Important Dates & Events up to 800 (all dates A.D./C.E.)
In general, review the flow of events. Most of these are political events which serve as a useful framework for studying ecclesiastical, theological, and cultural developments within Christianity. A few of the dates (e.g. the last two on the list) refer to events that we will cover in greater depth in the second half of the semester and will not be included on the midterm. An asterisk [*] indicates a particular date you should know.
First to Fourth Century
54-68
Reign
of Emperor Nero; first persecution of Christians
70
Jewish
revolt crushed by Romans; Temple in Jerusalem destroyed
100-200 Writings of
apologists (e.g. Justin Martyr) and earliest theologians (e.g.
Irenaeus of Lyons)
203
Martrydom
of Perpetua & Felicity
249-51
Persecution under Emp. Decius
284-305 Reign of Emp.
Diocletian; Great Persecution (303-311)
Fourth Century
303-311 Great
Persecution
306-337 Reign of
Constantine
311
Edict
of Toleration; 312 - Conversion of Constantine
*313
"Edict
of Milan"
*325
Council
of Nicaea (First Ecumenical Council) called by Emp. Constantine
330
Constantinople
founded
337-361 Reign of
Constantius (Arian sympathizer)
340
Ulfilas
consecated bishop to the Goths; introduces Arian Christianity to
the Goths
339
Shapur
II launches a major persecution of Chrians in Persia
356
publication
of Life of Antony
361-3
Reign
of Julian "the Apostate"
379-95
Reign of Theodosius I
381
Council
of Constantinople (Second Ecumenical Council)
*381
Christianity
becomes "official" religion of Roman Empire
391-2
Paganism outlawed by imperial legislation
Fifth to Sixth Century
410
Sack
of Rome by Visigoths
431
Council
of Ephesus (Third Ecumenical Council)
*451
Council
of Chalcedon (Fourth Ecumenical Council)
476
End
of Roman Empire in the West
c.500
Conversion
of Clovis, King of Franks, to Catholic Christianity
527-565 Reign of Emp.
Justinian [East Roman Emperor]
565
St.
Colomba founds highly influential monastic community on island of
Iona
590-604 Pope Gregory the
Great
597
Pope
Gregory sends Augustine of Canterbury to the English
Seventh to Eighth Century
c.602-628 "Great War" between East Roman
(Byzantine) Empire and Sassanian Persian Empire
*622
Muhammad's
Hijra ("Migration"); year one of the Islamic calendar
632-750 Islamic
Expansion (630s & 640s - Persia, Syria & Egypt; 711 -
Spain)
c.635
Alopen,
followed by other East Syrian ("Nestorian") missionaries, arrives
in China under T'ang dynasty
661-750 Umayyad Caliphate
(661-750), capital in Damascus
663
Synod
of Whitby
750
Abbasid Caliphate comes to power; 762 - capital moved
to Baghdad
781 - Patriarch Timothy of Baghdad's dialogue
with the caliph
781 - Monument of the Church of the East
erected at Xian
787
II
Council of Nicaea (Seventh Ecumenical Council)
*800
Charlemagne
crowned emperor by Pope Leo III