destroys Aquileia; its inhabitants flee to the marshes; Rome is saved by
its Bishop, Leo the Great. Venice is founded. See "FOUNDATION OF
VENICE," iv, 95.
453. Death of Attila; dissolution of his empire. Death of the empress
Pulcheria.
454. Hengist founds the kingdom of Kent.
455. Maximus murders Valentinian III and usurps the throne of the
Western Empire; at the end of three months Maximus is killed by the
people.
The Vandals pillage Rome. Avitus is proclaimed emperor of the West.
456. Ricimer, commander of the Barbarian mercenaries in the West,
destroys a Vandal fleet near Corsica; he declares against Avitus, who
abdicates.
457. Majorian placed on the throne of the West by Ricimer and the
senate.
Leo I ascends the throne in the East.
460. Genseric destroys Majorian's fleet at Carthagena. Peace is made
between them.
461. Majorian is assassinated by Ricimer, who places his puppet Severus
on the throne, exercising the Imperial power himself.
465. Death of Severus; Ricimer still wields the supreme power in Rome.
467. Anthemius made emperor of the West.
The Vandals ravage the coasts of Italy and Sicily.
468. Leo I, Emperor of the East, aided by the Western Empire, makes an
earnest but ineffectual effort against the Vandals under Genseric.
472. Ricimer besieges and storms Rome; death of Ricimer and of
Anthemius; Olybrius and Glycerius are emperors successively.
473. Invasion of Italy by the Ostrogoths diverted to Gaul. Glycerius
emperor of the West.
474. Julius Nepos becomes emperor of the West. Zeno rules the Eastern
Empire.
475. Romulus Augustulus emperor of the West. Zeno and his wife flee to
Isauria.
476. Odoacer, a leader of German mercenaries, dethrones Augustulus and
puts an end to the Western Empire for three centuries. The title of king
of Italy assumed by Odoacer.
486. Clovis founds the kingdom of the Franks. He defeats Syagrius at
Soissons, and thus puts an end to Roman dominion in Gaul. See "CLOVIS
FOUNDS THE KINGDOM OF THE FRANKS," iv, 113.
488. The Eastern Emperor commissions Theodoric, King of the Ostrogoths,
to invade Italy.
489. Theodoric defeats Odoacer at Verona.
490. Odoacer is again defeated; he retires to Ravenna.
491. Anastasius becomes emperor of the East by marrying the widow of
Zeno, who had recently died.
The South Saxons capture Anderida.
492. Anastasius grants liberty of conscience and remits oppressive
taxes.
493. Theodoric besieges Odoacer in Ravenna; he is captured and murdered;
Theodoric becomes king of the whole of Italy.
494. An earthquake overthrows the cities of Laodicea, Hierapolis, and
Tripolis.
Pope Gelasius makes the distinction between the canonical and apocryphal
books of the Scriptures. He asserts his divine right, as Bishop of Rome,
to universal supremacy.
495.[76] Cerdic and his band of Saxons, who sail in five ships, land in
Britain.
496. Clovis vanquishes the Alemanni; he is baptized. See "CLOVIS FOUNDS
THE KINGDOM OF THE FRANKS," iv, 113.
497. The Arabs (Saracens) invade Syria; they are repulsed by Eugenius.
Many Athanasian bishops are banished from Africa to Sardinia.
498. Publication of the _Babylonian Talmud_ or _Gemaras_.
Violent contest between Symmachus and Laurentius for the episcopal
throne at Rome, decided by Theodoric in favor of the former.
500. Clovis, King of the Franks, defeats the Burgundians near Dijon.
502. Syria and Palestine ravaged by the Saracens. The Bulgarians again
devastate Thrace.
504. Expulsion by the Franks of the Alemanni from the Middle Rhine.
Theodoric defeats the Bulgarians and retakes Sirmium, which they had
captured.
505. Peace is declared between the Eastern Empire and Persia, ending
desultory conflicts that had continued some years.
507. Clovis overthrows the Visigoths near Poitiers; he becomes master of
nearly the whole of Aquitania. See "CLOVIS FOUNDS THE KINGDOM OF THE
FRANKS," iv, 113.
