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274
Constantine is born
One of the most famous emperors from the Roman Empire was Constantine I. He was born in circa 274 AD in Nassius, which is in Upper Moesia, Yugoslavia. He was the eldest son of Constantinus Chlorus and Helena. He would become a major figure in the history of Rome and of a religion later in his life. The picture is of a statue of Constantinus. -
301
Armenia excepts Christianity
In 301 AD, Armenia becomes the first state to fully accept Christianity. The persecution of Christianity no longer exists there. In about 12 years, the Roman Empire would accept Christianity through the Edict of Milan. The map to the left is a map of Armenia and the surrounding territories. Exact Date Unknown. -
306
Constantine becomes an emperor
n 306 AD, Constantinus passes away, and since the two emperors are Constantinus and Galerius, Constantinus claims Constantine to be his successor. Although Galerius accepts Constantine, Constantine was only given the name Caesar, but not Augustus. This would lead to political tensions between the emperors. The picture is of a coin with Constantius Chlorus on it. Exact Date Unknown. -
311
Nomadic Invasions in China
In 311, Nomads invade China and as a result China is divided into many kingdoms. The north of China itself is divided into 16 kigdoms, and the capital is the Jin capital of Nanjing. The picture is that of China. Exact Date Unknown. -
312
Constantine sees the cross
Maxentius went and threatened Gaul, and Constantine, who was an emperor of the West, went and fought and defeated him in 312 near Rome. Maxentius would soon after drown at the Milvian Bridge near Rome. The day before the battle against Maxentius, Constantine had prayed for divine help. In response, he saw a cross in the Heavens, and it told him “In this sign, conquer”. Constantine then had all armor and shields of the soldiers painted with the Holy Cross. Exact Date Unknown. -
312
Sabbath in Sunday
In 312, Sunday becomes the Sabbath day in the Roman Empire. The Sabbath Day is a holy day for the Jewish people. As said in the Fourth Commandment, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work . . .' The picture is that of the Ten Commandments. Exact Date Unknown. -
313
The Edict of Milan is signed
In AD 313, he announced the end of the persecution of Christians. He declared this in the Edict of Milan, which he signed with Licinius. This declared that Christianity is an allowed religion and it gave “both to the Christians and to all men freedom to follow the religion that they choose” (Edict of Milan). The picture is a representation of the Edict of Milan being signed. Exact Date Unknown. -
314
Licinius cedes Greece, Pannonia, and Illrycium to Constantine
Soon after, in 311, Galerius dies, and in 313, Maximin dies, Licinius becomes emperor of the East. After a war in 314 between the rival emperors, Licinius had to give up Illrycium, Pannonia, and Greece to Constantine. For the next few years though, Constantine would focus on strengthening the borders of the empire and defeating rebellions. The map is of all the land given to Constantine by Licinius. Exact Date Unknown. -
323
Constantine becomes sole emperor of the Roman Empire
Another war breaks out between Licinius and Constantine. Constantine again defeated Licinius and put him to death. As a result, Constantine became the sole emperor of the entire Roman Empire. This is significant because by becoming the emperor, this led to many other events in the future, and this led to the splitting of the Roman Empire. The image is that of a triumphant Constantine. -
330
Constantine splits the Roman Empire
In 330, Constantine realizes that the Roman Empire is in chaos. There are attacks from the North by Germanic tribes. From the east, the Huns are attacking the borders as well. He realizes that the size of the Roman Empire has now made it a weak empire. As a result, he had the Empire split into two, the Eastern and Western Empire. The capital of the West would stay Rome, whereas the capital of the East would become Byzantium. The map is of the Byzantine Empire in 476. Exact Date Unknown. -
330
Construction in St. Peter's Basilica
In 330 AD, Construction of St. Peter's Basilica begins. It was a magnificent building, guarding all kinds of treasures and gold and art. Also here, the only copy of the famous art piece Navicella mosaic by Giotto of which today there is only one copy being protected in the portico. To the left is a photo of the Basilica in Rome. Exact Date Unknown. -
335
Holy Church consecrated in Jerusalem
In 335, the Church of the Holy Selpuchre is consecrated. The church is in Jerusalem. The Church was founded by Constantine. It was a spot on which was related to where Jesus was before his death and during his resurrection. This is a picture of the Church. Exact Date Unknown. -
337
Constantine dies
Constantine died on May 22, 337 AD. He died at the age of 63, 7 years after he split the Empires in two. Constantine was a famous emperor from Rome, and he became famous because he became the sole emperor of the large Empire, because he stopped the persecution of Christians, and because he split the Roman Empire into two. This is a piece of Constantine's tomb, which has been looted many times through Roman history. -
Constantine becomes a soldier
Constantine first distinguished himself as a soldier in Diocletian’s Egyptian expedition, which occurred in 296. Later, he also fought under Galerius in the Persian war. He would also later fight with his fatherto become emperor till his father dies. The picture is that of a Roman Legionary from the time of Diocletian. Exact Date Unknown. -
There are 6 Roman Emperors
Political complications then increased, and in 308, there were a total of 6 emperors. They were Galerius, Lucinius, Maximin, Maximinus, his son, Maxentius, and Constantine. Each fought wars with each other to win the title of Caesar Augustus of the Roman Empire. These wars would last on for about 15 years. The picture to the left is that of a legionary with the cross on his shield. Exact Date Unknown. -
Jin Empire reunites China
It is in 280 BC that China is united under one single empire. It is done by the newly founded Jin Dynasty. The western Jin Emperor is who brought China back together. The picture is a set of coins that were used during the Western Jin Empire. Exact Date Unknown.
