Timeline for Chapter 10
Timeline for Chapter 10
AD
Christian empire and the fall of Rome
340 Constans defeats and kills Constantine II in Italy and takes his territories.
343 Trouble in northern Britain, to which Constans crosses in January.
350 Constans is replaced in a coup by Magnentius, and then murdered.
351 Magnentius is defeated by Constantius, who makes Gallus, nephew of Constantine I, Caesar in the East.
353 Magnentius’ suicide results in official reprisals against his supporters in Britain.
354 Gallus is executed for abusing his authority.
355 Julian, Gallus’ half-brother, is made Caesar with charge over Gaul and Britain, and marries Helena, Constantius’ sister. He wins victories over the Alamanni and Franks.
c. 356 The Picts and the Celtic Dál Riata (later known as the Scots) form an alliance against Rome.
361 Constantius dies in Cilicia while marching to oppose Julian, who has been declared Augustus by his troops. Julian enters Constantinople as emperor, having publicly declared his paganism.
363 Julian dies of wounds while retreating from an encounter during his eastern campaign. His soldiers declare as Augustus his senior staff officer, Jovian, who makes peace with the Persians.
364 Death of Jovian. A convention of civilian and military officials at Nicaea elects as emperor Valentinian, a military commander, on condition he appoint a co-ruler. He chooses his brother Valens to rule the East, while he takes the West.
367 Revolt in Britain of Picts, Scots and Attacotti, aided by Franks and Saxons. Valentinian names as Augustus his eight-year-old son Gratian.
368–374 German Wars.
375 Death of Valentinian , whose four-year-old son, Valentinian II, is named Augustus by the troops, without the consent of Valens or Gratian.
378 Death of Valens.
379 Theodosius I, supreme commander against the Goths, succeeds Valens.
382 Theodosius makes a treaty with the Goths and gives them lands in Thrace and Lower Moesia. In northern Britain, Magnus Maximus, military commander in Britain, heavily defeats Picts and Scots.
383 Theodosius names as Augustus his infant son Arcadius. Maximus crosses to Gaul and defeats Gratian, who is murdered at Lyon while escaping to Italy.
384 Theodosius and Valentinian II recognize Maximus as Augustus over Britain, Gaul, Spain and Africa.
387 Theodosius marries Galla, sister of Valentinian II, and gives Serena, his niece and adoptive daughter, in marriage to his military commander Stilicho, the son of a Vandal captain. Maximus invades Italy and expels Valentinian II.
388 Maximus is defeated and executed by Theodosius. Valentinian II is again ruler of the western empire.
390 Massacre of inhabitants of Thessalonica in response to the murder of one of Theodosius’ commanders, for which he is refused communion and ordered by the archbishop of Milan to do penance.
391 Theodosius sanctions the destruction of the Temple of Serapis in Alexandria, and passes measures banning all forms of paganism.
392 Death of Valentinian II. At the instigation of Arbogast, Valentinian’s cavalry commander, Eugenius, a teacher and keeper of imperial dispatches, is proclaimed Augustus, but he is not recognized by Theodosius.
393 Theodosius appoints Honorius Augustus in the West, with Stilicho as his military commander and guardian.
395 Death of Theodosius. His elder son Arcadius is emperor in the East, and his younger son Honorius emperor in the West. Visigoths under Alaric are in Greece.
396 The division of the empire is now permanent. Augustine becomes bishop of Hippo.
398 Honorius marries Stilicho’s daughter Maria.
401 Alaric the Visigoth invades Italy.
402–403 Stilicho twice defeats Alaric, who, however, is allowed to escape.
404 Honorius transfers his court to Ravenna.
405–406 Ostrogoths under Radagaisus invade Italy, but they are destroyed by Stilicho at Fiesole.
406 Germanic tribes cross the frozen Rhine and occupy northern Gaul, causing devastation. Some reach Spain.
407 In Britain, Constantine III, a soldier, is proclaimed emperor. He crosses to Gaul and his authority is accepted both there and in Spain.
408 Constantine makes Arles his base and appoints as Caesar his elder son Constans II, with orders to put down a revolt in Spain by some relatives of Honorius. Honorius marries Thermantia, younger daughter of Stilicho. Death of Arcadius, who is succeeded by his seven-year-old son Theodosius II. Conspiracy against Stilicho, who is executed by Honorius. Alaric besieges Rome, but accepts bribes to withdraw.
409 Alaric again besieges Rome and proclaims the city prefect, Attalus, emperor.
410 Alaric besieges Rome for the third time. He deposes Attalus and tries to negotiate with Honorius, who declines to do so. Alaric sacks Rome, taking away Galla Placidia, Honorius’ twenty-year-old half-sister. The Rescript of Honorius is issued, allegedly informing the inhabitants of Britain that they must organize their own defence against Saxon invasions.
414 Death of Anthemius, effectively regent of the eastern empire, after which the role is undertaken by Theodosius’ elder sister, Pulcheria (later canonized).
418 Honorius grants Visigoths federate status in Gaul.
423 Death of Honorius.
429–438 Publication of the Theodosian Code of laws.
439 Vandals occupy most of North Africa and north-west Spain, and Visigoths, Burgundians, Alans and Franks occupy almost all of Gaul.
440–461 Leo I is pope.
446 Britons appeal to Aetius, consul for the third time, for help against the Saxon mercenaries introduced by Vortigern to fight the Picts.
450 Death of Theodosius II.
451 Attila the Hun invades Gaul, but is defeated for the only time.
452 Attila invades Italy, but Pope Leo persuades him to withdraw.
455 Vandals sack Rome from the sea. Avitus, a Gallic noble, is proclaimed emperor in Gaul, but on his arrival in Italy he is not recognized in the eastern empire and is forced to abdicate by the imperial commander-in-chief, Ricimer, who until his death in 472 effectively decides who will be emperor, and for how long.
457 The new emperor in the East is Leo I, a serving military officer.
472 Death of Ricimer, after which there are four western emperors in four years.
474 Death of Leo. His grandson, Leo II, whom he had made Augustus the previous year, rules for three weeks before appointing his father, Zeno, husband of Ariadne, daughter of Leo I, joint Augustus. Leo II dies of natural causes, after which Zeno rules alone until 491.
476 Romulus Augustulus (aged fourteen) is deposed by Odoacer, a Germanic mercenary commander, who informs Zeno, emperor in the East, that he will rule under his sovereignty. Establishment of a Gothic kingdom in Italy, and the end of the Roman empire in the West.