The First Millenium

[Vince]

Welcome to the year 245 AD.

A massive flood covers much of the Roman city of Lincolnshire in England.

The Emperor Philip the Arab appoints Decius as governor of the Danube area. A distinguished senator, governor, and consul, Decius is soon busy defeating the Germans and the Goths.

Lady Trieu, the Vietnamese Joan of Arc, begins a revolt against Wu, one of the Chinese kingdoms, which had occupied much of Vietnam. Sorting through the myths, she probably was extremely tall and usually rode an elephant into battle. After raiding various small Chinese forts and storage areas, she was defeated in battle in the third year of her revolt. Still a revered Vietnamese heroine, she has many streets in Vietnam named in her honor.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 246.

And now it is 246.

Paul of Thebes retreats to the Egyptian desert and becomes first Christian hermit. The practice of being a hermit will grow, and eventually hermits will elect leaders. Eventually, monasteries, with their history of evil, will grow out of this movement.

The Councils of Arabia were two councils of the early Christian Church held in Bostra, in Arabia; one in 246 and the other in 247. Both were held against Beryllus, the bishop of the local see, and his followers, who believed that the soul perished upon the death of the body, but that it would one day rise with the body. Origen, who was present at both councils, convinced them that their belief was heresy.

These church councils have a bit of fakery to them. When some modern religion agrees with the council, they cite the council as an authority. When they disagree, they claim that the council was heretical or unauthorized.

The Romans win a series of battles in Germany.

Baekje, one of the three Korean kingdoms, revolts against the Chinese who have occupied part of their land.

 

[Vince]

It’s 247 AD, and Rome is celebrating its 1,000th birthday! To celebrate, the Emperor Philip the Arab offers sacrifices to the gods of the Underworld for three nights. There are also sporting events and theatrical performances during the days.

Himiko, the legendary Japanese queen, has been sending envoys to Wei and to Korea. She now declares war on a rival Japanese kingdom.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to the year 248!

Pacatianus the Great, a Roman officer in the Danube region, declares himself Emperor. As a Roman army heads towards him, his own men kill him, ending the revolt.

Descended from eastern royalty and possibly also from early Roman Emperors, Jotapianus seizes Antioch, capital of Syria, and proclaims himself Emperor. His revolt was in response to unfair taxation of certain areas that included Syria. It is not clear how long his revolt lasted. He defeats local Roman troops, but is killed by his own men as a Roman army approaches.

Cyprian, a wealthy orator who had converted to Christianity, becomes bishop of Carthage shortly after being baptized. His rapid advancement was supported by the poor, to whom he had given away much of his wealth, while most local church leaders opposed him. We'll be hearing more about him later.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 249.

Suinin becomes Emperor of Japan.

Roman legions in Germany declare Decius to be their new Emperor. Leading an invasion force towards Rome, Decius meets an army led by Emperor Philip the Arab in northern Italy. Decius wins, Philip the Arab is killed, and the Senate quickly declares Decius to be the new Emperor.

The Emperor Decian begins the first Empire-wide persecution against all Christians, including lay people. The three-year persecution produces a great number of martyrs, and Christians have to deal with members who offered sacrifices to gods to save their own lives, but wanted to remain Christians. In the beginning, Christians who offer the sacrifices are immediately re-admitted to the Church upon stating that they hadn’t meant it.

In northern Africa, the Romans demand that all church leaders offer sacrifices to the Emperor. Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, flees, but continues to rule the church at Carthage through a deacon loyal to him. His opponents send an envoy to Rome to accuse him, indicating that Rome did have some authority over other areas.

In Alexandria, Egypt, rioters pillage the homes of Christians.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 250.

A Shinto shrine is opened at Ise, Japan. Tolerating a wide variety of beliefs and practices, Shinto becomes a major Japanese religion five centuries later, eventually dominating Japan as their official religion in World War 2.

Fabian, bishop of Rome, dies a martyr’s death after refusing to off a sacrifice to save his life. The Emperor Decian, hoping to make Christianity fade away, prevents any election of a new bishop. But messengers from Carthage arrive, seeking condemnation from the Roman clergy of Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, who had gone into hiding to avoid being forced to sacrifice to Roman gods.

The Mayan civilization beings its “Classic Period,†eventually becoming one of the greatest civilizations on earth. Located in southern Mexico and northern Central America, it becomes a leader in science and art in the Americas.