Amalarich, Alaric's infant son, and Giselich, his natural son, are
proclaimed joint kings of the Visigoths by Theodoric; he preserves for
them all Spain and a part of Gaul.
508. Natanleod, a British prince, is defeated and slain, in a desperate
battle, by Cerdic the Saxon.
510. Clovis adds the territory of certain minor Frank princes to his own
territory; he makes Paris his capital. See "CLOVIS FOUNDS THE KINGDOM OF
THE FRANKS," iv, 113.
511. Death of Clovis; the Frankish kingdom is divided equally among his
four sons: Theodoric I (Thierry), Metz; Clodomir, Orleans; Childebert I,
Paris; and Clotair, Soissons.
Monophysite riot at Constantinople, caused by the controversy respecting
the nature of Christ.
512. Second Monophysite riot at Constantinople.
515. A body of Huns breaks through the Caspian gates and invades
Cappadocia.
Publication of St. Benedict's monastic rule.
518. Death of Anastasius, the Eastern Emperor, and accession of Justin
I.
519. Cerdic gives the name of Wessex to that part of Britain conquered
by him; he assumes the title of king; Cynric is his coadjutor.
523. Sigismund, the Burgundian King, assumes the monastic habit, but is
betrayed into the hands of the Franks, who throw him, with his wife and
children, into a well at Orleans. His brother, Gondemar, is elected
king.
525. Theodoric, King of Italy, orders the execution of Boethius and
Symmachus.
526. Death of Theodoric and accession of Athalaric.
Great earthquake at Antioch, which destroys the city; 250,000 persons
perish.
The Eastern Empire begins war with Persia.
527. Justinian proclaimed joint augustus, soon after which, by the death
of Justin, he becomes sole emperor.
Use of the Christian era introduced by Dionysius Exiguus.
528. Thuringia conquered by the Franks.
529. Julian, leader of a Jewish and Samaritan revolt, is made prisoner
and beheaded.
Justinian issues edicts against philosophers, heretics, and pagans. See
"PUBLICATION OF THE JUSTINIAN CODE," iv, 138. Closing of the schools at
Athens.
530. Benedict founds his new monastic order; the principal seat is Monte
Casino, Campania.[77]
Belisarius, the greatest general of the Byzantine empire, defeats the
Persians at Dara.
531. Alamundarus, at the head of the Persians and Saracens, defeats
Belisarius, who maintains his ground against their nearly overwhelming
force.
Accession of Khusrau to the throne of Persia.
532. End of the war between the Eastern Empire and Persia.
533. Justinian's general, Belisarius, destroys the Vandal kingdom in
Africa.
Publication of the _Pandects_ and _Institutes_ of Justinian. See
"PUBLICATION OF THE JUSTINIAN CODE," iv, 138.
Philosophers, who were driven from Constantinople by Justinian's orders,
return disappointed from Persia.
534. Overthrow of the Burgundian kingdom by the Franks, who divide the
dominions between the three Frankish kings.
Solomon, left by Belisarius to command in Africa, defeats the Moors.
535. Belisarius is sent by Justinian to recover Italy from the
Ostrogoths; he occupies Sicily.
536. Rome is occupied by Belisarius.
537. Vitiges unsuccessfully besieges Belisarius in Rome; great distress
in the city.
538. Vitiges retreats from before Rome and takes shelter in Ravenna.
539. The Franks, under Theodebert, invade Italy and plunder Genoa;
attacked by disease they return into Gaul.
540. Vitiges surrenders Ravenna and is sent a prisoner to
Constantinople. Justinian recalls Belisarius from Italy.
Khusrau, King of Persia, invades Syria and takes Antioch.
A total eclipse of the sun, June 20th.
Justinian makes a formal relinquishment of Gaul to the Franks.
541. Belisarius takes the command of the Roman forces against the
Persians; he defeats Khusrau.
Totila, King of the Ostrogoths, is successful in Italy. End of the
succession of Roman consuls.
542. Belisarius compels the Persians to recross the Euphrates.
The great plague spreads from Egypt and rages for many years in Asia and
Europe.
