The First Millenium

[Vince]

853 just rolled in.


Persia forbids non-Moslems to ride horses.

Damietta is an Egyptian seaport located where the Nile river enters the Mediterranean Sea. It takes them two days to do it, but the Byzantines send a fleet that sacks and burns the city, cutting down on Moslem piracy.

"The Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang" is completed by Duan Chengshi, an official in the Tang government. His thirty volume work describes life in China, records a variety of folk tales, and even records the story of Cinderella for the first time. For the record, after the handsome Chinese king puts the shoe on Cinderella's foot in the third century BC, he takes her off to his island kingdom.

France is having a rough time. Danish Vikings are moving eastward, unopposed, and a small war breaks out with Germany.

 

[Vince]

It's 854, and time to look at Italy.

You might recall that the Lombards and the Byzantines had each held parts of Italy, and then the Pope gained control of certain areas. The Franks destroyed the Lombard kingdom, however, and northern Italy became part of the Frankish Empire. But Venice and then other Italian city-states became independent and even united for a naval battle against the Moslems.

Twenty-six ships full of Viking raiders land in Wales and spend the winter there.

Ever heard of Novgorod? It drifts into existence abut this time, serving as a trading center in what will become western Russia. Today it is a major city.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 855!

Lothair was the oldest son of Louis the Pious. When the Carolingian Empire was divided, Lothair had gotten parts of Europe, including northern Italy. He dies and his kingdom is divided among his three sons, and Ludwig II gets Italy and the title "Holy Roman Emperor."

The Slavic alphabet is invented.

Benedict III becomes Pope. A learned and pious man, he was able to lessen the Emperor’s authority over the Papacy. Five centuries later, a legend would appear that a female was Pope for most of his reign, but historians unanimously reject the legend as false.

The imperial party, however, led by Ludwig II, appoints Anastasius as Pope. There is a question over whether this is the same Anastasius who was in charge of all the records and who actually wrote some of the Pope’s messages. This Anastasius was a devout supporter of the Pope, and it would explain why Pope Benedict III dealt leniently with him, restoring him to his former position.

It is also possible that Anastasius was an abbot whom the imperial party sought to use to control the Papacy. Benedict’s leniency might have been because this man was an innocent pawn.

Italy bans all Jews, but it is not enforced.

 

[Vince]

At last! 856 is here!

A massive earthquake hits Greece, killing about 45,000 people. A month later, a bigger earthquake hits Iran, killing about 200,000 people.

Learning that his father had married the thirteen-year-old daughter of Charles the Bald, Ethelbald seizes the throne of Wessex. But they work things out without a war, and both men die peacefully a few years later.

In France, Vikings reach Orleans and sack the city with no opposition.

Eighteen year old Halfdan the Black seizes a minor kingdom in Norway and begins a rapid expansion along Norway's western coast. A competent warrior and politician, he persuades various minor kings to voluntarily unite to his kingdom, and he conquers others. His son will later become the first King of Norway.

 

[Vince]

And how will things go in 857?

There is some conflict over the years, but remember Dorestad, the major city in northwestern Europe that the Vikings loved to raid? They raid it again and decide to stay, making it the capital of their kingdom in northern France. They reach an agreement with the French in which they pretend to be part of France while maintaining their independence, and then they invade Denmark, seizing territory which they rule, while pretending that it is now part of France.

Ergot is a plant virus that affects wheat. An ergot infestation breaks out in the Rhine Valley and thousands of Germans die from eating the infected wheat.

 

[Vince]

858 is a big year.

Germany invades France...and LOSES!

Donald I begins an uneventful four year reign as King of Scotland before he is assassinated.

A massive flood drowns tens of thousands of Chinese, damaging the economy and further weakening the once-powerful Tang Dynasty.

Nicolas the Great becomes Pope, and is later declared a saint. A tough, courageous man, he stands up to anyone who challenges the authority of the Pope. He excommunicates a corrupt bishop whom he can’t control, nullifies a Church Council that had annulled the marriage of the Frankish King, and overturned the removal of the Patriarch of Constantinople by the Byzantine Emperor. He was vigorously opposed by the eastern Church for asserting his authority over them. At a time when Europe was under attack by Moslems and Vikings, Nicolas was a strong man who strengthened the Catholic Church.

Meanwhile, having deposed the Patriarch of Constantinople without a trial or the Pope’s permission, the Emperor appoints Photius the Great as Patriarch. A learned and pious man, Photius was one of the greatest of the Patriarchs and is regarded as a saint by the Orthodox Church. It takes him nine years, but Pope Nicolas eventually gets Photius removed.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 859!

