The First Millenium

[Vince]

Welcome to 208.

Tertullian reports the spread of Christianity among the Scots north of Hadrian’s Wall.

And speaking of Scotland, Emperor Severus decides to solve the problem. He sends forces up to the abandoned Hadrian's Wall and does a massive repair. He also launches a major invasion of Scotland.

In China, Cao Cao wins one battle but loses another. Other Chinese forces fight major battles, and the territories that will eventually form three kingdoms are getting stabilized. Meanwhile, Kong Rong, the great Chinese literary scholar, makes fun of Cao Cao one time too many, and Cao Cao has him executed.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 209.

The Emperor Septimus Severus invades Scotland with a massive force. The previous year, he had re-enforced the Antonine Wall, but after losing 50,000 of his men, he withdraws to Hadrian’s Wall. He re-enforces the wall so thoroughly that some historians thought that he built it. But Rome’s wars with Scotland are over. There will be a few minor expeditions, but Scotland will never come under Roman control.

St. Alban, first British martyr, was killed for his faith by the Romans in one of the few persecutions of Christians ever to take place on the island.

In Indian, Chandashri becomes the Satavahana king of the Andhra. However, his kingdom continues to decline.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 210 AD!

About this time, Mani is born. Almost unknown today, Mani will found one of the world's great false religions. His most important doctrine is "unconditional election," the belief that God arbitrarily decides who will be saved and who will not. After becoming one of the world's great religions, Manichaeism dies out in the fifteenth century, surviving today as Reformed theology.

Having suffered tremendous losses and being driven back to Hadrian's Wall, the Romans make a peace agreement with the Scots.

 

[logical bob]

AD 211.

The Emperor Septimus Severus dies in what is now York in England. He had reigned for 17 years since seizing control in the chaotic Year of the Five Emperors and was promptly declared divine by the Senate. He was succeeded by his two sons as joint rulers, but before the year was out Caracalla had had Geta assasinated in the arms of his mother. Caracalla then damned his brother, ordering his name removed from all records and and inscriptions. He ruled alone for another 6 years before being assasinated himself.

The year also saw the deaths of two notable Christian theologians, Serapion of Antioch and Clement of Alexandria.

 

[Vince]

Welcome aboard, Bob. It's about time somebody besides me wrote something.

If I could ask, could you stay on the same year that I am on? That makes it easier to keep things straight.

I'll be writing on 211 tomorrow, and I'd be happy to have any additional writings you want to add.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 211

Philiadelphus becomes bishop of Constantinople, but the city has been demoted. He is the first man to be called the bishop of Byzantium.

The Emperor Severus dies in York, England, supposedly advising his two sons : "Be harmonious, enrich the soldiers, and scorn all other men." Severus is not a beloved figure, but he did provide the stability that Rome needed. His large army, including his failed invasion of Scotland, cost the Empire heavily, but he did maintain internal peace.

Caracalla, Severus's oldest son, had already been co-Emperor, and now he shares the throne with his brother Geta. In his history of the Roman Empire, Francis Gibbons writes: ""Caracalla was the common enemy of mankind." With both men wanting to be sole ruler, Caracalla has the Praetorian Guard assassinate Geta's entire family.

Ardashir I becomes ruler of part of Persia. Expanding his control, he eventually founds a dynasty that will last for four centuries.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to the year 212.

The Emperor Caracalla decrees that all freemen throughout the Empire are now Roman citizens. This sounds good, until they find out that now they have to pay taxes like everybody else. No one is exempt, and the Jews now find that they are Romans.

Cracalla's edict also weakened the army. Previously, only citizens could enlist in the army. Non-citizens could enlist in the auxiliaries, and after completing their time, were made citizens. Now it was harder to recruit, as "barbarians" were in the regular army, and the auxiliaries lost one of their best benefits.

Papinianus had been close friends with the Emperor Severus, who had appointed him as guardian and adviser to his two sons. Caracalla has him executed.

Edessa, in south-east Turkey, becomes a Roman province.

Cao Cao now rules most of northern China and parts of Korea, and has even extended his rule beyond the Great Wall of China. But his goal of re-uniting China has failed.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 213.

There is debate about when it became official, but it had already been true: the Chinese Empire has collapsed. Cao Cao is named Duke of Wei, the kingdom formed from the areas he controlled. Beginning in 184 with the Yellow Turban Rebellion, when the impoverished peasants rebelled against the corrupt government, the Period of the Three Kingdoms does not end until 280. During this time, the population of China declined from 50 million to 16 million, although the latter number is controversial.