543. Naples surrenders to Totila, who then advances against Rome.
Belisarius recalled from the East, after which the Persians again
advance and defeat the Romans.
Moors renew the war in Africa; Solomon is slain in battle against them;
Sergius, his successor, is incompetent.
Spain invaded by the Franks.
544. Again Belisarius is sent into Italy, but without supplies and with
very inadequate forces.
Stotzas, leader of the Moors, defeats the Romans, but is slain in the
battle.
545. While Belisarius awaits reinforcements Totila takes Asculum and
Spoletum, and lays siege to Rome.
546. Rome is betrayed to Totila; Belisarius is joined by fresh troops,
but arrives too late to prevent the capture and pillage.
547. Rome is utterly deserted for six weeks; it is retaken by
Belisarius, who repairs the walls.
Ida founds the kingdom of Bernicia, in Northumberland, and builds
Bamborough.
Bavaria becomes subject to the Franks.
548. Death of Theodora, Empress of the East.
Crotona and Tarentum are captured by Belisarius, after which he is
recalled to the East.
549. Second siege and capture of Rome by Totila.
The Lazic War begins--a contest of Rome and Persia on the Phasis; called
Lazic from the Lazi, a tribe which still subsists.
550. Vigilius, at Constantinople, urges Justinian to rescue Italy from
the dominion of Arians.
Illyrium is freed of the Slavonians.
551. Totila restores the senate at Rome.
Silkworms said to have been first reared in Europe from eggs brought out
of the East.
552. Totila defeated and slain by Narses, Belisarius' successor, to whom
the greater part of Italy submits.
Teias is appointed their king by the Ostrogoths.
Cyric puts the Britons to flight at the battle of Searobyrig (Sarum).
553. Narses puts an end to the power of the Ostrogoths in Italy, and
annexes it to the Eastern Empire.
Fifth general council of the Church at Constantinople. The exarch is
established at Ravenna, representing the Emperor of the East.
554. Italy is invaded by the Franks and Alemanni; they are defeated by
Narses.
555. Tzathes declared king of the Lazi; the Persians are defeated by the
Romans at Phasis.
War between Clotaire and the Saxons.
558. Death of Childebert; the Salic Law prevents his daughters reigning;
their brother, Clotaire, becomes sole king of the Franks.
559. Belisarius' last achievement is to expel the Bulgarians, who
advanced to within twenty miles of Constantinople.
561. Death of Clotaire; the Frankish kingdom again divided.
The services of Belisarius excite the jealousy of Justinian and his
courtiers.
562. Conspiracy of Marcellus and Sergius against Justinian; Belisarius
unjustly accused of having taken part in the plot.
563. Belisarius is acquitted of the charges brought against him; he is
restored to his honors.
St. Columba founds the monastery of Iona in Scotland.
565. Death of Belisarius, also of the emperor Justinian. Justin II
succeeds to the throne.
566.[78] Alboin, at the head of the Lombards, and aided by the Avars,
destroys the kingdom of the Gepidæ in Pannonia.
War in Britain between the kings of Kent and Wessex.
567. Austrasia, Neustria, and Burgundy formed by the division of the
Frankish kingdom.
568. Invasion of Italy by the Lombards; Pavia besieged. Longinus, the
successor of Narses, is styled the exarch of Ravenna by the Byzantines.
570.[79] Birth of Mahomet. See "THE HEGIRA," iv, 198. Death of Narses.
571. Khusrau persecuting the Armenians, they place themselves under the
protection of Justin; this leads to war between the Persians and Romans.
Uffa founds the kingdom of East Anglia in Britain.
572. Marcianus is sent by Rome to conduct the war against the Persians.
Alboin, Lombardy, grants allotments of territory to his chief captains,
with titles of princes or dukes, for which they are to render military
service.
573. Alboin, King of the Lombards, is murdered by Rosamond, his wife;
she flees to Ravenna with her lover Helmichis, where she poisons him;
before he dies he compels her to drain the cup. Cleoph is elected king
of Lombardy.
The Visigoths subjugate the Suevi in Spain.
574. Tiberius is appointed Cæsar at Rome; he concludes a peace with the
Persians. He is defeated by the Avars on the Danube.
