The First Millenium

[Vince]

495 is a slow year.

Contradictory records suggest that Cerdic of Wessex attacked Hampshire this year. Cerdic will later found the kingdom of Wessex, but right now he's busy expanding the area held by his small group of German followers in Britain.

Theodebert I, son of Clovis, King of the Franks, is born. Although not the son of Clovis's wife, Theodebert turns out pretty well, and his father eventually sets him up in a small kingdom.

Coirpre mac Néill, High King of Ireland, kills Fráech mac Finchada, king of Leinster on Ireland's south-eastern coast. An enemy of Saint Patrick, the High King ruled central Ireland and was attempting to expand his kingdom.

 

[Vince]

Let's see how the year 496 turns out.


Pope Gelasius I of Rome dedicates February 14 to Valentine of Terni in the West, banning the pre-Christian Roman festival of Lupercalia. The Pope dies later this same year.

Anastasius II (496-498) becomes the second Pope not to be declared a saint. He tries to reconcile the Eastern bishops peacefully, bringing himself rousing condemnation from the Roman clergy. Dante pictures him in Hell in “The Divine Comedy.†He is labeled a traitor by many historians, and Medieval historians reported that he suffered a horrible death as Divine retribution.

A kindly, peaceful man, Pope Anastasius sent letters of reconciliation to the Emperor in Constantinople as well as to various important Eastern clergy, all of which failed. Modern historians look on him as a well-meaning but incompetent leader.


It’s the battle you’ve been waiting for! Aelle, the Saxon king of Sussex, gets too big for his britches and invades deep into England. King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table beat the daylights out of him, driving the Germans back into Sussex.

Well, okay, the English might have been led by someone else, and there might have been a coalition that only included King Arthur. Ambrosius might have been the British leader, and his great deeds might have been blended into the legend of King Arthur. And the Germans might not have been led by Aelle. And there is a seventeen year margin of error as to when this battle took place. But historians agree that it really did happen, and that it was a major British victory.

Clovis, the leader of the Franks, has conquered much of France. He now converts from Arianism to Catholicism and makes it the official religion of France.

 

[Vince]

Did King Arthur Really Exist?

Historians cannot agree, but here is my opinion, which could be wrong:

Once you get rid of the magic, I am convinced that the DEEDS of King Arthur actually occurred, but they were done by several different men, and that Arthur was one of them. If you have a long memory, you’ll recall that different Roman heroes from centuries ago got their true accomplishments blended into the King Arthur legends.

The oldest written records of Arthur occur three centuries after his death, yet these records are accurate as far as can be proven. On the other hand, the Catholic monks, who were known for the honesty of their historical records, make no mention of either Arthur or Camelot. Archaeologists have found no evidence at all that Camelot, Arthur’s magnificent capital, actually existed.

Caerleon, a powerful Roman fortress in modern Wales that was taken over by the Britons, appears to be the real Camelot. Shortly before Arthur, a Welsh king used it as his headquarters in his successful battles against the Germans, and these victories were later attributed to Arthur.

Aelle, King of the Saxons, was the Middle Ages’ version of Adolf Hitler. As evil as he was brilliant, Aelle expanded Sussex from south-eastern Briton up to the center of England, killing everybody without exception. This helped unite the Britons, who had divided up into several small kingdoms.

Ambrosius, a member of the Roman nobility, had united various Britons under his leadership, fighting the Germans with moderate success, but he wasn’t able to hold them off. Arthur, however, gets the credit for some of Ambrosius’ victories. In my OPINION, which could be wrong, Arthur was a military genius who served under Ambrosius. It was Arthur who persuaded the various kings to unite under his leadership, and the oldest records refer to him as being the “war leader,†but not as the “king.†Surviving records indicate that Ambrosius lacked the ability to win the great battles that Arthur won.

