Art History- please don't edit (:

The Greeks conquered the Egyptians under Alexander the Great in approximately

330 BCE

Augustus Julius Cesar named 1st Emperor of Rome

27 BCE

The first ruler of one of the most powerful and widespread empires in the history of the world!

Art History

Period: 1 CE to 1100

Romans were defeated by Nordics in the battle of Teutoberger Wald

9

Julius Cesar "Augustus" dies

14

Jesus is crucified

33

His death and resurrection created the most popular religion in the world today: Christianity. The belief that God sent his Son as a sacrifice for the sins of the world is the basis of the religion. This destroyed the condemnation of the Ten Commandments and laws that humans would have to follow to be saved: Grace through Jesus is enough to be saved for eternity ( nothing humans can do can earn their way to heaven!).

Nordic culture created a writing system based on the runic alphabet

150

Emperor Diocletian splits Roman Empire into 2 smaller empires

284

Emperor Diocletian split the Roman Empire to make it easier to govern. The Western Roman Empire was made up of Spain, Gaul, England, parts of Germany, North Africa and Italy. The Eastern part (ruled from Byzantium) was made up of Greece, Asia Minor (Turkey), the Holy Lands and Egypt. This part eventually become known as the Byzantine Empire.

Christianity is made official religion of Roman Empire

307

Emperor Constantine took the throne- First Christian emperor

307

Christianity had some negative effects on Rome. The empire was powerful and its people were satisfied having freedom to follow whatever religion they pleased. The enforcement of Christianity caused strife and many men in the army dropped off to follow their choice of religion.

Saint Basil of Caesarea is born

329

He was a greek bishop who established what is considered the first hospital.

Constantine moves capital from Rome to Byzantium and names it Constantinople

330

This caused a huge weakness in the Roman Empire, assisting the downfall of Rome.

The first practical horse collar appears

400

Many horses replace oxen as they are quicker, this helps increase agricultural efficiency.

Saint Augustine of Hippo writes the first autobiography in Western Culture

400

The "Confessions" depicted humanity needs for God's grace ( shown throughout his life).

Visigoth tribe from Germany, led by King Alaric, captures Rome

410

Anglo-Saxons rule England

Period: 450 to 1066

Anglo-Saxon rule filled the power vacuum in England after the crumbling of the Roman Empire. Their art predominately focused on metalworking, woodcarving, intricate weaving of figures, knot work, often in many animals and human forms. This culture liked puzzles and riddles and it can be seen in the hidden details of their art.

A Germanic Tribe named Vandals capture Rome

455

Emperor Romulus Augustulus is killed

476

Rome is sacked for the final time by the Goths- many call this the " Fall of Rome"

476

This lead to a near 500 year time span called the Dark ages. The finer things of life were overshadowed by the political/social ( war) unrest in Europe, leading to a dark time for art.

Boethius is born in Rome

480

Boethius was a a Roman statesman, philosopher, scholar, mathematician and music theorist.
He created a system of music where two octaves were split into 15 points; also, he assigned these points letters of the greek alphabet, creating a system of rhythmic notation. This was monumental in music theory in Europe and was studied for centuries.

Two Buddhas In Conversation is built in China

519

This is a beautiful guilt bronze statue that represents the balance of life in Buddhism.

Songyue Temple is built in Pagoda, China

522

This is the oldest, giant Pagoda in China.

Arian Baptistery St. Maria in Cosmedin, Ravenna Italy

525

The Goths, under King Theodoric, brought the Arian form of Christianity to Italy.

The Tomb of Theodoric, Ravenna, Italy is built

526

Goth King Theodoric had this mausoleum built out of limestone. This was uncommon- marble was often used in Italy at this time.

Byzantine Emperor Justinian has St.Sophia Basilica Built

532

This basilica is the greatest surviving example of Byzantine architecture. It is also known as the Hagia Sophia. It is a sacred site for the Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Muslim faiths.

coldest winter in 2,000 years in Europe and China

536

The winter destroyed many crops and famines arose. This helped fuel the fall of Roman Empire.

Church of St. Vitale, Ravenna, Italy is built

547

This Church contains some of the finest Byzantine mosaics known!

First windmills are used

550

The Persian were the first to use windmills to help power irrigation systems. This was a huge source of power that was easily accessible to many.

Mohammad is born in Mecca

570

He is consider the greatest prophet of Islam who helped spread Islam to the world. He said he was visited by archangel Gabriel.

Horyuji Temple, Nara, Japan is built

585

This Temple has the oldest wooden structures left in the world. It is also home to many irreplaceable treasures from Japan's 7th century. It was chosen as a UNESCO World Heritage sight in 1993.

Church modes and chants

Period: 590 to 604

Gregorian Chant, named after Pope Gregory, was used by the Christian Church to enforce the spread and use of Latin. Music modes were also widely spread; Two classes of modes became prevalent: rhythmic and melodic. These helped unified the liturgies while also changing the basis of music!

Buddha in Lotus Position, Bihar, India

600

This is the earliest representation of Buddha in the lotus position ever found.

Mohammad moved his followers to Medina

622

Medina was eager to learn about Islam and it widely caught on. This is known as year 1 in the Islamic calendar. Mohammad is buried in a tomb in Medina today.

