Theodorus, by order of the Emperor Justinian, plunders Ravenna and sends
the principal inhabitants to Constantinople, where they are cruelly
murdered.
711. Tarik, with a large force of Arab-Moors, lands in Spain. See
"SARACENS IN SPAIN," iv, 301.
Justinian's continued cruelties provoke a revolt at Ravenna; he sends a
fleet and army to destroy Cherson and massacre its inhabitants. The
citizens of Cherson proclaim Bardanes emperor, under the name of
Philippicus; his cause is espoused by both the fleet and army, which
conduct him to Constantinople, where he is acknowledged, and Justinian
is put to death.
713. Musa, at the head of the Saracens, crosses the Pyrenees.
715. Charles Martel gains the ascendency in Austrasia; he contends
against Chilperic II, the successor of Dagobert in Neustria.
717. Leo the Isaurian ascends the throne of the Eastern Empire.
Constantinople is again besieged by the Moslems.
The Saracens suffer a disastrous defeat at the Cave of Covadonga, Spain.
718. Charles Martel is victorious at Soissons; both Frankish kingdoms
acknowledge him.
719. Narbonne is captured and occupied by the Saracens under Zana.
721. Zana defeated and slain at the battle of Toulouse. Egbert, Abbot
of Iona, translates the four gospels into Anglo-Saxon.
726. Iconoclastic edicts by Leo the Isaurian, against the worship of
images, causes tumult and insurrection in Constantinople.
730. Image worship prohibited throughout the Eastern Empire.
731. Last confirmation of a papal election by the Eastern Emperor, the
occasion being the election of Gregory III.
732. Battle of Tours, when Charles Martel utterly routs the Saracens and
saves the empire of the Franks. See "BATTLE OF TOURS," iv, 313.
Pope Gregory III calls a council at Rome; an edict is issued against the
iconoclasts.
733. Emperor Leo marries his son Constantine to a Tartar or Turkish
princess, who at her baptism takes the name of Irene.
740. The Saracens are expelled from the greater part of France by
Charles Martel and his ally, Lieutprand.
Death of Leo the Isaurian; accession of Constantine V as emperor of the
East.
742. Birth of Charlemagne.
744. Carloman defeats the Saxons; they are forced into baptism.
746. King Carloman relinquishes the throne of the Franks, and retires
into a monastery. See "FOUNDING OF THE CARLOVINGIAN DYNASTY," iv, 324.
747. Great plague in Constantinople.
748. Venetian merchants having purchased slaves to be sold in Africa to
the Saracens, Pope Zachary forbids the traffic.
Virgilius, a priest, convicted of heresy for believing in the existence
of the antipodes.
750. End of the Ommiad and rise of the Abbasside dynasty of caliphs; all
the family of the former, except Abderrahman, put to death.
751. Pépin the Short founds the Carlovingian dynasty of the Franks. See
"FOUNDING OF THE CARLOVINGIAN DYNASTY," iv, 324.
752. Extinction of the exarchate of Ravenna by the Lombards under
Astolphus.
753. Pope Stephen II journeys to France.
754. Pépin the Short is crowned by Stephen II. See "FOUNDING OF THE
CARLOVINGIAN DYNASTY," iv, 324.
755. Pépin the Short defeats Astolphus, King of the Lombards, and
invests Pope Stephen II with Ravenna, and other places taken from the
Lombards. The Papal States founded.
St. Boniface is martyred in Germany.
756. Abderrahman founds the kingdom of the Ommiads at Cordova.
757. Emperor Constantine courts the favor of Pépin; among other presents
he sends him the first organ known in France.
759. Pépin conquers Narbonne and expels the last Saracens from France.
762.[84] Founding of Bagdad, the capital of the eastern caliphs.
767. Death of Pope Paul I; usurpation of Constantine, antipope.
768. Pépin dies and is succeeded by his sons Charles (Charlemagne) and
Carloman. See "CAREER OF CHARLEMAGNE," iv, 334.
769. Council of Rome annuls all acts of the deposed pope Constantine;
he, although blinded by the populace, is led into the assembly,
insulted, and beaten. Laymen are declared incapable of being made
bishops.
771. Death of Carloman; Charlemagne becomes sole king of the Franks. See
"CAREER OF CHARLEMAGNE," iv, 334.
772. Charlemagne begins his long war against the Saxons.
774. Charlemagne visits Rome; he captures Pavia after a siege of eight
months; and also puts an end to the kingdom of Lombardy. The papal
temporalities are increased by Charlemagne. Forgery of the "Donation of
Constantine" used as a plea to urge Charlemagne still more to aggrandize
the see of Rome.
778. Spain is invaded by Charlemagne; on his return to repel the Saxons
his rear-guard is surprised; there ensues the "Dolorous Rout" of
Roncesvalles. See "CAREER OF CHARLEMAGNE," iv, 334.
780. The government of the Eastern Empire is assumed by Irene in the
name of her son, Constantine VI.