North of the Mayans, but still in Mexico, the Aztecs rebuild Teotihuacan according to a master design. It eventually becomes one of the greatest cities in the world.

The Franks, a confederation of east German tribes, begin raiding to the west. Bypassing Italy to the south, they travel through France and get all the way to Spain.

The Goths drive the Romans out of the province of Moesia in southeastern Europe.

The Donau-Ries is a valley in western Germany with a heavy population and abundant game. The Alamanni drive the Romans out--permanently.

Beginning in Egypt, a plague starts spreading through the Roman Empire.

Axum, in northern Ethiopia, seizes control of the Red Sea trading routes.

It doesn't take an expert to see that the Roman Empire is slowly collapsing.

 

[Vince]

Let's see if things get any better in 251.

The Emperor Decian is called away to fight the invading Goths, and an election for bishop of Rome is held. Just how can the Christians of Rome, who are divided into a variety of quarreling sects, elect a bishop? They don't. Some other bishops arrive in Rome to elect him themselves.

Cornelius, who wants to re-accept any lapsed Christian who shows repentance for sacrificing to the gods under duress, is elected, infuriating Novatian, a Roman priest who takes a harsher stand. Letters from Cornelius indicate that about 50,000 Christians lived in the city of Rome at this time.

Rejecting Cornelius, three bishops declare Novatian to be bishop of Rome. He teaches that lapsed Christians cannot be re-admitted to the Church unless they are rebaptized. Excommunicated by Cornelius, but still claiming to be Rome's bishop, he founds the Novatians, who survive for centuries.

Sometimes called the Cathari, and calling themselves the Puritans, the Novatians were doctrinally the same as Catholics, except that they held that any Christian who offered a sacrifice to the gods under fear of persecution, or who renounced Christianity, could never return. They regarded the Catholic Church as too lax, and they rejected the authority of the bishop of Rome.

To be continued...

 

[Vince]

251 is such a bad year that we going to give it another day to see if things get any better. They don't.

Personally leading Roman troops against the Goths and their allies in modern Bulgaria, Emperor Decius is badly defeated and killed in one of the most devastating defeats in the history of the Empire, becoming the first Roman Emperor to be killed by a foreign army. His son, the next Emperor, is also killed. The soldiers declare General Gallus to be the new Emperor, who agrees to let Decius's next son be co-Emperor. But a fifteen-year plague is now raging throughout the Empire, the son dies, and Gallus is the sole Emperor.

Emperor Gallus makes a peace treaty with the Goths.

Learning of the death of the Emperor Decius, Shapur the Great, ruler of the Persian Empire, conquers Armenia and invades Syria.

Meanwhile, Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, returns from hiding and refuses to re-admit Christians who offered sacrificed to gods under pressure. The Novatians, who take an even stronger stand, elect a rival bishop, while Cyprian's opponents have a bishop of their own. However, support grows for Cyprian as he unselfishly cares for the poor during the plague that is now raging through Africa.

 

[Vince]

Maybe things will get better in 252.

Valerian, a nobleman loyal to the Emperor, is appointed governor in the Rhine regions. He quickly raises an army to send to Africa, because now the Berbers, located in northern Africa west of Egypt, are getting rebellious.

Cornelius, bishop of Rome, is arrested and exiled to a small town 80 miles from Rome.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 253.

Cornelius, bishop of Rome, dies in exile, and Lucius 1 becomes bishop of Rome. He condemns the Novationists for not re-admitting lapsed Christians. He is briefly banished but returned to Rome, dying about one year after being elected. Centuries after his death, his skull was taken to Denmark to chase away demons, and it is now on display in a museum there.

With the Persians and Germans invading and destroying large areas at will, Aemilianus, a governor in southeastern Europe raises an army on his own and defeats the Germans. His troops declare him Emperor, and he leads his army towards Rome. The Emperor Gallus marches to meet him, but his own troops kill him and join Aemilianus.

Reaching Rome, Aemilianus reigns for three months. But Valerian, the competent general and governor in Gaul who had been loyal to Gallus, is declared Emperor by his own troops, Marching to Rome, he is met by the Emperor Aemilianus, who is leading a smaller army. Aemilianus's troops then kill him and accept Valerian. He is quickly confirmed by the Senate, and things start getting better. The new Emperor Valerian quickly makes his son co-Emperor.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 254.

