Persecution of the way By ~Isla~ Period: 60 to 68 Nero 64 Great fire of Rome Great fire of Rome Period: 69 to 79 Vespasian 70 Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus Period: 81 to 96 Persecution under domitian 88 St. Clement 1 is pope Period: 98 to 117 Trajan 110 St. Ignatius of Antioch is martyred 112 Trajan's Rescript in response to Pliny 115 St. Sixtus I is Pope died Period: 117 to 138 Hadrian 123 Hadrian's Rescript 125 St. Telesphorus is Pope; martyred in 136; He composed the Gioria in Excelsis Doo Period: 138 to 161 Antoninus pius 150 St. Justin Martyr dedicates his first apology 155 St. Polycarp martyred 161 St. Justin Martyr dedicates His second apology Period: 161 to 180 Marcus Aurelius 180 St. Irenæus writes Against Heresies Period: 193 to 211 Sept. Severus 196 Tertullian begins writing 203 Sts. Perpetua and Felicity are martyred in the arena at Carthage 215 Origen (ca. 185-254) begins writing Period: 249 to 251 Decius 250 Edict of Decius (emp. 249-251) orders empire-wide persecution of Christians Period: 253 to 260 Valerian 257 Valerian (emp. 253-260) Rescripts in 257 and 258 Period: 284 to 305 Diocletian 293 Diocletian creates, the Tetrarchy 303 "Great Persecution" begins under Diocletian 312 Constantine adopts Christian symbol before battle 313 Edict of Milan 410 Visigoths sack Rome under king Alaric 418 Franks take gual 430 St Augustine dies 431 Council of Ephesus - third Ecumenical - defined Mary to be the Mother of God 445 Emp. Valentinian III acknowledges papal supremacy 451 Council of Chalcedon; - fourth Ecumenical - defined the human and divine natures of Christ in one Person 452 St. Leo I (the Great) meets Attila the Hun 476 End of Roman Empire, last western emperor is Romulus Augustulus 483 Theodoric the Ostrogot becomes king of Italy 528 St. Benedict founds monastery at Monte Cassino 553 Second Council of Constantinople - fifth Ecumenical - called by Emperor Justinian 570 Muhammad born at or near Mecca 599 St. Gregory, 590-604 671 Muhammad has vision of archangel Gabriel