Cleoph, the Lombard King, is slain; his son being a child, many of the
dukes assume royal power and great anarchy prevails.
575. Justinian, son of Germanus, defeats the Persians and advances to
the Araxes.
576. Armenia is occupied by the Persians; Justinian arrives too late to
prevent it.
578. Death of Justin. Accession of the emperor Tiberius Constantinus in
the East.
579. Maurice, commanding the Romans, is victorious over the Persians.
580. Further successes of Maurice in Mesopotamia.
582. Death of Tiberius and accession of Maurice, Emperor in the East.
584. Many native Gauls retire into Armorica, where they preserve their
Celtic tongue.
586. Cridda founds the last Saxon kingdom of Mercia. The Britons retire
to the western side of the island, unite in a general league, and call
themselves Cymri.
588. Northumberland is founded by the union of the kingdoms of Bernicia
and Deira, under Ethelric.
589. Arianism is abandoned by the Visigoths in Spain. 591. Peace between
Persia and the Eastern Empire.
597. Augustine sent by Gregory the Great to preach Christianity to the
Anglo-Saxons. See "AUGUSTINE'S MISSIONARY WORK IN ENGLAND," iv, 182.
602. Revolt in Constantinople; Phocas is proclaimed emperor; flight of
Maurice with his family; they are taken and put to death.
603. Khusrau, the Persian ruler, declares war against Phocas to revenge
the death of his benefactor, Maurice.
605. Phocas begins his cruelties; Constantina, the widow of Maurice, is
tortured and afterward beheaded with her daughters; Narses is decoyed to
Constantinople and there burned alive. The hippodrome is defaced by the
heads and mangled remains of the tyrant's victims.
607. Phocas concedes to Boniface III the supremacy of Rome over all
Christian churches.
608. Boniface IV consecrates the Pantheon--built by Agrippa to the
memory of his divine ancestors B.C. 27--as the Church of Santa Maria
Rotunda.
Khusrau II, King of Persia, invades Asia Minor.
610. Phocas is given up to Heraclius and beheaded; Heraclius declared
emperor of the East.
Venetia has an incursion of the Avars.
612. Cæsarea, Cappadocia, taken by the Persians.
Syria is invaded by the Saracens.
613. Clotaire unites under his rule all the territories of the Franks.
The youthful Ali becomes Mahomet's vizier.
614. Damascus and Jerusalem are taken by the Persians under Khusrau II.
616. Alexandria and Egypt conquered by the Persians; another army
encamps at Chalcedon. Their general, Saen, introduces to Khusrau an
embassy from Heraclius, for which he is flayed alive, and the ambassador
imprisoned.
Death of Ethelbert; his son Eadbald succeeds him and restores the pagan
worship to England; he is afterward converted to Christianity.
First expulsion of the Jews from Spain.
619. Heraclius, while holding a conference with Baian, is treacherously
attacked by the Avars; he escapes with difficulty.
622. Roused from his apathy, Heraclius leaves Constantinople and lands
at Alexandria; he defeats the Persians, recovers Cilicia, and places his
army in secure winter quarters.
Flight of Mahomet from Mecca to Medina: the era of the Hegira commences,
July 16th. See "THE HEGIRA," iv, 198.
623. Heraclius occupies Armenia, takes Thebarma (Ooramiah), the
birthplace of Zoroaster, reconquers Colchis and Iberia, and winters in
Albania, having released 50,000 captives.
Suintilla takes the few remaining places in Spain that were still held
by the Greek empire.
624. Ispahan, Persia, is taken by Heraclius; he defeats Sarbaraza at
Salban.
625. Heraclius carries away an immense booty from Persia; he recovers
Amida and Samosata.
626. Constantinople is besieged by the Persians and Avars; the siege
fails. The emperor Heraclius contracts an alliance with the Turks, who,
passing the Caspian gates, invade Persia.
627. Khusrau II is overwhelmed by Heraclius and his Turkish allies.
King Edwin, of Northumberland, embraces Christianity and builds the
first minster of wood, at York.
628. Recovery of Jerusalem and of the presumed true Cross by Heraclius
from the Persians.