Lucius, bishop of Rome for only one year, appoints Stephen 1 as his successor shortly before dying. Stephen continues to battle the Novationists, insisting that Christians who had offered sacrifices to gods under duress were to be re-admitted if they repented. He also held that baptism by various non-Catholic splinter groups was valid. He enrages the Novationists by re-admitting two bishops who had sacrificed to the gods but repented.

 

[Vince]

255

Civil wars continue to rage through China, but they manage to invent the “south-pointing chariot.†Using a complex series of gears attached to the chariot wheels, the device had a figure on top that always pointed south, no matter which way the chariot turned.

Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, becomes an opponent of Stephen 1, bishop of Rome. Cyprian holds that outside the Catholic Church, there is no true baptism, and if non-Catholic Christians join the Church, they must be re-baptized. It is worth noting that although he is a staunch Catholic, Cyprian rejects the authority of the bishop of Rome.

Stephen responds by claiming that the bishop of Rome is superior to all other bishops, claiming effectively, that he is the Pope. Cyprian responds by stating that the authority of the bishop of Rome is equal to his own, but not superior. Most African bishops side with Cyprian, and in the East he has a powerful ally in Firmilian, bishop of Caesarea.

There is no one date or person when the Papacy began, and in its early stages, it was not widely accepted. Nonetheless, under Stephen 1, the bishop of Rome had become the Pope.

 

[Vince]

Here we are at 256.

The Goths invade Asia Minor, seizing the Roman province of Dacia. Extending from eastern Europe to the Black Sea, Dacia is lost to the Empire forever.

The Emperor Valerian orders that Christians be persecuted, but they are freed if they sacrifice to the gods.

The Alamanni, a confederation of German tribes, invade Italy. They get as far as Milan, a large city in northern Italy.

The Goths invade Greece and get as far as Thessalonica.

The Berbers in northern Africa massacre Roman colonists.

The Persians finish conquering Mesopotamia and Syria.

Throughout the Empire, cities begin constructing walls around themselves, as it becomes clear that the frontiers are no longer secure.

This is a good time to point out that some readers might be sympathetic to the crumbling Roman Empire. Remember that slavery was one of the foundations of Rome, and conquering people who had never hurt them was another.

A Christian synod is held in Carthage, in northern Africa. There, the bishops re-affirm their rejection of baptism by non-Catholics, and they reject the claim of Pope Stephen 1 that he is "bishop of bishops." Pope Stephen repudiates the Council, which meets again and re-affirms their stand.

 

[Vince]

257

Pope Stephen 1 is executed while speaking to a congregation, and Sixtus II becomes pope. Little is known about Sixtus, although he is mentioned by name during the Catholic Mass.

Beaten on every side, the Romans finally start winning. The Emperor Valerian re-conquers Antioch from the Persians. Meanwhile, General Aurelius wins several victories in Germany, sending large numbers of slaves back to Rome.

However, the Goths build a fleet on the Black Sea.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 258

The Emperor Valerian orders a massacre of all Christian leaders, including Pope Sixtus. While he's at it, he kills Cyprian, bishop of Carthage.

The Goths destroy Trabzon, an important trade city in north-eastern Turkey. It will take five centuries for Trabzon to recover.

France, Spain, and Britain prepare to break away from Rome. Certain that Rome cannot protect them, various governors and military leaders secretly plan to form a new empire, independent of Rome.

In China, Nanjing University, the oldest educational institution in the world, is founded.

 

[Vince]

The Empire continues to collapse in 259. Things are so bad that records disagree within a three-year range over what happened when, but the dates I am using are about right.

France is north and northwest of Italy, and they were having trouble with the Germans to the east of them. An invading army of Franks is passing through France, and Rome isn't able to stop them. Spain is west of France, and they were concerned about the Berbers invading them from Africa, which was less than eight miles away across the Straits of Gibraltar. And, this year, the invading Franks reach north-eastern Spain. England is north of France, and they were concerned about the Scots to the north of them. Yet all of them were sending money and troops far to the east, where the Romans were losing anyway. Talk of change was in the air.

Over a century ago, the Romans had built a magnificent bridge over the Rhine, constructing a great fortress on the German side at Wiesbaden. But now the Alamanni capture the fortress.

