The First Millenium

[Vince]

Welcome to the year 226!

Ardashir 1 wins a major victory over what is left of Parthia. Parthia collapses, Ardashir is crowned "King of Kings" of the new Sassinid Empire, and for the next 400 years, Persia (the center of the Sassanid Empire) will rival Rome as the most powerful empire in the area.

Cao Rui, the incompetent grandson of Cao Cao, becomes Emperor of Wei. He appoints competent officials, but exhausts the treasury with building projects and thousands of concubines. Under his leadership, Wei reaches a stalemate with the other two Chinese kingdoms.

At the same time, a Roman merchant arrives at Wu, another of the three kingdoms. The king of Wu is fascinated by the merchant's accounts of Rome, and he sends a large escort to return to Rome with him. But the leader of the escort dies, the escort turns back, and the merchant returns to Rome without them.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to the year 227 AD!

Origen begins his Commentary on Genesis, one of the many commentaries he will write.

The father-in-law of the Emperor Severus is caught plotting the Emperor's assassination. His two daughters, including the wife of Severus, are involved. The father-in-law is executed and his two daughters are exiled to Libya.

Cormac mac Airt becomes High King of Ireland. "absolutely the best king that ever reigned in Ireland before himself...wise learned, valiant and mild, not given causelessly to be bloody as many of his ancestors were, he reigned majestically and magnificently". Ruling from Tara, he expands his kingdom into other parts of Ireland.

 

[Vince]

And now it is 228.

Ulpian had been a prominent jurist who had been exiled by the Emperor Elagabalas. After the Emperor's assassination, the new Emperor, Alexander Severus, brought him back to Rome. Becoming the Emperor's chief adviser, he narrowly escaped assassination when he decreased the privileges of the Praetorian Guard. He was later murdered during a riot, but it is not clear where or by whom.

The three Chinese kingdoms fight two major battles among themselves, but when they are over, nothing has changed.

 

[Vince]

Here it is, 229 already.

Cassius Dio finishes his 80-volume history of Rome. Covering 1400 years, it provides detailed information on the Empire. Much of it survives as intact volumes and fragments.

Nanking, which had existed as a minor city for centuries, becomes capital of Wu. It grows steadily into one of the world's greatest cities.

Ammonius Saccas, a porter on the docks of Alexandria, begins teaching his own interpretations of Plato. He accidentally founds Neoplatonism as a result.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 230 AD!

Pontain (230-235) becomes bishop of Rome. He works for reconciliation with Hippolytus, his rival bishop of Rome.

Castinus 1 becomes bishop of Byzantium. A Roman senator who had converted to Christianity, he gave all his goods to the poor and later was made bishop. He builds the first church building in Byzantium, which is dedicated, over a century later, to a saint.

The Sassanid Dynasty, now known as the Persian Empire, invades the eastern part of the Roman Empire. The Emperor Alexander Severus personally leads Roman troops against the invaders.

WIthout permission from Rome, seventy African bishops hold a Church Council.

 

[Vince]

Not much happens in 231.

Accompanied by his mother, the Emperor Alexander Severus begins winning a series of victories over the Persian invaders.

Meanwhile, Origen has become a Neoplatonist, while not rejecting Christianity. He is exiled to Caesarea by the pope of Alexandria. It was the Orthodox Church, not the Catholic Church, which invented a "Christian" priesthood, and the Alexandrian pope was furious that Origen had been ordained a priest without his permission. Origen's beief in re-incarnation, and that Jesus was not equal to God, show that although he is a prominent thinker in the formation of the Catholic Church, he was neither a Catholic nor a Christian.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to the year 232.

Demetrius of Alexandria, Pope of Alexandria, calls a council of bishops to condemn Origen for being ordained a priest without Demetrius’s permission. Various churches, including Rome, agree, but in the East, most bishops ignore him and Rome. Since the Catholic Church is centered at this time in the school at Alexandria, and the eastern churches ignored both it and Rome, we see that these churches are not Catholic.


He puts Heraclas in charge of the school at Alexandria, and Heraclas becomes Pope of Alexandria shortly afterwards. He is the first bishop of Alexandria known to call himself “Pope,†centuries before the bishop of Rome assumes the title.