Uniting the various kings was not easy, and Arthur stressed the equality of everyone. In addition, he gathered an elite group of “special forces†that he personally led into combat. These knights included different British, Roman, Scotch, and even German soldiers. Following the custom of others, Arthur had his followers sit with him at a round table, so that all places would be equal.

I do not believe that Arthur became “High King†after defeating Aelle. Various kings willingly united under his authority because they needed him to win battles with their armies, and this made him a man of great authority.

 

[Vince]

It's time for 497!

It's a good year for the Byzantine Empire. The Isaurian War ends, with the Isaurian rebels defeated. Emperor Anastasius I continues the policies of his predecessor Zeno. He seeks to re-unite the Eastern and Western Churches. Although he is strongly convinced that Jesus had only one Nature (Human and Divine, fully united) he does not persecute the people who believe that Jesus had two Natures.

Clovis I leads the Franks in a victory over the Alemanni. The Frankis absorb the entire Alemanni kingdom, putting it under the rule of Frankish dukes.

Aryabhata, the great Indian astronomer and mathematician, calculates pi as 3.1416, correct to four rounded-off decimal places.

Suffering from drought and famine, the Persians revolt against their German king. Teaching that all men should have equal wealth, the Zoroastrians lead mobs in plundering the wealthy.

Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf, an extremely successful Arab businessman, dies. He had formed trade routes between the Byzantine and Ethiopian Empires, enriching his own tribe, as the routes crossed their territory. Named "The Pulverizer" because he started the custom of crumbling bread into broth for pilgrims, he was the great-grandfather of Mohammad. He seemed to have been a "Hanif," a religion that claimed to follow Abraham but was neither Jewish nor Christian.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to the year 498.

Once again, the Catholic Church has two Popes.

Symmachus (498-514) was rejected by the Emperor but accepted by the Goths. These German Christians had their own system of bishops but were tolerant towards the Catholic Church. Accused of crime by a senator, Symmachus' followers produced a series of forged documents as evidence that the Pope cannot be called to account by any council.

Laurentius (Antipope) (498-501) reigned as Pope, with the support of both the Byzantine Emperor and Theodoric the Great, King of Italy. Eventually, fearing Laurentius' loyalty to the Byzantines, Theodoric deposed him, and appointed Symmachus in his place, exiling Laurentius.

 

[Vince]

The fifth century ends fairly quietly.

Kavadh I had been king of Persia, but his brother had rebelled and imprisoned him. But Kavadh I had escaped and fled to the Hepthalites. He married the daughter of the king, and with their help, he regains his throne and wreaks vengeance on his enemies.

The two Popes are still in conflict. During a synod in Rome, Symmachus offers to make Laurentius bishop of Nocera in Campania if he'll give up his claim to the papacy, but Laurentius refuses.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to the year 500! As usual, we will be spending some time at the beginning of a new century.

It is important to grasp two concepts during this century:

1) The Middle Ages are in progress. What this means is that different nationalities are forming. In Italy, successive waves of Germans are blending with the Romans to form the Italians. In France, The Franks are absorbing other German tribes, local people, and Romans to form the French. The Romans are disappearing from the scene, while the Catholic Church continues to grow in power and influence.

2) The Byzantine Empire has a plan. They realize that if they don't regain Rome's former territory, they will eventually disappear. But they have learned from previous failed wars: they have to concentrate on strengthening their economy while waiting for the right time to attack.

 

[Vince]

We are still in the year 500.

The Bantu language arrives in south Africa. Technically, the “Bantu†aren’t an ethnic group. About 1/3 of modern Africa is Bantu, most of them located in south and central Africa and comprising about 450 ethnic groups. Many of them speak Swahili, a Bantu language, as a secondary language, making it one of the most important languages in the world.

And about this time, the Bantu develop iron working.

About this time, Korea adopts the Chinese alphabet.

About this time, churches start using incense.

During this time, Mecca houses 360 idols from various tribes. For a fee, tribes could leave their gods there for safekeeping.

 

[Vince]

The year 500 marches on!

