The First Millenium

[Vince]

And now it is the year 353.

Nobody seriously believes that they were all drunk, but the Lantingji Xu, ancient China’s most famous collection of poems, is written by a group of scholars. The story is that each one had to compose a poem after drinking a cup of wine, and the best ones were saved for future generations.

Constantius II attacks Magnentius in France, utterly defeating him. While Magnentius personally led his troops, Constantius spent the day praying inside a local church. Seeing that he is defeated, Magnentius kills himself, and Constantius II, the only surviving son of Constantine, is now sole Emperor.

Emperor Constantius II sends "Paul the Chain" to Britain to destroy anyone still loyal to Magnentius. Paul's cruelty becomes the stuff of legend, as he murders all sorts of innocent people after dragging them through the streets in chains. Years later, he is ordered burned alive as punishment for his deeds.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 354 AD!

Now the sole ruler of the Empire, the Emperor Constantius II spends time battling the Germans. But he keeps hearing bad reports about Gallus, whom he had put in charge of the East. After suppressing the Jewish uprising, Gallus becomes drunk with power, staging phony trials of wealthy people and seizing their property after executing them. He assigns himself greater ranks, and ignoring the Senate, accidentally creates a famine while trying to supply grain to the troops who are battling the Persians.

The Emperor lures Gallus to the West with a fake promise of a promotion and has him arrested, tried, and executed.

Unable to defeat the Romans, the Alamanni, a confederation of German tribes, invade Switzerland (which is part of the Roman Empire.

The Bulgars are mentioned for the first time. They seem to be Turks, with some Iranians and Huns blended in. They eventually form a powerful presence in eastern Europe, but over the centuries they are absorbed by other groups.

Libanius, a famous orator, begins teaching rhetoric in Antioch. Refusing to convert to Christianity, he still influences various future Christian leaders.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 355.

Claudius Silvanus, a successful general in Germany, is placed in charge of all Roman troops in Germany. Jealous rivals falsely accuse him of plotting against Emperor Constantius II. Fearing for his life, he declares himself Emperor. But he is lured to Rome with a promise of a fair hearing and is murdered while on his way there.

For the first time, history mentions the Lentienses, a minor German tribe. They are fined for making raids into the Roman Empire.

The Franks begin a siege of Cologne, capital of a Roman province in modern Germany. The city holds out for ten months before the siege is broken.

After exiling Pope Liberius, the Emperor Constantius II installs Felix II as Pope. Confusion began later over whether he is the same Felix who was later martyred. At one point in time, Felix II was listed by the Catholic Church as a saint and martyr, but they now believe that he was an antipope.

 

[Vince]

And here we are in the year 356.

Emperor Constantius II orders the arrest of Athanasius, pope of Alexandria. Athanasius was a strong opponent of the Arians, while the Emperor was an Arian. Athanasius spends several months hiding in various monasteries without getting caught.

After winning a major victory over the Romans, the Alemanni (a confederation of German tribes) invade the Empire in what is now eastern Switzerland.

It isn't always enforced, but he Emperor closes all pagan temples and bans the worship of non-Christian images throughout the Empire.

King Naemul (356–402) of the Kim clan established a hereditary monarchy in Silla, a kingdom in central Korea. Over a period of centuries, Silla will conquer the other two kingdoms and control all of modern Korea, and then it will break apart.

 

[Vince]

It already the year 357.

Emperor Constantius II had given General Julian the rank of Caesar. After winning a major victory over the Alammani, Julian is made supreme commander of France forces.

For the first time in his life, Constantius II enters Rome, making speeches and greeting the people.

In Constantinople, the Imperial Library is founded.

Fu Jian becomes Emperor of Former Qin. During his twenty-six yer reign, he conquers and absorbs three other kingdoms and parts of others, and he almost re-unites China before being defeated and assassinated.

Originating in Iran, the Alan had expanded and absorbed various other peoples. They win a major battle with the Huns, forcing the defeated Huns to continue their gradual migration from western Asia into eastern Europe.

The Kingdom of Ulster had ruled all of northern Ireland for some time before being defeated thirty years earlier. Driven backwards and declining, their king Saran is overthrown, but the kingdom survives.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 358.

In Assyria, the School of Nisibis is Established, the first university in the world.

Hillel II establishes a permanent Jewish calendar. Based on a lunar year, it kept the entire world-wide Jewish community united on celebrating feast days on the same day. But under persecution from the Emperor Constantine, the Sanhedrin in Tiberias had been dissolved. While some local Sanhedrins continue, the Sanhedrin that was in charge of all the Jews no longer existed. This is the last binding decision of the Sanhedrin, which eventually dies off under Roman persecution.