The priesthood is becoming established in the east and will eventually spread to the west.

Meanwhile, Origen founds his own school of theology in Palestine.

 

[Vince]

And now it is 233.

The Emperor Alexandr Severus defeats the Persians. Bitter arch-enemies and rivals, the Persians and Romans will continue to fear and battle each other for the next three centuries.

The Alamanni, a confederation of northern German tribes, seize Swabia from the Romans. Swabia includes parts of Switzerland, France, and Germany.

 

[Vince]

We have reached the year 234.

Fresh from his victory over the Persians, the Emperor Alexander Severus leads a Roman army against the Alamanni in Germany. The Alamanni had breached the Rhine in several places, destroying Roman forts and gaining control of much of the countryside. And Alexander makes a key mistake. Wanting to buy time while Roman re-enforcements continue to arrive from the east, he negotiates payments to the Germans in return for peace. The Roman troops despise him, believing that he did it so that he could return to his life of ease rather than defending the Empire.

In China, the kingdom of Shu launches the last of its five attacks against Wei. Called "The Northern Campaign," it ended in a stalemate, and all three kingdoms continue to claim to be the rightful government of China.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 235.

Various German tribes take advantage of the success of the Alamanni and join the revolt. After suffering a major defeat, disgusted Roman troops elect Maximinus, a foreign-born Roman soldier, as their new Emperor. Learning this, troops who are near the Emperor Alexander Severus mutiny and kill him. The Senate is grudgingly forced to acknowledge Maximinus as Emperor.

The "Crisis of the Third Century" begins. For the next fifty years, there will be 25 claimants as Emperor, and the Empire will eventually divide into three kingdoms. Invasions, plague, revolts, and economic problems will make the next half century a time of failure for the Empire.


Emperor Maximinus the Thracian begins a three-year persecution of church leaders. Anterus (235-236) becomes bishop of Rome after Emperor Maximinus exiles the current bishop to slavery as a mine worker.

The first Emperor who never sets foot in Rome, he hates the nobility, which had despised him for being a foreign peasant, and he quickly executes many of Alexander's closest advisors, some of whom had been friendly to Maximinus. Defeating the Alamanni, he secures the German frontiers and wages war against invaders farther east. By doubling the soldiers' pay and keeping them busy with war, Maximinus secures the army's loyalty, but he has to raise taxes to do so. As the brutality of the tax collectors increases, the people become more alienated from the government.

 

[Vince]

236 isn't any better than the previous year.

Fabian (236-250) becomes bishop of Rome. Surrounded by myths and legends, he seems to have sent out missionaries to France. He organized his government of the Rman church more efficiently and collected records of martyrs.

Meanwhile, with Emperor Maximinus busily engaged in warfare on the eastern frontiers, the Senate organizes itself to oppose him. and, in Africa, Roman legions appoint the elderly Gordian 1 as Emperor, and his son, Gordian II, as co-Emperor.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 237

Eugenius 1 becomes bishop of Byzantium.

With the Emperor Maximinus involved in warfare on the eastern frontier, Ardashir I of Persia renews his attacks on the Roman province of Mesopotamia.

Babylas becomes patriarch of Antioch, in Syria. During his sixteen year term, he withstands efforts by different Emperors to compromise with them, and he is eventually executed.

 

[Vince]

238 is a year with problems for Rome.

The Goths appear on the southeastern edges of the Empire. Little is known about them before this, although they seem to have come from the Ukraine. The Emperor Maximinus pays them tribute to withdraw, but they take the money and stay.

Meanwhile, Gordian 1 and his son Gordian 2 are declared co-Emperors by the Senate. Abandoning his wars in the east, Maximinus marches towards Rome. He defeats an army led by Gordian 2, and Gordian 1 then hangs himself, only 36 days after becoming co-Emperors.

It looks bad for the Senate, as a vengeful Maximinus continues to head for Rome. But the Praetorian Guard has had enough of this, and they assassinate him.

The Senate now declares two senators, Pupienus and Balbinus, to be the new co-Emperors. Successful politicians with some military experience, they distrust each other and are forced to accept Gordian 3 as consul. The Roman population opposes them, rioting and arson break out in Rome, and three months after being made co-Emperors, they are assassinated by the Praetorian Guard. Thirteen-year-old Gordian 3 is now the Emperor.