Khusrau 11 deposed and slain; by treaty all the possessions captured by
the Persians are restored to Rome.
630 (629). Mecca surrenders to Mahomet; he invades Palestine.
631. After many revolutions in Persia, Cesra is made king.
Dagobert I reunites the Frankish empire.
632. Death of Mahomet; his successor, Abu-Bekr, sends an army into
Syria. See "THE SARACEN CONQUEST OF SYRIA," iv, 247.
Oswald builds the first minster of stone at York.
634. Death of Abu-Bekr; accession of Omar as head of the Saracens.
635. Defeat of the Welsh by the English at Heavenfield.
636. The Roman army is overcome by the Saracens. See "THE SARACEN
CONQUEST OF SYRIA," iv, 247.
637. Emesa, Balbec, and Jerusalem taken by the Saracens.
638. Heraclius, unable to resist the Mahometans, retires to
Constantinople, where he publishes his _Ecthesis_.
Death of Dagobert; his two sons succeed, Clovis to Neustria and
Burgundy, Sigebert to Austrasia.
640. Capture of Cæsarea. Invasion of Egypt by Amru, the general of Omar.
See "SARACENS CONQUER EGYPT," iv, 278.
641. Death of Heraclius, Emperor of the East; three rival emperors
succeed; accession of Constans II.
The Sassanian kingdom ends.
642. Victory at Nehavend by the Saracens; this places Persia in their
power.
Istria and Dalmatia invaded by the Slavonians.
643. Rotharis publishes the Lombard code of laws.
644. Assassination of Omar; Othman succeeds. See "SARACENS CONQUER
EGYPT," iv, 278.
646. Alexandria recaptured by the Greeks and again lost.
647. Abdallah advances, at the head of the Saracens, from Egypt to Roman
Africa.
648. Constans II issues his _Type_, or model of faith.
649. Constans II orders the new exarch Olympius to enforce the adoption
of his _Type_ by the Western Church; it is rejected by the First Lateran
Council.
650. The Moslems conquer Merv, Balkh, and Herat.[80]
Many orthodox churches are plundered by Constans II.
651. Death of Yezdejerd and end of the Persian kingdom.
652. Conversion of the East Saxons in England.
653. Pope Martin I is seized and banished by Constans II.
654. Martin, in Constantinople, is stripped of his pontifical robes and
imprisoned; after long hesitation Eugenius is elected pope in his stead.
656. Assassination of Caliph Othman; Ali succeeds; Moawiyah revolts
against him; he is supported by Ayesha the widow of Mahomet, Amru,
Telhar, and Zobeir. These dissensions suspend the conquests of the
Saracens. Ali is victorious on "the Day of the Camel"; Telhar and Zobeir
are slain; Ayesha is made prisoner and sent to Medina.
657. Kufa is made the seat of government by Caliph Ali.
658. Constans takes the field against the Slavonians and repulses them.
Amru is sent by Moawiyah into Egypt and expels Ali's partisans. The two
caliphs publicly pray for each other while waging fierce war.
660. Ali is assassinated; Hasan, his eldest son, is elected caliph.
661. Hasan resigns the caliphate; Moawiyah, the first of the Ommiads,
becomes undisputed ruler of the Moslems; he makes Damascus his capital.
Death of Aribert; Lombardy is divided between his two sons. Constans,
detested by all classes, leaves Constantinople and goes to Italy; the
senate detains the Empress and his sons.
663. Constans visits Rome and carries away much spoil and retires to
Syracuse.
664. Caliph Moawiyah appoints as his lieutenant in Persia, India, and
the East his half-brother, Ziyad, "the greatest man of the age."
668. Constans is assassinated in a bath at Syracuse; Constans IV
succeeds to the throne of the Eastern Empire.
The Sicilians set up Mecezius as emperor. Constantinople is first
besieged by the Saracens.
669. Sicily is invaded by the Saracens, who capture Syracuse.
670. Kairwan, or Kayrawan, a holy Mahometan city in Northern Africa,
founded.
Death of Clotaire III; Theodoric, or Thierry III, becomes king of
Neustria and Burgundy.
