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The First Millenium

We made it! It's 100 AD! And I'd like to remind readers (there's about twelve people following this thread) that they are allowed to post comments or make their own historical contributions.

Koan becomes the sixth Emperor of Japan. He inherits the leadership of the Yamoto people from his father. During his reign, the Japanese people push into northeastern Honshu, displacing the Ainu but intermarrying with them as well.

Christianity is now established in northern Africa.

The Romans build another London Bridge across the Thames River.

Plagued by fires, Rome turns to bricks as the primary building material.

For the first time, the United States makes it into the news. The Hopewell Tradition refers to extensive trading routes developed by the American Indians. About this time, Ohio becomes the center of the Hopewell Tradition. Raw materials are imported by Ohio, Native Americans manufacture items from the materials, and they are then exported along the eastern parts of the current United States. For those of you who've watched too many movies, the American Indians were a cultured, civilized people who rarely went on the warpath with each other.

And Mexico makes it into the news. Teotihuacan, the largest city in the Americas, reaches 50,000 in population about this time. Eventually, it will each 200,000, making it one of the world's major cities.

And Peru makes it into the news. The Moche have settled along Peru's northern Pacific coast. Beginning as autonomous cities united for the common good, they develop an extensive series of irrigation canals. Much of their artwork still survives.

The Chinese invent the wheelbarrow.
 
Welcome to 101 AD!

The Emperor Trajan has had his fill of Decebalus (The Brave One), the king of Dacia. Decebalus had beaten the Romans and forced them to pay him tribute, but now Trajan invades, sending Roman troops farther east than they had ever gone before. After winning a decisive victory, Trajan decides to wait until spring before advancing on the Dacian capital.

Buddhism enters Indonesia.

About this time, the Apostle John dies.

“The Apostolic Fathers†refers to Christian leaders of this period who hopefully were influenced directly by the Apostles, and whose writings have survived. But the group does not include leaders from areas distant from Rome, who had learned from a different group of Apostles.
 
jasoncran said:
vince the cherokee nation has a written language.
Click to expand...

Good point. At this point in time, the Cherokee Indians were probably still near the Great Lakes of the northern United States, along with their Iroqouis cousins. Over a period of centuries, they migrated to the south-eastern United States, well within the Hopewell Tradition.

The American Indians were in "The Formative Stage," lasting from about 1,000 BC to about 500 AD. They had bred improved crops, had permanent towns and villages, and manufactured pottery, textiles, and other items. They used stone and bone tools and had developed leather-work and textile manufacturing. They had also developed a hereditary priestly class. The Cherokee were so opposed to war that returning warriors had to be re-admitted to the tribe.

About three hundred years before the Spanish arrived, the Cherokee revolted against their powerful priesthood, which had grown corrupt, and massacred them.
 
What little is known about the Cree Indians during the first two centuries after Christ is about the same as what is known for the Cherokee. They had a civilized people and were part of the Hopewell Tradition.
 
And it’s 102 AD.

We know a little bit about Gaius Julius Quadratus Bassus (70 - 117), a Romanized Galatian, who was a Legate at Judaea between 102/103 and 104/105, Consul of Rome in 105 and Proconsul of Asia in 105. He came from a politically important family whose members held various high offices over the years. The fact that a man who was important enough to be a consul was made governor of Judea shows that it was considered an important post.

It's a great year for the Emperor Trajan. He had been encamped in Dacia, waiting for spring so he could attack their capital. But Decebalus (The Brave One) makes a bold move. Swinging south of the Roman army, he invades the Empire, but Trajan manages to cut him off. Rome wins a major victory, and Decebalus is forced to make peace. He returns all Roman weapons that had been given to him as tribute, gives Rome the right to send troops through his country, and promises to be a Roman ally in every conflict.

At the age of 70, the great Chinese general Ban Chao dies. Revolts break out almost immediately, and China has never extended as far to the west as it did under his command.
 
And here we are at 103.

Pliny the Younger begins two years as an augur. They were priests who told whether the gods favored certain actions.

A temple to the sun god, in honor of Baal, is erected in Syria. In the Old Testament, Baal seems to have referred to several different local gods, while at other times it was one god. As Baal worship died out, the name (which means “Lordâ€) blended in with different gods.Historians debate whether or not Baal eventually became the sun god or if the name simply went to the sun god.

A victorious Emperor Trajan embarks on an extensive building program, some of which still stand. He starts drinking too much, but he never gets drunk.
 
And now it is 104.

A major fire breaks out in Rome, but thanks to Nero's urban planning and the widespread use of bricks, it is not as bad as the previous two great fires.

Rome has a custom of deifying Emperors after they died. A temple in their honor is constructed in Spain.

In one of the greatest architectural feats in history, Rome erects a stone bridge over 1,000 meters long over the Danube, into Dacia, whom they had defeated two years ago.

Statues of Buddha appear in India.
 
It’s 105 AD.

Quintus Pompeius Falco becomes governor of Judea until 107, before being promoted to better things. Nothing is known about his time in Judea, and we don’t even know who became governor after him, so it is assumed that things were quiet. He eventually becomes governor of Britain and defeats various uprisings.

Alexander 1 becomes bishop of Rome. Maybe. There is dispute over the years, and nothing is known about him. He might even be another person named Alexander.

6. Sedecion (105-114) becomes bishop of Constantinople. Nothing else is known about him.

In China, a court official named Cai Lun invents the modern paper-making process. Pulp is spread on a felt strip, allowing the water to drain away. The paper is then crushed between rollers to remove more water, allowed to dry even more, and thus modern paper is made.

Rome abandons its fort in Vindolanda, England, and sends the troops to the Danube. Before leaving, the Romans clean the place up, throwing out wooden writing tablets which provide archaeologists with information about the daily life of Roman troops.