North America is making little progress. American Indians begin constructing the northern California Emeryville Shellmound near San Francisco Bay. They throw their left-over food and shells from oysters there, eventually forming a gigantic mound. Part of it still survives.

By this time the Chalchihuites culture (New Mexico) is engaged in extensive turquoise mining and exporting raw turquoise to West Mexican centers like Alta Vista.

But in South America, the Manteno people inhabit the area of northern Ecuador about this time. They have a vast maritime empire that includes colonized Pacific islands. They trade with the Aztecs in Mexico and make voyages of 3,000-4,000 miles.

 

[Vince]

For the last time, we are looking at the year 500.

After staring at a wall for nine years, the Indian monk Bodhidharma invents Zen Buddhism. He helped bring Buddhism to China and influenced the development of kung-fu. Revered as a holy man, even his admirers agree that he was mentally ill.

Irish monks began improving their recent invention: whiskey. Don't laugh too hard; the Germans are leaving the Irish alone, and Irish monks are becoming world leaders in scientific advancement. Ireland itself is dividing into small but stable kingdoms, some of which will last over 1,000 years.

Scandinavia consists of small agricultural nations in the south. In the east (modern Finland) the people are going through the Iron Age. The center (modern Sweden) is breeding powerful horses which will someday be useful in warfare. The west (modern Norway) consists of peaceful German tribes who trade with the Byzantine Empire.

The Europeans know about Iceland, and they even use it for fishing. Some of them spend the winter there. But no one lives there permanently.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to the year 501 AD!

Geraint son of Erbin, a mighty Welsh hero, is killed at the Battle of Llongborth, even though he wins. Llongborth is probably Portsmouth, England. This defeat, coupled with their major defeat a few years earlier, virtually halts German expansion into Britain for the next fifty years. Arthur is mentioned in a Welsh poem commemorating the battle.

Cui Hong begins writing his 100-volume "Spring and Autumn Annals of the Sixteen Kingdoms." Although much of it has disappeared, it is quoted heavily, and used as a source for other Chinese history books.

Ahkal Mo' Naab' I comes to power in the Maya city of Palenque. What little is known of his 23 year reign is that he was successful.

 

[Vince]

502

For the next sixty years, The Byzantine–Sassanid Wars go on, marked by lengthy periods of peace. The Eastern Empire relies mostly on heavy infantry, while the Persians rely heavily on cavalry. Over time the East developed improved cavalry, and when it was over, almost no land had changed hands.

The first war lasts six years, with both sides suffering heavy losses. The Persians needed money to pay debts and to deal with famine and floods, but Byzantine Emperor Anastasius I refuses to help. The Persians rapidly seize weakly-defended Byzantine territory, but the Byzantines eventually recapture most of it. Some territory changes hands, but the first war is essentially a tie.

The Liang Dynasty begins in southern China. Considered the Golden Age of Ancient China, it lasts about half a century.

 

[Vince]

503 is so quiet that it's hard to find anything.

"The High King of Ireland" had never really ruled all of Ireland, and now it is virtually impossible. Different descendants of previous High Kings are ruling different kingdoms. Munster is the largest kingdom, controlling almost 1/4 of Ireland. In addition, some of the kingdoms are Christian, but not Catholic, while others are strongly Catholic.

The Visigothic Kingdom loses most of its land in France, but it controls modern Spain. They pass extensive laws and have a stable kingdom that survives for another century.

 

[Vince]

I hope that 504 is more interesting than the previous year.

The Gepids had been expanding their Germanic kingdom in eastern Eurpoe, when Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths, attacks them. He sacks Belgrade, driving the Gepids eastwards.

An Arian Christian, Theodoric also builds a magnificent basilica in Ravenna, Italy, which still stands. Intended as his palace chapel, the building 's insides are covered with mosaics, honoring Theodoric, along with various saints. Later, the Catholic Church covers over many of the mosaics as being too Arian.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 505!