Odainath now enters the scene. A minor ruler in Syria, he fears the Persians and throws in his lot with Rome. To everyone's amazement, he deals the Persians a series of smashing defeats, re-capturing Roman cities and handing them back to the Empire.

Dionysius becomes pope. He demands and receives an accounting from the bishop of Alexandria (who carries the title of "pope," while the bishop of Rome does not). He raises money to send to churches devastated by invaders.

 

[Vince]

Things get even worse in 260.

Decisively defeated at the Battle of Edessa, the Emperor Valerian is taken captive by the Persians. He spends the rest of his life as a slave dressed in a purple toga. Gallienus, son of Valerian becomes the new Emperor.

But France, Spain, and England have had enough. Under the leadership of Postumus, they seceed from the Empire, forming the Gallic Empire. Technically, the Gallic Empire didn't seceed. It recognized Postumus as the new Emperor of Rome, but effectively, it existed as an independent nation.

Odaenathus, the minor ruler we talked about yesterday, allies Syria, Egypt and Palestine to form the Palmyrene Empire. Fearing the Persians, Odaenathus continues to invade their territory, restoring captured cities to Rome and relieving sieges of other Roman cities. He is granted authority to rule his area by the Emperor Gallienus, and he never officially breaks with Rome, but essentially, he is ruling an independent empire.

The Franks seize the estuary of the Scheldt RIver in northern France and begin practicing piracy against shipping to England.

Although reeling in defeat by the new Palmyrene Empire, Shapur, king of the Persian Empire, still destroys the Roman city of Caesarea Mazaca in central Turkey.

In India, the game of chess is invented.

Paul of Samosata becomes bishop of Antioch. He eventually becomes an opponent of the Trinity and is rejected by the bishops in the East.

 

[Vince]

The Emperor Gallienus starts turning things around in 261.

For a few years now, the Alamanni, a confederation of German tribes, had been besieging Milan in northern Italy. Leading an army personally, Gallienus hands the Germans a smashing defeat. Shortly afterwards, he orders an end to all persecution of Christians.

Macrianus, the state treasurer, had been in Turkey when the Emperor Valerian had been captured. He now declares himself and his two sons to be co-Emperors. He marches towards Rome, and the Emperor Gallienus, fresh from his victory in northern Italy, marches to meet him. At the city of Thrace, in southeastern Europe, Gallienus defeats all three of them, and they are killed.

Michu becomes king of Silla, one of the three Korean kingdoms. He begins the long-lasting Kim Dynasty. A kind-hearted man, he encourages agriculture, eases the burdens of the peasants, and fights occasional wars against Chinese invaders.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 262.

Remember Acts 19:35? "After the city secretary quieted the crowd, he said, "Men of Ephesus, what person is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the keeper of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image that fell from heaven?" The temple of Diana (Artemis) was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Begun around 550 BC, this temple was burned by the Goths is 262. It is later rebuilt.

The former Emperor Valerian dies in captivity. Unconfirmed records state that Shapur, ruler of the Persians would use him as a step to mount his steed.

 

[Vince]

And now it is 263.

In China, he Wei Kingdom conquers the kingdom of Shu Han, one of the Chinese Three Kingdoms. Tings are going better in China. The warlords are being defeated, peace and prosperity are returning, and the three kingdoms now have time to fight each other. The winner will be the restored Chinese Empire.

Liu Hui, one of China's two greatest mathematicians, publishes a volume of math problems. He discovers many of the principles of trigonometry, calculus, and surveying during his lifetime.

Meanwhile, Odainath, ruler of the Palmyrene Empire, continues to devastate the Persians, returning captured cities to Rome. Twice he approaches Ctesiphon, capital of the Persian Empire, but is unable to take it.

After defeating the Franks in France, the Emperor Gallienus learns that an army of Alomanni had invaded Italy and was approaching Rome itself. The Senate organizes an army that defeats the Germans, driving them back into northern Italy. Rushing to intercept them, Gallienus gives them a defeat that keeps them out of Italy for the next ten years.

Gallienus now turns west, toward the Gallic Empire, consisting of France, Spain, and England. He is wounded in battle and has to leave the Gallic Empire in peace. Postumus, ruler of the Gallic Empire, claims to be Emperor of Rome, but he make no move to invade.