Mohammed’s forces conquered Mecca

630

After conquering Mecca, he gave the pagan temple of Ka'ba to Allah and the majority of the city started to follow Islam.

Mohammad dies

632

Mohammad death led to the first Caliph being enstated ( his good friend Abu Bakr). The new caliph led Islam into many "holy wars" to spread Islam to pagan religions.

Holy Wars Under Abu Bakr start

632

Syria fell to the Muslims

636

Islam is spread

Most of Egypt Falls to Muslims

640

Islam is spread

First poem in English is written

Period: 657 to 680

The poem was called, " Caedmon's Hymn".

Holy wars under Abu Bakr end

661

By the end of 662, Islam and spread around the Arbia land the Near Ends and North Africa. Many of these societies welcomed Islam and were eager to escape Christianity (that had been previously enforced). The distinct style ( Calligraphy, Vegetal patterns, Geometric patterns, Manuscript illustrations, Figural representation) of Islam art spread replacing former Hellenistic and Byzantine styles.

Charlemagne becomes King of the Franks in modern day France

768

One of the greatest leader of all of Europe. He helped take Europe out of the dark ages.

Charlamenge become the King of northern Italy after defeating Lombards

774

Saxon King Offa of Mercia introduces "sterling coin"

775

This measurement would be used by the Bank of England in the future.
240 sterlings= 1 pound of silver

Charlemenge is crowned first king of the Holy Roman Empire by Pope Leo III

800

Charlemagne was an incredible military leader. He established schools in all of the bishoprics and monasteries in his kingdoms. Improvements such as: new farming techniques, implementation of standard weights and measures, protection of merchants ( made sure they were not subject to excessive tolls) , protection of trade routes, and more all helped improve society under his rule. Charlemenge also helped eliminate corruption in government, helping economics (in the feudalism system).

Charlemagne dies

814

climate catastrophe in Europe

821

A period of 3 years where torrential rain, cold winters, frozen rivers caused severe famine and disease.

Medieval Warming Period

Period: 850 to 1315

A rise in temperature causes ideal farming weather; this leads to a boom in population.

Gunpowder is used first time in Battle in China

904

Wuchang, China
- Gunpowder made of saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur
-revolutionized war

Fist iron horseshoe is documented

910

This allowed horses to work for longer- helping agriculture significantly.

Construction on Al' Askari shrine begins

944

This is one of the holiest shrines in the Shia sect of Islam. The remains of two Shia Imams lay in the shrine giving it the nickname, " The Tomb of Two Imams".

Saint Marks Basilica construction begins

976

St.Mark's Basilica is one of the finest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture in the world! It has a mix of gothic, romanesque, gothic architecture.

Shrine of Hussain Ibn Ali- construction starts

979

This shrine is one of the holiest sites for the Shia muslims ( besides Mecca and Medina). The shrine holds the remains of the second grandson of Mohammad named Hussain. Each year, pilgrimages are taken here to mourn Hussain Ibn Ali's death.

Italian monk Guido de Arezzo

Period: 991 to 1033

A brilliant monk who made some of the most important developments in western music:
- diatonic scale
- defined single size for whole step
- constructed scales based on 7 tones
- instructed students to sings in harmonies ( instead of just octaves or unisons)

- developed the system of solfege ( developed syllables)
- changed modal theory from tetrachord to hexachord ( from 4 to 6 notes)
- developed a four-lined musical staff
( later adapted to the 5-line staff we use today)

Construction on the Augsburg Cathedral begins

995

The Augsburg Cathedral is a beautiful romanesque-style cathedral with a cruciform floor plan. It has Germany's oldest surviving stained glass windows.

Dark Ages Ends

1000

Heavy Plow use in Europe

1000

The heavy plow completely changed the agricultural process. The plow made farm work much quicker and efficient. This lead to more crops which, in turn, helped create a spike in population. It was originally created in the Han Dynasty in China around 500 but the technology took a while to spread to Europe.

Chinese use the first paper money

1024

First movable printing system in China

1040

This invention revolutionized communication and the hisotry of written documents.

Construction on Westminster Abbey is started

1042

Construction started with Anglo-Saxon leader Edward the Confessor. He brought in Norman stone masons to help with construction, unknowingly helping with the implementation of Norman architecture ( that was to come later via the Norman takeover of England!). Westminster Abbey is the oldest Romanesque structure in England.

Norman Rule in England Begins

1066

William the Conqueror and his forces defeat King Harolds at the battle of Hastings ( leading to the end of Anglo-Saxon rule). Many Anglo-Saxons continued to fight off Norman rule for centuries. The Normans, in an attempt to stop uprisings, adopted some of the Anglo-Saxon culture. However, Norman culture was heavily implemented, especially stone castles. The Normans brought a higher level of architectural skill to England.

William the Conquerer starts to build St.John's Chapel

1087

This Chapel is now part of the Tower of London.

Durham Castle is started

1093

This castle is one of the finest examples of Norman architecture still standing today! It was the first in England to feature a ribbed vault system for its arches. It has been deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Winchester Cathedral is completed

1093

This is one of the largest cathedrals in England.

The first crusade captures Jerusalem

1099

15,000 Roman troops capture Jereselum and establish five Christian states.

Norman Rule in England ends

1140