It's another year in which almost nothing happens.

John I, pope of Alexandria, dies. John had been a monk who was forced against his will to become a leader. He had strongly believed that Jesus had only one Nature, but he ignored the problem, having communion with Christians who believed that He had two Natures. He is regarded as a saint by the Coptic Church.

 

[Vince]

It's 506, and FINALLY, something interesting happens.

The Church of Armenia, sometimes called the Armenian Apostolic Church or the Armenian Orthodox Church is one of the Oriental Orthodox churches. It separates from the Eastern Orthodox Church in AD 506.

Byzantia and Persia agree to a truce, with everyone keeping their current holdings. Byzantine Emperor Anastasius I founds the city of Dara in southeastern Turnkey. A short distance from the Persian border, Dara was heavily-fortified and had large stores of equipment and weapons. However, it was built so rapidly that the walls were poorly-made and later needed extensive repairs from weather damage.

In France, 35 bishops attend the Council of Agde. The council forbids clergy from selling church property for personal reward.

 

[Vince]

It's 507, and things are still interesting.

The Emperor of Japan dies without an heir, and Keitai (507-531), a member of the royal family and ruler of a small tribe, becomes Emperor. Little is known about him, and many areas refuse to recognize him as Emperor.

Clovis, king of the Franks, with the aid of the Eastern Empire, defeats the Visigoths, breaking their control of France and driving them back into Spain.

The Alemanni, a German tribe, begin using wooded coffins.

For the first time, Honduras, a small country in central America, makes it into this thread. Honduras doesn't exist yet, but it contains Copan, a powerful city that was the capital of a small kingdom that was part of the Mayan Empire. Full of architectural monuments, Copan is subject to floods that damage many of them, but the people built various protective devices. This year, they build an altar with the head of the death god on it.

 

[Vince]

And now it is 508.

Cerdic, leader of the West Saxons (later known as the Kingdom of Wessex) begins to move inland and kills British king Natanleod and five thousand men near present-day Southampton. As a result of this victory, Wessex later becomes a successful kingdom in southwestern England. Contradictory records place this battle about twenty years in either direction from this date.

Britain also has an unusually cold winter. Even the rivers freeze for two months.

Clovis I makes Paris the capital of the Frankish Kingdom, and he declares Catholicism to be the state religion. Loosely termed "France," the Frankish Kingdom was often divided between heirs, and so it consisted of various united kingdoms that sometimes warred against each other.

Geraint, king of Dumnonia, dies. A ferocious warrior, he had been allied with King Arthur and had helped keep Wales and western Britain free of the Germans.

 

[Vince]

509 is a good year for Clovis I, King of France

Clovis I persuads Chlodoric the Patricide to murder Chlodoric's father, Sigobert the Lame, a rival Frankish king. Then Clovis I murders Chlodoric the Patricide, thus gaining control of another tribe of Franks. And then he persuades the followers of Ragnachar to turn against him. A cousin of Clovis, Ragnachar had turned against Clovis when he became a Catholic, and many of the pagan Franks defected to Ragnachar as a result. Bribed by Clovis I, however, they bring Ragnachar and his brother to Clovis I, who personally kills them both on the spot, thus gaining further control of the Franks.

Eochaid mac Muiredaig Muinderg had been king of Ulaid in extreme northern Ireland fro twenty years. He had fought St. Patrick and killed a few Christians. Defeating nearby enemies, he had built up his kingdom, which still survives as Ulster, Ireland. This year he dies a natural death.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 510.

Gildas the Wise, a British monk, had written a history of post Roman Britain that supplies much of our information from that time. He dies this year of natural causes.

Xiaoming becomes Emperor of Northern China. His reign is full of corruption, and there are several peasant revolts. He rules for eighteen years before his mother assassinates him.

Wacho assassinates his uncle and becomes king of the Lombards. He gets along well with the French, but he has trouble keeping other Germans from dominating his people.