Rome and Augustine of Hippo Timeline
500 BC
Approx. founding of Roman Republic
323 BC
Alexander dies; his empire divided in 3 (Egypt, Syria/Persia, Greece/Macedonia)
275 BC
Roman conquest of Italian peninsula largely complete – R. on the map militarily
264 – 241 BC
First Punic War: Rome v. Carthage RE Sicily, Rome “wins” (despite heavy losses)
255 BC
Septuagint (Greek translation of Hebrew scriptures) – Alexandria
219 – 201 BC
Second Punic War: Hannibal invades Italy 218 – 204, H defeated 202
l. 3rd – e. 2nd C BC
Roman territorial expansion
149 – 146 BC
Third Punic War: Romans destroy Carthage
60 – 53 BC
First Triumvirate (unofficial): Julius Caesar, Pompey, Crassus
49 BC
Caesar crosses Rubicon, civil war in Rome (Caesar V. Pompey)
44 BC
Caesar assassinated, Octavian (his adopted son) his sole heir
43 BC
Second Triumvirate (Marc Antony, Octavian, Lepidus) war v. Brutus & Cassius
42 BC
Battle of Philippi (Antony and Octavian defeat Brutus and Cassius)
31 BC
Battle of Actium (Octavian defeats Marc Antony and Cleopatra)
Beginning of Roman Empire
Rome master of Mediterranean world
27 BC
Roman Senate awards Octavian the titles “Augustus” and “Princeps”
19 BC
Conquest of Spain completed
14 BC
All Italian Alpine regions under Roman control
~4 BC
Jesus of Nazareth born
9
Limits of expansion into German territory (Rhine-Danube) acquiesced in
17 – 72
Miscellaneous accretions of territory, incl. Britain (never fully conquered)
2nd C
Roman military forces shift from West to East (Rhine to Danube-Euphrates axis)
l. 2nd C
Pax Romana appears settled and unchallenged
3rd C
Empire relatively intact despite “Period of Anarchy” and minor invasions
Founding of Manichaeism (proscribed by Diocletian but spread anyway)
e. 3rd C
Church (Tertullian, d. 225) preaching opposition to the world and secular culture
293
Diocletian (r. 284 – 305) establishes “tetrarchy”: 2 Augusti and 2 Caesars
4th C
Succession struggles; concessions to Persia
Invasions: Alamanni on the Rhine, Quadi and Goths on the Danube
303 ff
Edicts of persecution: Scriptures burned, churches demolished, worship meetings banned, loss of rank,
torture, summary execution, clergy imprisoned then released if they sacrificed to pagan gods, universal
sacrifice patchily enforced
306
Constantine (the not yet Great) becomes a Caesar (Spain, Gaul, and Britain)
312
Constantine invades Italy, defeats Maxentius at Saxa Rubra (Chi-Rho vision)
senate makes Constantine senior Augustus
Constantine and Licinius issue Edict of Milan: restored Christian confiscated property,
churches built, privileges to clergy; pagan temple treasures confiscated
326
Caesars (both) and Licinius executed – Constantine sole Augustus of united Empire
324
Founding of Constantinople on site of Byzantium – “New Rome” (lower in rank)
325
Nicaean Council (found against Arianism) => Nicene Creed
337
Baptism and death of Constantine the Great
m. 4th C
Church expanded and was accepted
354
Aurelius Augustinus born, Thagaste, Numidia (now Algeria)
371 – 373
AUGUSTINE studies in Carthage; joins Manichean sect; birth of Adeodatus
382
AUGUSTINE meets Manichean bishop Faustus, greatly disillusioned
383
AUGUSTINE goes to Rome
384
AUGUSTINE to Milan as imperial rhetor, leaves Manichees
386
AUGUSTINE discovers Neoplatonic philosophy, which helps him accept Christianity;
AUGUSTINE resigns from office to prepare for baptism
387
AUGUSTINE baptized by Ambrose at Easter Vigil
388-391
AUGUSTINE lives monastic life in Thagaste
391
AUGUSTINE ordained priest
395
AUGUSTINE consecrated bishop
397 – 401
AUGUSTINE composes Confessions
410
Rome’s invasion by Alaric prompts Italian Christian flight to N. Africa
412
Imperial decree condemning Donatism
418
Pelagius declared enemy of faith; Pelagians exiled from Rome
429
Geneseric and Vandals (mostly Arian Christians!) invade N. Africa from Spain
430
AUGUSTINE dies from fever
OCD p. 1332-3: “The real crisis of the Roman empire was generated on the Danube, as the Goths, under pressure from the Huns, negotiated
or forced their way across the river, a process leading to the momentous defeat at Adrianople. Despite the treaty concluded in 382 by
Theodosius, the Romans were never able fully to recover, and the ensuing fragility of their command of the Balkans is the most important
strategic consideration in the division of the empire into eastern and western parts. In the 5 th cent., the west was overrun by mainly
Germanic invaders – Goths and then Franks in Gaul, Goths and Suebi in the Spanish peninsula, Vandals in North Africa – permitting greater
or lesser degrees of Roman continuity. The Gallic upper classes and church preserved much of what was important to them – including the
Latin language – and the reign of Theodoric the Ostrogoth in north Italy marks something of a cultural high point. Despite pressure from the
Avars and other northern peoples, the eastern empire retained its territorial integrity until the expansion of Islam in the early 7th cent.
Justinian’s programme of recovery of the western provinces was in the short term successful, but it is debatable whether the recovery of
Gothic Italy benefited or impoverished its inhabitants, and Justinian’s prolonged campaigns there were shortly followed by the invasion of
the Lombards from the north.”