The Nabataeans had blended in and partly absorbed the Edomites after the Babylonian captivity. Rome seizes their capital city (in modern Jordan) and eventually annexes the entire kingdom. The Nabataeans blend in with the Romans and disappear.
 
Welcome to 107.

Goguryeo, an area in central China, had become somewhat independent, and about this time it invades northwest China, capturing large areas. This kingdom will not be defeated until 668.

The Emperor Trajan receives an ambassador from India.

China's Emperor dies, and he is followed by his infant grandson. A few months later, the infant dies. Twelve year old Han then becomes Emperor of China. He grows into a blatant incompetent, neglecting the government while drinking and chasing women. Droughts break out, corruption spreads, and his death twenty years later is not soon enough to prevent disaster.

Ignatius, the former bishop of Antioch, is thrown to the lions in the Coliseum.

Titus, companion to the Apostle Paul, who later wrote him an epistle, dies at the age of 95.
 
Welcome to the year 108.

In Rome, doctors begin to open offices and stop making house calls.

Tacitus, a senator, publishes his “Histories,†dealing with the last few decades. Because he had eyewitness accounts, his book is a valuable aid to historians.
About this time, Mal mac Rochride is High King of Ireland. He killed his pro-Roman predecessor and took the throne shortly afterwards. He might not have existed, but Ireland remained completely free of Rome from then on.

About this time, Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, receives a letter from Ignatius (the bishop of Antioch whom the Romans had martyred). In the letter, Ignatius refers to “the Catholic church,†the earliest appearance of the phrase. Along with Clement of Rome (who didn’t even know that Polycarp was alive) and his friend Ignatius, Polycarp is considered one of the three “Apostolic Church Fathers†because they were personally taught by the Apostles.
 
Wow, it's already 109!

Bythinia, a fertile province with a stategic location, is merged with Pontus. Pliny the Younger is made governor of the new combined province.

The Chinese begin exploring Tibet, looking for magical mountains.

Christianity is steadily separating itself from Judaism. The Book of Acts told how the Apostles would preach in synagogues, often worshipping in the Temple. And after the conversion of Saul, Christians and Jews in Judea got along fairly well. But more Gentiles are converting, and the influence of Jewish converts is fading, along with their ability to enforce Jewish Laws on the Christian community.
 
Today is 110!

The Roman Empire has over 75,000 kilometers of roads. That's 46,600 miles, which would take you from New York to San Francisco fifteen and a half times. Of course, none of them are paved.

Apollodorus of Damascus, who had built the great bridge over the Danube, completes Trajan's Forum. One of the most magnificent buildings in history, only one column still stands. Workmen actually cut away the sides of two hills to make room for it.

Hua Tuo, the great Chinese physician is born. He is the first doctor known to use anesthesia during surgery.
 
It isn't often that we get a year named 111.

The Kushan Empire has expanded rapidly from Afghanistan all the way to central India. But the Satavahana Empire, which includes southern and central India, invades, defeating the great Buddhist King Kanishka. Kanishka had extended his kingdom as far as China and controlled the trade routes between China and Rome.

Vasabha, king of Sri Lanka dies. He had ruled this island kingdom twenty miles south of India for 44 years, developing extensive canals and other irrigation projects.

About this time, Trajan holds a magnificent three-month-long gladiatorial festival in the great Colosseum in Rome. Combining chariot racing, beast fights and close-quarters gladiatorial bloodshed, this gory spectacle reputedly left 11,000 dead (mostly slaves and criminals, not to mention the thousands of ferocious beasts killed alongside them) and attracted a total of five million spectators over the course of the festival.
 
Welcome to 112!

After dividing a province into two , Emperor Trajan makes Sospes governor of the newly-formed province of Galatia. A former military leader, Sospes might have been chosen because Galatia is near the troubled eastern frontier.

The people elect Trajan as consul, showing his popularity.

Trajan sentences worshipers of the goddess Isa to death. An evil goddess who was formed by combining various evil goddesses of different cultures, Isa never had much of a following anyway.

The great historian Tacitus is made governor of the province of Asia. A former military commander, Senator, and consul, he says nothing in his history about Christians being persecuted.

Pliny the Younger dies, and nobody misses him. He had carried out some persecution of Christians, but released anyone who would renounce Christ, arguing that a real Christian wouldn't do that. He followed Trajan's orders to leave them alone if they would offer sacrifices to the gods, as this proved that they were not a menace. Pliny had been concerned that Christianity had now reached northern Turkey, and that it was spreading everywhere.
 
And now it is 113.

Osroes, king of Parthia, puts a puppet ruler on the throne of Armenia, in violation of his treaty with Rome. Having beaten Parthia three times, sixty-year-old Trajan shows that he still has what it takes. He invades both kingdoms and annexes Armenia to the Empire. There's an oddity here: Armenia still exists today as an independent nation, while the great Roman Empire has been reduced to a single city.

The Basilica Ulpia is completed. Intelligently designed for governmental administration, it became a model for later government buildings and even for Christian church buildings. Some of its pillars still stand.
 
Hey, it’s 114 AD already!

A single line of history mentions that Tiberianus is governor of Judea. Nothing else is known about him.

Diogenes (114-129) becomes bishop of Constantinople. Very little is known about him.

61 year old Emperor Trajan is doing great. Having annexed Armenia, he keeps going, entering northern Mesopotamia and turning Osroene into a Roman vassal kingdom. Osroene hadn't done the Romans any harm, but it was there for the taking.

Trajan's goals aren't clear. He might have wanted to extend the eastern frontier of the Empire to a more defensible position, and then stop. He might have wanted to control the entire receiving end of the lucrative trade routes from India. He might have wanted prestige. And he might have wanted all three.
 
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