After defeating the Franks in Belgium, General Julius allows them to establish the new province of Toxandria in parts of modern Holland and Belgium. Over a period of centuries, these people will dominate much of Belgium and France. But for now, they become Roman allies and even supply troops for the Roman army.

In eastern Europe, Emperor Constantius II defeats a combined German-Iranian invasion.

Pope Liberius is returned to Rome, while Antipope Felix II resigns.

Eudoxius, a vehement Arian, becomes bishop of Antioch, replacing their Trinitarian leaders.

 

[Vince]

359

The Council of Rimini, held in Italy, rejects the Deity of Christ. When Pope Liberius objects, he is deposed and Felix of Rome is re-appointed Pope. There is a problem with the records. “Felix†might have been a different man than the first antipope Felix, and he might actually have been the Pope. There is also the chance that he is the same man as Felix, a Christian martyr whom the Catholic Church later made a saint.

Jerome, the famous translator of the Bible into Latin, later lamented "The whole world groaned in astonishment to find itself Arian."

Having defeated the Huns, Shapur II, King of Persia, forces them to become his allies. They invade Armenia, seizing several cities, and capturing the city of Amida after a 72-day siege. The victorious Persians advance further, capturing some Roman fortresses, and Rome loses Armenia forever.

Junius Bassus, a senator who was governor of the city of Rome, dies. A magnificent marble sculpture, showing three-dimensinal scenes from the Old and New Testaments, is made for him. Well-preserved, it is part of the Vatican today.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 360 AD.

Eudoxius of Antioch (360-370) becomes Patriarch of Constantinople. An influential Arian with a history of exiling his opponents, he returned all non-Arians to exile after he came into office. With both halves of the Empire, as well as the papacy, under their control, the Arians now control the Catholic Church.

Various Scottish groups begin a series of invasions of England. And the Saxons, a confederation of Old Germanic tribes, also invade Britain.

"Old Germanic"? The Saxons came from northern Europe. The modern Germans, English, and Dutch are all descended from them.

The First Council of Constantinople, with the endorsement of the Emperor Constantius II, doesn't rule in favor of Arianism--it doesn't have to. It has to rule between the various Arian sects as to which one will be official Catholic doctrine.

 

[Vince]

And now it is 361.

General Julian, ruler of France, had been declared Emperor by his troops.

Known as "Julian the Apostate," he is Rome's last pagan Emperor. The half-brother of the Emperor Constantine the Great, he had survived a massacre of his family by Constantius II and had actually become friends with him. Raised as an Arian, he became a lector (a minor church office) but was highly educated in all areas, including paganism.

Sent by Constantius II to France, he amazed everybody by winning a series of impressive victories over the Germans. Fearing his popularity, Constantius II ordered half of Julian's troops to head east without informing Julian. The troops revolted, declaring Julian Emperor. For the first few months, Julian merely continued to defeat the Germans, expanding eastward into Germany, and gaining the support of more Roman troops. Finally, he invaded Italy. Constantius II died before they battled, and he peacefully became Emperor.

Often ruling from Constantinople, he fired thousands of servants and bureaucrats, and worked diligently to clean up the corrupt leadership. He strengthened the governmental power of the cities, reasoning that this would free up the national government for other duties. He also executed several high officials from Constantius II's administration for corruption, but they really were guilty.

And, most important of all, he sought to restore paganism as the official religion.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to the year 362 AD.

The new Emperor, Julian the Apostate, had been a successful general against the Germans, so he decides to invade Persia. Leading a 60,000 man army, he drives his way into Persia, refusing peace offers. But he is unable to keep his 60,000 man army supplied, as the Persians keep harassing his troops. The Romans withdraw, and Persia quickly regains all its territory.

The Arian bishop of Alexandria is murdered, and once again Athanasius, a champion of Trinitarianism, is returned to office. He immediately convenes a Council to define the Trinity, and the Emperor Julian exiles him once again.

The Emperor also exiles Dorotheus bishop of Tyre. A learned Trinitarian, Dorotheus is quickly killed after being removed from office.

 

[Vince]

So here we are in the year 363.

Last year, the Emperor Julian the Apostate had invaded Persia with a 60,000 man army, but had been driven out. Now, assembling a 90,000 man army, he re-invades the Persians. He actually reaches the walls of the capital city but is unable to capture the capital or even lay siege to it. Once again, the Romans are forced to retreat under Persian harassment.