671. Ebroin and Thierry are compelled by the Franks to retire into a
monastery; Childeric for a time reigns alone.
672. Death of Ziyad; his son, appointed by Caliph Moawiyah lieutenant of
Khorassan, penetrates into Bokhara and defeats the Turks.
673. First council of the Anglo-Saxon Church, at Hereford.
Year after year the Saracens repeat their attacks on Constantinople;
Callinicus invents the Greek fire used successfully in its defence.
Thierry III and Ebroin leave their monastery and resume the government
of Neustria.
Birth of the Venerable Bede.[81]
674. Revolts of the Gascons and Duke Paulus repressed by Wamba, King of
the Visigoths in Spain.
The Bavarians, Thuringians, and other German subjects of Austrasia
regain their independence.
677. Siege of Constantinople raised by the Mahometans; peace
concluded.[82]
Domnus restores the authority of Rome over the Church at Ravenna.
678. Bulgarians establish themselves in the north of Thrace. Egfrid
expels Wilfrid from York and divides his diocese; Wilfrid goes to Rome
and obtains from Pope Agatho an order for his restoration. Egfrid
resists the papal interference. A large comet visible for three months.
679. A council held at Rome for the reunion of the Greek and Latin
churches.
680. Sixth general council of the Church, at Constantinople; Monothelite
heresy condemned.
Establishment of a kingdom in Mæsia (modern Bulgaria) by the
Bulgarians.[83]
Hoseyn, son of Ali, and his followers massacred at Kerbela.
Murder of Dagobert II, after which Pépin of Héristal and Martin rule
Austrasia with the title of dukes.
Attempt to poison Wamba; he resigns his crown and retires into a
monastery; Ervigius succeeds him as king of the Visigoths.
683. For twelve months the papacy is vacant after the death of Leo II.
684. Constantine sends to Rome locks of the hair of his two sons, in
token of their adoption by the Church.
Egfrid sends Beort with an army into Ireland and lays waste the country.
685. Justinian II becomes emperor of the East on the death of
Constantine IV.
The Picts defeat the Angles of Northumbria under King Ecgfrith, at
Nactansmere.
687. Battle of Testri; the victory of Pépin of Héristal gives him the
sway over the whole Frankish empire.
688. Cædwalla resigns the crown of Wessex to Ina and goes to Rome; he
dies there one year later.
690. On the death of Theodore, Berthwald becomes the first archbishop of
Canterbury.
Two Anglo-Saxon bishops, Kilian and Wilbrord, preach in Germany. Pépin
allows Clovis III to succeed Thierry III as nominal ruler of Neustria.
691. Council of Constantinople, called "Quinisextum in Trullo"; not
acknowledged by the Western Church.
692. The Mahometans defeat the army collected by Justinian at
Sebastopolis.
Armenia is conquered by the Mahometans.
694. Justinian's two ministers provoke his subjects by their
oppressions; Leontius imprisoned.
695. Leontius, released from prison, is proclaimed emperor of the East;
Justinian, with his nose cut off, is banished.
696. Pépin favors the preaching of the Anglo-Saxon missionaries among
the Franks and Frisians; he appoints Wilbrord, under the name of
Clemens, bishop of Utrecht.
697. Election of the first doge, with a council of tribunes and judges,
in Venice. See "EVOLUTION OF THE DOGESHIP IN VENICE," iv, 292.
698. Hasan, at the head of the Saracens, storms and destroys Carthage.
699. At Mount Atlas the Berbers, or wild shepherds, successfully resist
the advance of the Mahometans.
705. An army of Bulgarians, under Terbelis, restores Justinian to his
throne; he inflicts bloody vengeance for his expulsion.
Accession of Caliph Welid.
706. Pope John VII refuses to accept, or even revise, the acts of the
Council of Constantinople, A.D. 691, which Justinian requires him to
adopt.
707. The Mahometans, under Musa, overcome the Berbers and are masters of
all Northern Africa; they establish themselves in the valley of the
Indus and conquer Karisme, Bokhara, and Samarkand, whence they introduce
the manufacture of paper.
708. Justinian, unmindful of his obligations to Terbelis, attacks the
Bulgarians, but is defeated.