With the three kingdoms constantly warring against each other, civil war within all three is rampant, as rival warlords fight for control. Technology, however advances.

The Roman Emperor Caracalla leaves to lead battles in northern Germany. He never returns to Rome.

 

[Vince]

A lot happens in 214.

Osroene, an Arab kingdom allied with Rome is annexed and made a province.

The Goths, a Swedish tribe that had migrated to Poland and Germany, are defeated by the Romans. Along with other victories in Germany, this makes the Emperor Catallus popular with the army.

Taking advantage of the collapse of China, the Mohe tribes in Korea had revolted and formed an independent state. But now the Korean kingdom of Baekje attacks them. Baekle's new king, Busu, starts his reign with a series of military victories, but after a few years, he suffers enough defeats that he cannot unite Korea.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 215.

Angry at Origen for preaching without his permission, Demetrius of Alexandria, Pope of Alexandria, orders him to return from the East. Origen obeys…for now.

Tertullian, the great Christian historian, converts to Montanism. Similar to modern Pentecostals, Montanists believed God’s Word but supplemented it with visions.

The Emperor Caracalla learns that Alexandria, Egypt, had been mocking his claims that he had murdered his brother in self-defense. He arrives at the city, massacres an assembly of leading citizens who had greeted him, and unleashes his troops for several days of slaughter and looting. Historians estimate that they killed about 20,000 citizens.

Caracalla introduces a new coin, the Antoninianus. The weight of this coin is a mere 1/50 of a pound. By the middle of the third century, with Rome's economy in crisis, the Antonianus will be the only official currency.

 

[Vince]

216

Unable to conquer southern China, Cao Cao becomes king of Wei, one of three Chinese kingdoms. He continues his successful building and education programs, and the three kingdoms continue without any of them able to gain a significant advantage.

According to the historian Herodian, in AD 216, Caracalla tricked the Parthians into believing that he accepted a marriage and peace proposal, but then had the bride and guests slaughtered after the wedding celebrations. The thereafter ongoing conflict and skirmishes became known as the Parthian war of Caracalla.

Seeking to secure his own legacy, Caracalla also commissioned one of Rome's last major architectural achievements, the Baths of Caracalla, the largest public baths ever built in ancient Rome. The main room of the baths was larger than St. Peter's Basilica, and could easily accommodate over 2,000 Roman citizens at one time. The bath house opened in AD 216, complete with libraries, private rooms and outdoor tracks. Internally it was lavishly decorated with gold-trimmed marble floors, columns, mosaics and colossal statues.

Caracalla has turned his eyes to Asia, intending to conquer more land than Alexander the Great. He annexes Armenia and keeps going.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 217!

The Emperor Caracalla is on the march, invading Parthia, but he takes time to execute an innocent man in his army. A few days later, the Emperor has to stop for a bathroom break at the side of the road. His polite bodyguards turn away their eyes, and the brother of the executed man runs up and kills Caracalla.

Macrinus, leader of the Praetorian Guard, becomes the new Emperor. A successful lawyer and bureaucrat, Marcrinus made peace with various nations, but he had to pay a huge indemnity to the Parthians after suffering a major defeat. He was unpopular with the soldiers and the common people, although the Senate liked him.

A thunderstorm in Rome starts a severe fire.

St. Callistus I (217-222) becomes bishop of Rome. Callistus wants to forgive Christians who renounced Chirst under fear, but his opponent, St. Hippolytus (Antipope) (217-236) fights him. A rival group of bishops ordains Hippolytus as bishop of Rome.

The question does arises, "How do the Christians of Rome appoint a new bishop, when the church is too large, scattered, and divided?" Various bishops from nearby areas would ordain the bishop, as we see the Papacy taking shape.

Cyriacus 1 becomes bishop of Byzantium.

 

[Vince]

218 is an exciting year.

Fourteen-year-old Elagabalus is declared Emperor, and the current Emperor, Macrinus, is not too happy about it. Macrinus had decreased military pay, and most of the army revolted. He sent a cavalry unit to kill Elagabalus, but the cavalry killed their commander and defected. At the Battle of Antioch, most of Macrinus's army deserted him, and he was captured and executed.

