepherds' revolt.

Having crossed the Danube, Roman troops defeat various German tribes. Germans are defeated when they try to cross the Rhine into the Empire, but other Germans invade the areas of Belgium and the Netherlands.

 

[Vince]

Things are getting better for Rome in 174. Roman troops under the personal command of the Emperor Marcus Aurilius defeat the Quaddi, a small German tribe near the Danube.

The Emperor also writes his twelve volume work "Meditations," reflecting his views of Stoic philosophy. His stoic ideas often involve avoiding indulgence in emotion, a skill which, he says, will free a man from the pains and pleasures of the material world. He claims that the only way a man can be harmed by others is to allow his reaction to overpower him.

Meanwhile, Satavahana is king of the Andhra in central India. He expands his kingdom into northern India.

Soter, bishop of Rome, dies of natural causes.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 175 AD!

Eleutherius (175-189) becomes bishop of Rome. Having served as deacon under the two previous bishops, Eleutherius followed the common policy of tolerance towards the Montanists, seeking to preserve unity in a divided Church. Eventually, he took a strong stand against them. The Church at Rome now has four major divisions.

Leading his troops in person, the Emperor Marcus Aurelius wins more victories in Germany, forcing the defeated Germans to give him thousands of auxiliary troops, most of whom he stations in Britain.

Avidius Cassius, governor of Syria, had won a series of major victories over the Germans during the current war. He receives an incorrect report that the Emperor has died, and he declares himself Emperor. Learning that the report is false, he continues his revolt, seizing Egypt. But the other governors stay loyal to the Emperor, who has left Germany and is marching east. Avidius Cassius reigns for three months, before a centurion cuts off his head and mails it to Rome.

With the revolt over, the Emperor returns to Rome for the first time in eight years.

Confucian scholars try to regain power in China, but they are massacred by the eunuchs, who keep their power.

Concordius of Spoleto, a subdeacon of the church at Rome, is arrested and tortured for refusing to worship a statue of Jupiter. A quiet, solitary man, he refuses an offer to be released if he will merely worship a statue. He spits on a statue that is brought to him and is promptly beheaded.

 

[Vince]

Here it is, 176!

The Emperor Marcus Aurelius makes his son Commodus co-Emperor. Already a military veteran, Commodus becomes the youngest consul in Roman history. Highly-educated already, he continues his education while serving loyally under his father.

The Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius is made. A magnificent bronze statue of the victorious Emperor on a horse with one upraised hoof, it survived because later Romans thought it was Constantine, the first Christian Emperor. It is on display in a museum in Rome today. Almost all bronze Roman statues were later melted down for coins or other statues.

Everything is quiet in Germany, but only for a while.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 177!

The Emperor Marcus Aurelius begins a systematic persecution of Christians. Churches in southern Gaul are destroyed after a crowd accuses the local Christians of practicing cannibalism and incest. Forty-seven Christians are martyred in Lyon (Saint Blandina and Pothinus, bishop of Lyon, among them). A frequent procedure was to torture slaves into falsely accusing their owners, but Blandina, a Christian slave, maintained under torture that she was a Christian and that the charges were false.

Violating the peace treaties, the Quadi and Marcomanni rebel, and Marcus Aurelius (who by now has a lot of military experience) personally leads an invasion of Germany. He first defeats the Marcomanni and then heads for the Quadi.

A confederacy of non-Chinese nomadic tribes unite to deal China a crushing defeat. Led by the Xianbei, the tribes seize much of Mongolia and parts of China, establishing a kingdom that will last for centuries.

 

[Vince]

178 is a good year for the Catholic Church. Having been founded in 120 AD in Alexandria, Egypt, the Catholic Church now installs its first bishop. Iraeneus succeeds Bishop Pothinus in Lyons. Iraeneus counts twenty different varieties of Christianity and combats what he considers heresies. He seeks conformity of views among Christians. Before he dies in 202, the collections of books of the New Testament will be formed. Other gospels are destroyed. There are only four gospels he claims, just as there are only four winds, four corners of the universe and four pillars holding up the sky. Some gospels are buried, to be discovered centuries later on papyrus fragments preserved by the dry climate in southern Egypt.

Accompanied by his son Commodus, the Emperor Marcus Aurelius pushes deeper into Germany, engaging the Marcomanni in battle.

The Sassanides take over central Asia. It will be another forty years before they become the greatest Persian Empire before Islam. With the Kushan Empire of northern and central India in decline, with China having suffered a massive defeat from nomadic tribes, and with Rome tied down in war with the Germans, nobody is able to stop the Sassanides.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 179 AD.

The Emperor Marcus Aurelius drives the last of the Marcomanni out of the Empire. But the province of Pannonia, north of Italy, is so depopulated by the war that he allows German colonists to settle there.

Abgar IX the Great becomes King of Edessa. Located in south-east Turkey, the kingdom was a protectorate of Rome. Abgar favors Christianity and may have supported missionaries to Britain.