Trying to retain the loyalty of the East, Julian retreated from the heavily-fortified capital by going deeper into Persian territory. Wounded in a Persian attack, he died three days later.

The Roman army in Persia quickly declared their general, Jovian, the new Emperor. Jovian made peace with the Persians on humiliating terms and got his army out of there.

Emperor Jovian quickly repealed all laws restricting Christianity. He permitted Romans to be pagans, but he restricted their religious practices and even burned down the library of Antioch. He restored Athanasius, the champion of Trinitarianism, as pope of Alexandria. For the next 1,000 years, Christianity will be the dominant religion of the East.

The Council of Laodicea orders that Sunday be kept as the Lord's Day, forbidding observance of the Saturday Sabbath.

In the night sky, observers watched Venus pass in front of Jupiter, blocking it temporarily from view.

Bad news for the Romans and the Persians: the Huns, expanding their area, reach the Caspian Sea.

 

[Vince]

And now it is 364.

As part of their peace treaty, the Persians are allowed to take Mesopotamia away from the Romans. Meanwhile, the nights are cold, so the Emperor Jovian orders a charcoal fire inside his tent. The carbon monoxide builds up, and he dies in his sleep, just a few months after becoming Emperor.

Local authorities quickly appoint Valentinian the Great, a competent military commander, as the new Emperor. He quickly persuades the army not to mutiny and appoints his brother Valens as Emperor of the East. The Roman army has been devastated of manpower by its recent wars, and the new Emperor spends the rest of the year appointing competent military and political officials.

The new Emperor heads for France, while Valens begins persecuting pagans in the East.

 

[Vince]

It's 365 now.

A massive earthquake in the Mediterranean Sea causes a tidal wave that devastates Crete and Alexandria, as well as hitting Italy, Greece, and Palestine.

Procopius was not a bad fellow. Related to the Emperor Constantine, he claimed that the Emperor Julian had wanted Procopius to become Emperor after him. But he agreed to quietly retire to private life. But when the new Emperor Valentian the Great orders his arrest, he seizes the city of Constantinople and two nearby provinces, declaring himself Emperor. Valens, the Emperor of the East, marches against him.

Valens also exiles Athanasius of Alexandria (again) for being a Trinitarian.

Fei becomes Emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. His name means "Deposed," because that's what a general did to him.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 366.

The Rhine River freezes in early January, and the Alamanni walk across and invade the Empire. The Emperor Valentinian the Great personally assembles an army and heads for Germany.

Valens, Emperor of the East, defeats the troops of Procopius in the Battle of Thyatira, bringing an end to his revolt.

Pope Liberius dies. Two Popes are elected to replace him. St. Damasus I (366-383), accused of murder and adultery by his Arian opponents, encouraged the worship of dead martyrs and encouraged Jerome in his translation of the Latin Vulgate, even hiring Jerome as his secretary. He authorized the inclusion of the apocryphal, which had been rejected by the Jews, as Scripture.

Ursicinus (Antipope) (366-367), an Arian, was elected by the common people of Rome and the laity. Rioting was so severe that the authorities had to intervene, and Ursicinus was exiled, where he continued to plot to seize the papacy.

About this time, the Peutinger Map is made. About one foot high and twenty feet long, it shows all the roads and settlements of the Roman Empire. The only surviving copy is a thirteenth century reproduction.

The Chinese begin building "The Caves of a Thousand Buddhas." For the next one thousand years, they will dig out caves, eventually making many of them large enough to become temples. Many of the walls have ancient paintings, and large amounts of literature were preserved in them.

 

[Vince]

And now the year 367 has arrived.

It's a rough year for Rome: the year of The Great Conspiracy. No one is sure how they managed to arrange it, but:

Short of troops because of Rome's constant civil wars, the troops holding Adrian's Wall rebel. They allow Scottish and Irish invaders to pass safely through to invade England. In a co-ordinated attack, northern Scots land on England's midwestern shores, while Germans land on the south-eastern shores. At the same time, Germans land in northern France.

Having relied on paid agents for information on the Scots, the betrayed Romans are taken completely by surprise. Those who try to hold their positions are massacred, and there is widespread murder and enslavement of the civilians. Surviving Romans flee to cities in south-eastern Britain to take a stand.

Personally leading an army in Germany, Valentinian the Great is unable to respond immediately.

Baekje, one of the three Korean kingdoms, sends an envoy to Japan.