It's a good year for France. With their army busy fighting a Viking invasion, the Germans invade. France beats them both and throws them both out of the country.

It's also a bad year for Spanish Moslems. First they lose to Asturia, the Catholic kingdom in northern Spain. Then the Vikings carry out some successful raids.

It's not the oldest college in the world, but it's the oldest university. Moslems found a university in Morocco that is still an academic leader.

Moslems from Africa and southern Spain establish a colony in southern France and from there they pillage various Italian cities.

 

[Vince]

Let's look at 860.

The same thing happens to Iceland that happened to America—after being settled at various times by various groups, Iceland gets “discovered.†And, like Christopher Columbus, Noddad the Norwegian really didn’t know what he was doing. He was sailing from Norway to the Faroe Islands, which are located between Britain and Iceland, but he got off course and accidentally landed in eastern Iceland. Realizing that the land was uninhabited, he left, but returned later to claim the land for the Vikings.

Not knowing any of this, Garðarr Svavarsson the Swede gets blown off course by a storm and “discovers†Iceland a few months later. He sails around it, learning for the first time that it is an island. He names the place “Islet,†which is “Iceland†in English. No, it didn’t get its name from the ice. Really. Trapped by winter weather, he builds a house and spends the winter there. His son later returns with settlers, who assassinate him because they don’t like the way he runs things.

Today we meet the Rus, a tribe of Vikings from Sweden who lay siege to Constantinople this year. With the Byzantine army and navy busy fighting the Arabs, the Rus easily capture several forts and they pillage the surrounding area but cannot take Constantinople itself. Massacring every captive, they take their loot and leave.

 

[Vince]

861 is lots of fun...if you're a Viking. They burn Paris and capture Pisa. They also sack four major cities in France and Germany.

After murdering his father, Al-Muntasir (“He who triumphs in Allah”) becomes ruler of the Moslem empire.

Louis the German, ruler of Germany, had once joined his brothers in rebelling against their father Louis the Pious. Now his sons rebel against him.

The Byzantines invade Bulgaria, which had helped them in war a few decades ago.

The great Persian astronomer Alfraganus dies. Ever hear of a Nilometer? It's a device for measuring the clarity and depth of the Nile River. Alfraganus didn't invent it, but he supervised the construction of a large one in Cairo. There is a crater on the moon named after him.

About this time, Japanese women are taking the lead in using a new Japanese alphabet that is superior to the combined Japanese-Chinese alphabet they have been using. You have to realize that it was difficult to make writing material, so an alphabet that had one symbol for an entire word was necessary. But paper is becoming easier to produce, and phonetic alphabets will eventually open reading and writing to the common people.

 

[Vince]

Let's see what's new in 862.

Less than six months after assassinating his father, Al-Muntasir is poisoned and replaced. Civil war breaks out immediately, because the new Caliph is not an Arab. To their dismay, the Arabs are defeated, and Arabs no longer have absolute control over the Moslem empire.

Nanzhao was a kingdom in southern China and south-east Asia, and Fan Chuo, a male secretary for the Tang Dynasty, really hated these people. After all, he had to jump into a river to escape them one time. But his book "Manchu" provides valuable historical data on China, Nanzao, and even Vietnam. "Manchu" means both "The Barbarous Document" and "The Book of the Southern Tribes."

Aed the Fair Warrior is crowned High King of Ireland, but some Irish kingdoms re-declare their independence. For the next seventeen years he battles Irish rivals, Viking raiders, and Viking settlements in Ireland. His victories over the Vikings help Ireland, but not enough to re-unite the nation.

We mentioned Novgorod, which became an important trading post in western Russia a few years ago. This year, Rurik, a Viking chief, becomes ruler. His family eventually becomes the royal family of Russia (which does not yet exist) for the next seven centuries.

 

[Vince]

863 is a great year for the Byzantine Empire. They annihilate one Moslem army and smash the daylights out of another. Now on the offensive, Byzantium begins a resurgence.

Charles the Bald dies, and his brothers waste no time seizing parts of his kingdom.

Chinese merchants describe an Arab-run slave trade in eastern Africa.

The Pope excommunicates the Patriarch of Constantinople for taking his office without the Pope's permission.

It's a great year for literature. Orthodox missionaries invent the Cyrillic alphabet that will be used by Russians, Bulgarians, and other peoples.

Constantine I begins a successful five-year reign over Scotland in which he devastates Vikings, controls opponents, and helps unify the nation. Five years later, he is killed in battle.