Gogukcheon succeeds his father Shindae as King of Goguryeo, the northernmost of Korea's three kingdoms. As king, he will drive out Chinese invaders and establish a bureaucracy based entirely on merit. His success as ruler will strengthen Goguryeo's central government.

 

[Vince]

180 is an important year for Catholicism, as Ireneus, bishop of Lyons, France, founds the papacy. This is a little bizarre, because:
1) There still aren't any popes
2) The current bishop of Rome isn't a Catholic

Irenaeus (125 - c. 202) wrote "Against Heresies" in an attempt to fight the spread of Gnosticism. He claimed that "every church must agree" with the church of Rome because of its apostolic authority. He argued against Gnosticism by pointing out that most bishops could trace their authority back to the Apostles, and none of them were Gnostics. A disciple of Polycarp, who had been a disciple of the Apostle John, Irenaeus argued that everyone should accept the bishops’ interpretation of Scripture.

Irenaeus's new doctrine about the authority of the bishop of Rome is not widely accepted. In fact, most Christians never hear about it. Priests are beginning to appear in the eastern part of the Empire, but they are not under the authority of the bishop of Rome. The Catholic Church consists mainly of the powerful and influential school at Alexandria, Egypt, and Catholicism is a minority religion among the Christians. But its influence is spreading.

 

[Vince]

We're still in the year 180.

The Marcomannic Wars end with a decisive victory over the Quadi. Leading Roman armies in person in Germany, the Emperor Marcus Aurelius becomes the most famous victim of the Antonine Plague, dying of smallpox. His son Commodus becomes Emperor, and the era of the Five Good Emperors ends.

During their time in leadership, The Five Good Emperors had provoked a Jewish war, persecuted Christians, and neglected foreign affairs to the point that large parts of the Empire were devastated by the Germans. So why are they called "Good"? Well, wait until you see what follows them.

The "Decline of the Roman Empire" begins.

As Emperor, Commodus quickly makes peace treaties with the Germans and ends the war. He immediately ends persecution of Christians, but the news doesn't travel fast enough to stop the execution of twelve martyrs in north Africa who had refused to take an oath to the Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

The Goths, an east German tribe, have been migrating to the east, and they reach the Black Sea. Eventually, they will grow into two powerful kingdoms.

New Zealand makes the news! A volcano sends so much debris into the atmosphere that both Chinese and Roman historians record that the skies turn red for several days. Because New Zealand will be uninhabited for another few centuries, there are no casualties.

 

[Vince]

It's now 181.

I'd like to remind folks that they are welcome to post on this thread. Questions, comments, or historical facts that I missed are always appreciated.

Scots over-run the Antonine Wall. Built about forty miles north of Hadrian's Wall, the Antonine Wall had been abandoned by the Romans, but they still sent troops into that area. But having sent troops to fight the Germans, the Romans in Britain cannot hold the area between the walls.

About this time, Theodotion, a Hellenistic Jew, begins translating the Old Testament into Greek. His translation is so far superior to the Septuagint that it became widely used by Christians. He transliterates the names of certain plants and animals, rather than translating them, because he isn't sure what they are. (He spelled the Hebrews names for these plants and animals with Greek letters, rather than translating them into Greek names).

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 182.

Lucilla, the daughter of the previous Emperor and sister of the current Emperor, has married the co-ruler and been named "Empress." Now, jealous and isolated as a private citizen, she sends her son to assassinate the Emperor Commodus. Being somewhat dramatic, the young man bursts from hiding, waving a dagger and shouting "Here is the dagger the Senate sends you!" This gives the guards the few seconds they need to grab him. Commodus exiles his sister, later sending a centurion to kill her.

The problem is, Lucilla had been a good Empress, and Commodus was already turning out to be a bad Emperor. It might have been better if she had chosen a smarter assassin.

The famous theologian Origen is born about this time. He will later allegorize Scripture, teach universalism, teach a modified Gnosticism, and revive the fading school at Alexandria, Egypt. An extreme ascetic, he reportedly castrated himself. He wrote many commentaries and was an expert in Biblical Hebrew.

 

[Vince]

And now we've reached the year 183.

Commodus had placed his household manager in charge of the Empire, and a second conspiracy manages to kill him. Commodus places another favorite in charge of running the Empire. Still popular with the people and the army, the Emperor puts on lavish public entertainments, paying for them by taxing the Senate. Fearing the many conspiracies against him, Commodus spends most of his time on his family estates just outside Rome.

Civil war breaks out in Dacia, a Roman client state.

Theophilus, Patriarch of Antioch, dies. A vehement foe of Marcion's heresies, he was an excellent writer, and many of his works survive.

 

[Vince]

Here we are in the year 184. So much happens that I'm dividing it into two posts.

Facing starvation from famine and flooding, and ruthlessly exploited by wealthy landowners, Chinese peasants revolt in the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Although they lose, this wide-spread revolt destroys so many government offices, that they weaken the Han Dynasty, causing its collapse decades later. The peasants aren’t finally defeated until 205.