The Trinitarians have a good year, though. Athanasius, the pope of Alexandria, lists the books of the Bible as they stand today. Epiphanius becomes a bishop in Cyprus, where he begins a vigorous persecution of pagans. On the other hand, Valens, Emperor of the East, is baptized as an Arian.

 

[Vince]

368 is a bad year for the Germans.

The Emperor Valentinian the Great defeats Germans along the Rhine.

After a series of mediocre generals, Theodosius is put in command of Britain, which is overrun by Irish, Scots, and Germans. Theodosius promises amnesty to Roman deserters, increasing his ranks, and he rapidly defeats the invaders on every hand. The invaders did not have a long-term plan for settling in Britain. They were merely looters, and after carefully co-ordinating their landings, they broke up into small, disunited groups.


The Jerusalem Talmud is compiled. This lengthy work is a collection of rabbinical notes on Scripture and Jewish law.

Hillary, a married man with children, had been a bishop in France. His theology against the Arians is still used as Catholic teaching. He dies this year of natural causes.

 

[Vince]

It’s already 369!

Baekje completes absorption of the Mahan confederacy. These tiny Korean states had existed for 400 years, but they are now part of the kingdom of Baekje.

Athanaric, "King of the Year," rules several German tribes called the Thervings. He goes to war against Valens, Emperor of the East, and eventually secures peace terms favorable to the Germans. His rival is Fritigern, who also rules several Therving tribes. Losing the conflict, Fritigern becomes a Roman ally, converts to Arianism, and receives Roman military aid.

Shapur II, king of Persia, breaks the peace treaty and seizes Armenia. He forces the king to commit suicide and attempts to convert the Christian kingdom to Zoroastrianism.

Ulfilas, the Arian missionary to the Germans, invents the Gothic alphabet. He wanted to take the Goths away from their runic alphabet, as the letters had pagan meanings. Similar to the Greek and Roman alphabets, it was used to translate the Bible into various German dialects.

 

[Vince]

370 already? How time flies!

Demophilus (370-379) becomes Patriarch of Constantinople. He was later deposed by the Emperor Theodosius I, who restored Catholicism as the state religion in the East.

Hillel II founds Beit Hillel, a school emphasizing tolerance and patience. Hillel II, a descendant of King David, is one of the first scholars to devise rules to interpret the Torah.

Batavia is a gigantic island within the Netherlands, formed by rivers. The Saxons move into this area.

The Romans are getting too friendly to the Germans. Intermarriage now gets the death penalty, and imports from German-held areas are limited.

Expanding out of western Asia, the Huns conquer the Ostrogoths, an eastern Germanic tribe. Later, the Ostrogoths will regain their independence. The Alans don't do as well. These Iranian tribes are demolished by the Huns. Fleeing westward, they unite with, and eventually blend into, various German tribes.

China continues its painful re-unification, as Former Qin conquers Former Yan.

John Chrysostom, the great Christian preacher, is baptized at the age of 21.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 371.



Folks, there is a forty-year margin of error on the dates of Korean history.

Baekje's King Geunchogo invades Goguryeo and kills King Gogugwon. Goguryeo is the northernmost of the three Korean kingdoms, and is far larger than the other two combined. They had been having a rough time, with a Chinese invasion that had captured their capital. Fearing Baekje’s power and threats, King Gogugwon personally leads an invasion and is defeated and killed. Baekje, which had recently absorbed other small Korean states and had sent an envoy to Japan, now invades Goguryeo and captures its capital at Pyongyang. But like the Chinese, they are forced to withdraw.

Martin of Tours, a strong Trinitarian, becomes bishop of Tours, France.

 

[Vince]

372

Buddhism spreads into Korea. In the northern part of the peninsula, it flourishes under legal protection.

Rome has a good year. Valentinian the Great wins victories against the Germans and Iranians. But the Germans are constantly being replenished by migrations from the east. The Emperor also wins major victories over the Moors in Africa.

In China, the Eastern Jin Dynasty is succeeding, and it is often referred to as "China." The badly-fragmented Empire has been stabilizing, and establishes diplomatic relations with Baekje, the small but growing kingdom in southern Korea. The new Emperor, Xiaowu, is ten years old, and his kingdom had suffered a major defeat the previous year. But with the help of regents, he rules well. Much of his early reign involved being defeated by Former Qin, but after a major victory in the middle of his reign, he is able to recapture large areas.

Saint Augustine, a man so important in the history of Christianity that he will get his own article tomorrow, becomes a Manichaean. And the same year, the Roman Empire begins persecution of Manichaeans