The Goths now invade Turkey.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 239, which begins with Gordian III as Emperor. Because of his age, imperial families rule the Empire through the Senate.

A Japanese envoy arrives in China.

The Chinese discover the island of Taiwan 75 miles south-east of them. 245 miles long and 89 miles wide, the Polynesian inhabitants are hostile, and China leaves them alone.

Ignoring the fact that he has been condemned by both Rome and the Pope of Alexandria, Origen publishes the Old Testament in five languages.

 

[Vince]

Things don't get much better in 240.

Sabinianus had revolted in Africa, declaring himself Emperor. But he is defeated by a Roman governor loyal loyal to Gordion III. There are no longer any Roman troops in Africa; just auxiliaries.

Maharaja Sri-Gupta becomes Emperor of Gupta. Under his leadership, Gupta will prosper and expand until it covers most of India.

The Persian Empire destroys Hatra. Located in Iraq, Hatra had been a small but prosperous buffer kingdom on the eastern frontier of the Parthian Empire. While Persian was laying siege to Hatra, the daughter of Hatra's king betrayed them, and married the Persian ruler. Later, he had her executed.

The Kushan Empire collapses. Located north of India, it was defeated by both Persia and Gupta.

Mani begins preaching Manichaeism, which will eventually grow into one of the world's great religions. It survives today as Reformed Theology.

 

[Vince]

And now we get into the year 241.

Shapur the Great becomes king of the Persian Empire. He quickly annexes part of the defeated Kushan Empire. Bagram, a prosperous trade city is Afghanistan, is abandoned as its inhabitants flee the Persians.

November 1 was the traditional end of summer and beginning of winter in Ireland. Called "Samhain," the day included the idea that evil spirits were set free on earth the previous evening, because, by bringing their cattle down from the hills into their winter pastures, the Irish had disrupted the flow of nature. This year, a battle is fought on Samhain, and the victorious side begins an annual celebration that eventually grows into Halloween.

 

[jasoncran]

And now we get into the year 241.

Shapur the Great becomes king of the Persian Empire. He quickly annexes part of the defeated Kushan Empire. Bagram, a prosperous trade city is Afghanistan, is abandoned as its inhabitants flee the Persians.

November 1 was the traditional end of summer and beginning of winter in Ireland. Called "Samhain," the day included the idea that evil spirits were set free on earth the previous evening, because, by bringing their cattle down from the hills into their winter pastures, the Irish had disrupted the flow of nature. This year, a battle is fought on Samhain, and the victorious side begins an annual celebration that eventually grows into Halloween.

i have been to bagram,afghanistan, aint much there. i may have some digital pics of the village. ouside the bagram air base. most of what i saw was an old russian base that we didnt use and that become part of the local village. i know that it wasnt a desert there as the russian made that area that way. and water is there in wells.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 242.

Titus becomes bishop of Byzantium, holding the office for thirty years. However, almost nothing is known about him.

The Goths have become so large that they divide into two groups, the Ostrogoths and the Visigoths. They seize areas in Turkey and the Balkans, and the Emperor Gordion III orders some of the cities there to be evacuated.

 

[Vince]

Things get a lot better in 243.

The Emperor Gordian III accompanies an army against Shapur the Great to retake Roman cities that the Persian Empire had seized while Rome was bogged down fighting the Germans. Timesitheus, the Emperor's father-in-law, commands the Roman troops, driving the Persians back across the Euphrates, and following after them into Turkey. The Romans win, defeating Persia in modern Turkey at the Battle of Resaena.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 244.

There is disagreement over how he got killed, but the Emperor Gordian III is assassinated. Philip the Arab, leader of the Praetorian Guard, becomes the new Emperor. He makes a peace treaty with Shapur the Great and hurries to Rome, where the Senate confirms him as Emperor. Shortly afterwards, the Germans and the Goths invade the Empire.

Philip starts building the city of Shaba on the site of the hamlet in Syria where he was born. Located in an isolated area, the city is an archaeological treasure site today. Shaba is the last city that the Romans will build in the East.