Corruption has prevailed at the royal palace. Local gentry, despite their Confucianism, are oppressing peasants. Reforms are neglected. A Taoist named Zhang Jue, who called himself "The Good Doctor of Great Wisdom," had been moving about in the countryside, spreading word of the emperor having lost the mandate of heaven, and he is offering magical healing. His movement has grown to hundreds of thousands, and the year to rise against the capital has arrived. This is the Yellow Turban rebellion. Eventually, China will collapse into three kingdoms, and centuries of civil war will follow.

Cao Cao, a young man who is equally brilliant and evil, is made a cavalry captain to fight the peasants. His success paves the way for his future greatness.

 

[Vince]

We're still in the year 184.

Arturius, a brilliant military leader in Britain, is sent with his mounted troops to suppress a rebellion in France. He does so well there, as well as in Britain, that history adds his name and his men to the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Rome abandons the Antonine Wall in Britain, and now its official: Rome will never conquer the Scots.

Already reeling under the Yellow Turban Revolt, a Chinese invasion force is defeated by the Koreans.

Beolhyu becomes the ninth king of Silla, one of Korea's three kingdoms. He wars against the other two kingdoms and conquers one province.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 185!

With Arturius in France, Roman legions in Britain revolt. Pertinax, an older, experienced politician, is recalled from retirement to command these troops. He persuades all but one legion to submit, survives an assassination attempt, and punishes them so severely that the rebellion ends.

Explaining why the sun appears larger when it is low in the sky, Cleomedes figures out how light is refracted by the atmosphere. He also realizes that the earth is a sphere, after observing the earth's shadow during lunar eclipses. Incredibly, he suggests that the sun is a star, and that other stars are actually larger.

Chinese astronomers record the supernova SN 185, which remained visible at night for eight months.

Irenaeus, the Catholic bishop of Lyons, declares that there are only four true Gospels, and the others are frauds.

In southern Italy, Datus, bishop of Ravenna , is martyred.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to the year 186.

"King Arthur" has his hands full, as peasants in France have an anti-tax uprising.

Apollonius, a talented and educated man who might have been a senator, is accused of being a Christian. At his trial, he surprises everybody by defending Christianity and is sentenced to death. Because of confusion with similar names, it is possible that he didn't exist.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 187 AD!

Olympianus (187-198) becomes bishop of Constantinople, which is still called “Byzantium†at this time. The city is later conquered and demoted from a metropolis during his term, being made part of another city for the next century.

Another plague, believed to be smallpox, breaks out in Rome.

Albinus wins a major victory in the Black Forest of Germany. We'll be hearing more about him later.

Tied down with the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the Chinese government faces a major revolt within the army. Uniting with nomadic tribes from northern China, the rebels fail in their attempt to overthrow a corrupt governor and declare a new Emperor.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 188.

Himiku, the greatest of the ancient Japanese rulers, becomes queen of Yamataikoku , one of the Japanese kingdoms. At this time, the four main Japanese islands have over 100 kingdoms, about thirty of which maintained diplomatic relations with China.

Queen Himiki ended decades of warfare, and the Emperor of China recognized her as the sole ruler of the Japanese islands, but also regarded her as tributary to him. One of the three Korean kingdoms not only recognizes her as ruler of the Japanese islands, but threatens to send troops to help her against another Japanese kingdom.

While Chinese and Korean history speak admiringly of her, Japanese history does not, for it is the kingdom of Japan that will eventually expand to rule all four islands. She rules for about 57 years, and wars resume after her death.

 

[Vince]

And here it is, 189 AD already.

Victor I (189-199) becomes bishop of Rome. Born in the Roman province of Africa, he orders church services in Rome to be conducted in Latin, rather than Greek. He severs ties with various bishops to the east for refusing to celebrate Easter on the same day he did.

But it is Demetrius of Alexandria, the new pope of Alexandria, who is in charge of the school at Alexandria from which the Catholic Church emerged. Ruling for decades, Demetrius will work hard at expanding his power over other bishops.

The death of the Emperor and a rapid series of assassinations place a puppet on China’s throne. Various warlords form factions to overthrow the new government.

Baekje, one of Korea’s three kingdoms, expands into Silla, another kingdom, capturing several castles.

 

[Vince]

190 is a rough year for China.

With the Revolt of the Yellow Turbans still in progress, and with court officials busy massacring each other, a Chinese warlord seizes the capital city. Various local leaders rebel, and civil war breaks out. The warlord loots the capital, burns it to the ground, and retreats to a new capital. The war goes on for two more years, followed by factional fighting that lasts until 280.

A major fire destroys part of Rome. The Emperor Commodus rebuilds and re-names Rome after himself.

The astronomer Cleomedes teaches that the moon has no light of its own, but only reflects the light of the sun.

Ten years of heavy inflation reduce Egypt to poverty.