 

[Vince]

Sorry Folks. I forgot to mention in yesterday's post that Constantine I began a successful five year reign "over Scotland."

And now, 864!

In Iran, Tabaristan achieves independence from the Moslem Empire. It remains Moslem and holds its independence for seven centuries.

Louis II, the Holy Roman Emperor who rules northern Italy and other parts of Europe, launches an attack on Rome. But when he falls ill, he negotiates peace with the Pope.

In northern Italy, assassins kill the ruler of Venice, which is an independent state. The people proclaim Orso I as their new ruler. Quickly executing the assassins, he begins a successful 17 year reign in which he builds a navy of larger, more powerful ships that fight both Slavic and Moslem pirates.

Sparce records record that Alfonso III becomes ruler of most of Catholic Spain, and then he seizes Porto, the second-largest city in Portugal, from the Moslems.

The Byzantine Empire is still on a roll. They smash the Bulgarians and force all of them, including the king and the Catholic bishops, to convert to Orthodoxy.

 

[Vince]

You have now reached 865!

In England, Ethelred begins his six year reign over Wessex and Kent. He creates a unified coinage system, but for most of his reign he is defeated by Vikings.

Rus Vikings break through the walls and sack Constantinople but are forced to withdraw.

Hearing about Iceland, Flóki Vilgerðarson, a disgruntled Scandinavian, packs his family and livestock on to a boat and heads there. He goes first to the Faroe Islands (south of Iceland and already settled) picks up a few more settlers, and sails north. They land in Iceland and have a good summer, but are devastated by the terrible winter that follows. They return to Norway, giving mixed reports about the land.

 

[Vince]

And now it is 866.

Vague records record that Moslems rebel and establish an independent kingdom in modern Saudi Arabia. It appears that the kingdom lasted at least six centuries, got along with the Moslem empire, and was probably peacefully re-absorbed and became a semi-independent district early in its history.

It's a bad year for England. Ivar the Boneless leads his Viking invaders to England and captures the King of Wessex. And a large Viking army captures York.

In Norway, 16-year-old Harold Fairhair wins a decisive battle against other kingdoms on Norway's western coast. He isn't there yet, but he's on his way to becoming the first King of Norway.

Holy Roman Emperor Louis II has had his fill of the Moslem conquerors of parts of southern Italy. He takes an army down there and gives the Moslems a beating, but they escape by sea. Technically, this part of Italy is part of the Byzantine Empire. Louis grudgingly makes peace with the Byzantines, who send him a navy to help fend off the Moslems.

 

[Vince]

867 is full of important events.

Byzantine Emperor Michael III had made Basil, his chamberlain, the co-Emperor. Bad move. Basil murders Michael and founds the Macedonian Dynasty that will rule Byzantium for almost two centuries. But for now, the new Emperor begins upgrading the army and the navy, as Byzantium continues its resurgence. Under the Macedonians, military might, art, and literature will flourish.

Patriarch Photius writes an encyclical against Pope Nicholas, and a council held at Constantinople joins in condemning the Pope. But the Emperor still removed Photius and replaces him with Ignatius, whom the Pope claimed was the real Patriarch. An effective leader whose reforms strengthened the papacy for centuries, Pope Nicholas dies on November 13.

Seventy-five year old Adrian II becomes the new Pope. He brings his wife and daughter to live with him, but they are quickly assassinated. He unsuccessfully resists government restoration of authority over the papacy, and he is even placed under watch. He dies exactly five years after taking office.

Viking settlers from Denmark invade and defeat Mercia, forming a Danish kingdom in eastern Britain. Eventually, their kingdom grows to include 1/3 of England.

 

[Vince]

You're not too late for 868.

Somewhere in India, someone had written "The Diamond Cutter of Perfect Wisdom." Someone translated it into Chinese, and on May 11, 868, the Chinese translation was printed. A copy is in the British Library, and it is the oldest known printed book on earth. The book tells of a monk who asked Buddha (who was alive then) a question. Buddha responds with bizarre answers that attempt to show the monk that he must reject his preconceived ideas of reality.

After fighting a series of battles against the Vikings and winning more than half of them, Alfred the Great had become King of Wessex in England. Now, with the Vikings having their own kingdom in England (they had defeated Mercia last year), Alfred begins making warfare against them. He is successful enough to make a treaty that holds for several years.

But things are different in Ireland. Aed the Fair Warrior, Ireland's High King, smashes the Vikings so badly that they withdraw all their people from the Emerald Isle.