781. Charlemagne visits Rome; his two sons are crowned by the Pope--one
king of Italy, the other of Aquitaine.
785. Irene proposes a general council to establish the worship of
images.
Fierce struggle of the Saxons against Charlemagne; Wittikind and Alboin
submit and profess Christianity.
786. On the death of Al Hadi, the famous Harun-al-Rashid succeeds to the
eastern caliphate.
787. Second Council of Nice--the seventh general council of the Church;
it decrees the worship of images.
788. Bavaria is brought completely under the sway of Charlemagne.
789.[85] The first recorded inroad of the Northmen (Danes) into England.
790.[86] Publication of the _Caroline Books_, being the judgments of the
general council of the bishops of the West on certain religious dogmas.
791. First campaign of Charlemagne against the Avars or Huns; they are
defeated.
792. King Offa murders Ethelbert and annexes East Anglia to Mercia; in
atonement for his crime he levies a tax on his subjects to support the
school founded at Rome by Ina; this is afterward converted into "Peter's
pence."
797. Irene deposes and puts out the eyes of her son, Emperor Constantine
VI of the Eastern Empire.
799. Charlemagne finally conquers the Avars or Huns.
800. Pope Leo III presides at the coronation of Charlemagne as emperor
of the West. See "CAREER OF CHARLEMAGNE," iv, 334.
Egbert is recalled from France by the West Saxons, who make him their
king; the name of England is given to his dominions.
801. Barcelona is conquered from the Moors by the Franks.
802. Harun-al-Rashid murders the Barmecides, a powerful Persian family
of high renown.
807. Harun-al-Rashid founds public schools; he sends an embassy to
Charlemagne with rich presents, among which is a curious clock of brass.
The Saracens of Spain repulsed in their attempt on Sardinia and Corsica.
812. Civil war ensues between the sons of Harun-al-Rashid, who had died
three years previously.
813. Constantinople menaced by the Bulgarian khan Krumn.
814. Death of Charlemagne; Louis _le Débonnaire_, his only surviving
son, succeeds.
815. Louis exacts an apology from Pope Leo for having exercised civil
judicial power at Rome.
817. Partition of the Frankish empire by Louis _le Débonnaire_.
826. Harold of South Jutland baptized; he receives from Louis a grant of
land in Friesland.
827. The Saxon heptarchy founded by Egbert, King of Wessex. See "EGBERT
BECOMES KING OF THE ANGLO-SAXON HEPTARCHY," iv, 372.
Beginning of the Saracen conquest of Sicily.
828. Syracuse and a great part of Catalonia captured by the Saracens.
829. North Wales submits to Egbert. Dungallo, a monk who had written a
book in defence of image-worship, is placed over the school of Pavia.
830. First rebellion of the sons of Louis _le Débonnaire_.
832. Danes land on the Isle of Sheppey, England.
833. Louis is a prisoner in the hands of his son Lothair, who assumes
full imperial power after the "Field of Lies."
Danes land in Wessex from thirty-five ships, and defeat Egbert.
The regular succession of Scottish kings begins with Alpine.
834. Continuance of the differences between the Anglo-Saxon and Roman
clergy in England. See "EGBERT BECOMES KING OF THE ANGLO-SAXON
HEPTARCHY," iv, 372.
Lothair compelled by his brother to restore their father, Louis, to his
throne.
835. Egbert defeats a combined army of Danes and Cornish Britons at
Hengston.
Danes invade the Netherlands and sack Utrecht.
836. Antwerp is burned and Flanders ravaged by the Danes.
Death of the first English king, Egbert.
837. First incursion of the Danes up the Rhine.
838. The Danes sail up the Loire and ravage the country as far as Tours.
Caliph Montassem invades Asia Minor.
839. Venetians repress the piracy of the Dalmatians, but lose their
ships in an attack on the Saracens at Tarento.
840. Death of Louis _le Débonnaire_ at Ingelheim; his empire divided
into three separate states: Lothair (Emperor), taking Italy; Charles,
France; Louis, Bavaria or Germany. Disputes follow.
841. Louis and Charles unite to resist the pretensions of Lothair; he is
defeated at the battle of Fontenailles (Fontenay).
Rouen plundered by the Danes under Hastings.
842. A final sanction to image-worship is given by the Council of
Constantinople.
The "Oath of Strasburg," a valuable matter of philology and history,
which shows that in 841 the distinctions of race and language were
beginning to make themselves felt. It sealed the pact made between Louis
of Austrasia and Charles of Neustria.
FOOTNOTES:
[75] Date uncertain.
[76] Date uncertain.
[77] Date uncertain.
[78] Date uncertain.
[79] Date uncertain.
[80] Date uncertain.
[81] Date uncertain.
[82] Date uncertain.
[83] Date uncertain.
[84] Date uncertain.
[85] Date uncertain.
[86] Date uncertain.
END OF VOLUME IV