Unit 3

25 AD Han Dynasty Founded

25

After the death of Wang Mang, Hou Han founded the Eastern Han Dynasty. During this dynasty, which lasted until 220, Buddhism was introduced into China.

51 AD Conquest Of Wales Completed By Romans

51

The Romans under Ostorius Scaopula defeated Carctacus of Wales. This eventually led to the complete subjugation of Wales to the Romans twenty years later.

64 AD Rome Burns

64

The city of Rome was nearly destroyed in a catastrophic fire. The fire is said to have been set by Nero. Legend has it that 'Rome burned while Nero fiddled'.

78 AD Kushan Dynasty

78

The Kushan Dynasty was established by Kanishka. The Kushan Empire extended from Benares and Kabul to the Vindhayas. The Kushan capital was at Peshawar. The Kushans thrived on the Chinese-Roman trade that passed through their Empire.

122 AD Hadrian's Wall Was Built

122

The Roman emperor Hadrian on a visit to Britain ordered the construction of a defensive wall. The wall stretched 70 miles across Northern England.

180 AD Marcus Aurelius Dies-

176

In 180 A.D., Marcus Aurelius died and was succeeded by his son, Commodus. Commodus was the first emperor since Domitian to succeed by virtue of birth, rather than by assassination. Commodus later had two of his prefects executed. He lavished enormous wealth on himself and was strangled in 192 A.D.

220 AD Three Kingdoms- Six Dynasties

220

With the end of the Han Dynasty, Tsao Pei assumed power and founded the Wei Dynasty. The Wei dynasty was the first in a series of dynasties known as the Six Dynasties. While the Wei dynasty would eventually be recognized as the legitimate one, for some period of time, three competing kingdoms each claimed to be the legitimate rulers of China.

235 AD The Roman Army On Rhine Revolts

234

Alexander Severus the Roman Emperor conducted an indecisive campaign against the Germanic tribes. Alexander Severus' troops revolted and killed him. Maximinus, a Thracian general, became the new emperor.

287 AD Aurelius Carausius Revolts

285

Aurelius Carausius, commander of the Roman fleet in the English Channel, revolted. He established England as an independent kingdom of Britain.

320 AD Gupta Dynasty

314

The Gupta Empire was founded in 320 by Chandragupta I. Under his successor, Samudragupta, the Gupta Empire was extended to include all of Northern India. The Gupta Empire ushered in a new golden age of Indian culture.

317 AD Tatar Warriors Break Through Great Wall

317

Tatar warriors broke through the Great Wall of China that had been built during the Han Dynasty to provide Northern China with protection against invasion. The Tatars drove out the Western Chin Dynasty, which was forced to move its capital to Nanking.

337 AD Constantine The Great Dies And Empire Divides

337

In 337 A.D., Constantine died. He left his empire to his sons. The empire soon found itself divided with the Western Roman Empire governed from Rome by Constans and the Eastern Roman Empire governed by Constantius II.

376 AD Ostrogoths Subjected By The Huns-

376

The Huns, a nomadic Mongol people, swept in from Asia. They managed to defeat the Ostrogoth Empire. This brought to an end an empire that had dominated Eastern Europe for 200 years.

395 AD Theodosius Dies Empire Split Permantly-

395

When Emperor Theodosius died in 395 A.D., the Roman Empire was forever split. Theodosius was succeeded by his sons Arcadius, who ruled the Eastern portion, and Honorius, who ruled the Western.

407 AD Romans Withdraw From Britain

406

In 407 A.D., Constantine led his troops on a withdrawal from Britain. Roman troops never returned to Britain.

451 AD Attila The Hun Defeated- Attila the Hun was leader of the Huns and it was he who had earlier defeated the Visigoths. Attila commanded an army that is said to have numbered as many as half a million

451

Attila the Hun was leader of the Huns and it was he who had earlier defeated the Visigoths. Attila commanded an army that is said to have numbered as many as half a million men. Attila swept through Gaul. In 451 A.D., Attila faced the Visigoths and Romans together in the battle of Chalons. Attila was defeated in this battle, and forced to withdraw. He went on to invade Italy but was convinced to withdraw by Pope Leo. He died in 453 A.D.

476 AD Western Roman Empire Ends

474

The Western Roman Empire came to an end when the Emperor Romulus Augustulus was deposed by German mercenaries at Ravenna. The German mercenaries then declared themselves to be the rulers of Italy.

486 AD Roman Occupation Of Gaul Ends

485

The last Roman emperor of France was defeated by Clovis I, King of the Salian Franks. After the defeat of the Romans, Clovis established the Kingdom of the Franks.

503 - 557 AD Persian-Roman Wars

503

Between 503 and 557 A.D.,three successive wars -- interrupted by periods of peace -- are fought between the Persian Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire. All have the same basic cause -- an inability to define the borders and the relationship between the two empires. In 567 a 'definitive' peace was reached. Under its terms, Rome agreed to pay the Persians 30,000 pieces of gold annually.

581 AD Sui Dynasty Reunites China

581

After nearly four centuries of internal divisions and strife, China was reunited under the leadership of Yang Jian. A member of a respected aristocratic family, Yang Jian founded the Sui Dynasty. Yang Jian used Buddhism to help unite the kingdom.