Having driven back the Moslems in Spain, the Catholic kingdom of Asturias has a problem. They have conquered an area on the northwestern coast of Spain, but it is separated from Asturias by a mountain range. So they establish a kingdom that is subservient to Asturias. And they name this new nation "Portugal." Over a period of centuries, Portugal will expand southward on their side of the mountain range and will eventually become independent.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 869!

The Fourth Council of Constantinople (Roman Catholic) went from October 5, 869, to February 28, 870. It included 102 bishops, three papal legates, and four patriarchs. It deposed Photios, a layman who had been appointed as Patriarch of Constantinople, and reinstated his predecessor Ignatius. The Council also reaffirmed the decisions of the Second Council of Nicaea in support of icons and holy images and required the image of Christ to have veneration equal with that of the gospel book. The Catholic Church recognizes this council as valid, while the Orthodox Church rejects it.

In England, Ivar the Boneless leads Danish settlers in conquering East Anglia. Over the next two years, he wins and loses a few battles before his new territory is secure. He then abdicates, leaves England, and is never heard from again. His nickname? He was a tall, muscular warrior who excelled in hand-to-hand combat, and he was so limber that his loyal troops named him “Boneless.â€

Harold the Fair-Haired is expanding his Norwegian kingdom, conquering small kingdoms on Norway's' west coast. But he gets into trouble when he heads east and tangles with the King of Sweden.

The Moslem Empire had imported east African Blacks as slave laborers in Mesopotamia. Under a Persian leader, the Blacks revolt and establish their own kingdom in a highly-fortified, isolated area.

A massive earthquake and tidal wave hit Japan.

Remember Tikal, the large Mayan city in modern Guatemala? The declining city erects its last monument this year, under the leadership of Jasaw Chan K'awiil II, their last ruler to leave a carved inscription of his name.

 

[Vince]

870

Three days after the first Fourth Council of Constantinople ends, representatives from the Bulgarian Orthodox Church meet with both Catholic and Orthodox representatives. After days of negotiations, the Bulgarian Church decides to join the Eastern Orthodox, rather than Catholic, religion.

The city of Cairo flattens Jewish and Christian cemeteries to make room for housing.

Prague Castle, the largest castle in the world, is completed. It is still in use by the government of the Czech Republic.

Things are bad in England. "The Great Heathen Army" arrives from Denmark. With tens of thousands of men brought over by hundreds of ship, they conquer East Anglia and destroy everything there and in the surrounding areas. With many veterans from their sacking of continental Europe, these Vikings intend to conquer England and settle there.

On the last day of the year, Alfred the Great leads the army of Wessex in a victory over the Viking invaders, but he cannot drive them out.

Malta, located between Sicily and Africa, is conquered by Moslems, who will hold it for another two centuries.

But the African Blacks who had revolted from their cruel treatment by the Moslem Empire win two major victories. They seize two Persian cities, including one on the Persian Gulf..

 

[Vince]

871 is not much fun.

Alfred the Great, beginning his 28 year reign as sole King of Wessex, fights nine battles with the Vikings in one year. When it is over, they divide England between them. Effectively, England now consists of only two nations, and it is ruled by Denmark. But after a few years of paying tribute, Alfred will rebel.

Holy Roman Emperor Louis II captures Bari, a seaport in southeastern Italy and the capital of a small Moslem nation that collapses immediately. Refusing to leave the area (which Byzantium claimed) he eventually manages to unite the various southern Italian groups against him.

Still on the move, former Black slaves in the Moslem Empire sack Basra.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 872

Appointed as Pope in December, John VIII reigns successfully for eight years. Some sources regard him as the last competent Pope for another two centuries. He fights hard to restore Papal authority, and he personally crowns three kings during his five year reign. With no help from any king, he wages war against the Moslem invaders of Italy but is forced to pay them tribute. Despite his personal courage, he was considered effeminate and might be the source of the false legend that a woman had been Pope during this century.

I need to clarify something. After suffering a major naval defeat, the Moslems never invaded Italy again. But "Italy" was only the northern part of the Italian peninsula. The Papal States were in the middle, and Byzantium controlled the south. Moslems controlled the island of Sicily.

After winning a major naval battle in the Norwegian fjords, eighteen-year-old Harold the Fairhaired becomes the first King of Norway. His kingdom controlls the west coast, but not all of modern Norway.

Gascony, located in southwestern France along the Spanish border, declares itself independent. The new kingdom survives for four and a half centuries.

Former Black slaves in the Moslem Empire win another military victory, and for the next seven years the Moslems will have to concentrate on defeating them.