Emperor Elagabaus doesn't return to Rome yet. He is busy replacing Jupiter as king of the gods with the sun god, to whom he is a priest. The army starts to wonder if they haven't made a mistake.

 

[Vince]

And here it is, 219 already.

Sujin becomes Emperor of Japan, ruling for thirty years. Ruling modern-day Yamoto Province, (Japan is only one of many kingdoms located in modern Japan) he conquers a few rural areas, puts down a rebellion, and establishes some shrines. His reign is prosperous enough that he establishes a successful tax system.

About this time, Himiko becomes Empress of an unidentified Japanese kingdom. Tired of warfare, the kingdom chose a queen instead of a king. Practicing sorcery and witchcraft, she manages to stabilize her kingdom, and twenty years later, she sends an envoy to China, which recognizes her as queen of all Japan. The other Japanese kingdoms ignore this, of course.

The Emperor Elagabalas forces the Senate to participate in ceremonies worshiping the sun goddess, which he personally leads. He puts down two minor revolts and appoints two of his homosexual lovers to high positions.

Civil war continues in China, as the three kingdoms defeat various warlords within their territories and fight each other over disputed areas.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 220.

The son of Cao Cao seizes the throne of Wei after his father dies and unsuccessfully attacks the other two Chinese kingdoms. Losing both wars, he eventually settles down as a competent ruler.

Sextus Julius Africanus, a pious Christian, completes his history of the world. Only fragments, plus quotes in many other works, survive. His competent reporting serves as a model for later historians.

Determined to make the sun god the chief deity of Rome, the Emperor Elagabalus builds a temple and transfers sacred objects of other gods and goddesses to the new temple. He gives some major goddesses to the sun god as wives, and he marries a vestal virgin, further angering religious Romans.

A delegation from India arrives in Rome and is received by the Emperor. Meanwhile, the Goths invade the eastern part of the Empire.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 221.

The Emperor Elagabalus makes his 13-year-old cousin Alexander Severus his heir.

Liu Bei declared himself Emperor of Shu, the smallest of the three Chinese kingdoms. Located in central China, Shu benefits from this former general's competent rule.

 

[Vince]

Things improve in 222.

Jealous of his thirteen-year-old cousin, whom he has named "heir," the Emperor Elagabalus spreads a rumor that the boy has died. The Praetorian Guard revolts, demanding to see the boy. Elagabalus, along with his mother, brings his heir to the Praetorian Guards, who greet the boy with wild cheers while ignoring the Emperor. Enraged, Elagabalus orders a mass executoin of the guards. Learning this, the Guard kills Elagabalus and his mother, making thirteen-year-old Alexander Severus the new Emperor.

Amiable and intelligent, Emperor Severus is governed by his mother and a council of Senators. His reign is marked by military revolts, but he generally does a good job, and the Empire prospers under him.

Urban I (222-230) becomes bishop of Rome. Under his leadership, the church at Rome increases its membership, but he is unable to stop the growing number of different sects that reject his authority. Although his predecessor was martyred, Urban's reign is peaceful, as the young Emperor Severus does not persecute the Christians.

 

[Vince]

223 is a quiet year.

The 14-year-old Emperor Severus is entirely under the control of his mother. A competent administrator, she surrounds her son with good counselors. But she is corrupt, and the army resents her.

Meanwhile, Rome has two rival bishops. Urban, recognized as Pope by the Catholic Church. leaves no records behind. Although the Christian population in Rome increases, it is impossible to tell who gets the credit. And while Catholicism is one of several sects in Rome, it is impossible to tell if he was a Catholic.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 224.

Remember how Parthia, located on Rome's eastern border, gave Rome so much trouble? Ardashir, an Iranian, had seized the throne of a minor kingdom. After winning two battles against Parthian allies, he invades Parthia itself and wins. The Parthian Empire is destroyed, and Ardasir replaces it with the Sassanid Dynasty, which survives for four centuries.

Ardashir establishes a strong central government, dividing the former Parthian Empire into cantons that reduce hereditary influence. He makes Zoroastrianism the state religion.

With a fifteen-year-old Emperor being trained by his mother, and with tensions still strong in Germany, Rome does nothing about Parthia for the next ten years.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 225.

The Emperor Severus gets married. He gives her father the rank of "Caesar."

Vasudeva I, the last of "the Great Kushans," dies. With his death, the Sassanid Empire (which took over Parthia last year) successfully invades northern India.