-
Period: 100 BCE to 44 BCE
Julius Caesar
A military hero who became the first Roman dictator and claimed to be descended from Romulus, the founder of Rome. The people of Rome placed Caesar on the throne as dictator for life after years of civil war. -
Period: 31 BCE to 476
Roman Empire
A powerful empire that began with post-Republican Rome and with the help of its prominent military strength expanded into Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa. This advanced empire was known for advanced education and modern city planning. -
Period: 2 BCE to 33
Jesus Christ
The Son of God who lived a sinless life on earth to save all who believe in Him. His birth, death, and resurrection were foreshadowed throughout the narrative in the Bible, and faith in Him as the one true savior is the foundation of the Christian religion. -
33
Jesus Christ's Death and Resurrection
The Jewish leaders, who hated Jesus, convinced Pontius Pilate to condemn Jesus to a death on a cross. Three days after his death, He was resurrected from the dead according to witnesses accounts recorded in the Bible. -
Period: 64 to 313
Christians Persecuted in the Roman Empire
Following the great Roman fires that burned down nearly 3 quarters of Rome, Emperor Nero blamed the fires on the Christians, which caused them to be persecuted all across the Roman Empire. -
313
Christianity Legalized in the Roman Empire
As Christianity grew through the Roman Empire, Emperor Constantine, who was a Christian himself, legalized Christianity after he believed God had helped him win a crucial battle. This ended persecution of Christians in the empire. -
Period: 450 to 1500
The Middle Ages
The time period which began with the end of the Roman Empire and ended with the beginning of the modern era. Power in Europe was held by smaller kingdoms and the Catholic Church rose significantly in power. -
476
The Fall of Rome
Barbaric tribes attacked numerous Roman strongholds starting in 250 AD, including in 410 when the Visigoths sacked Rome. The city was attacked for the last time in 476 when Theoderic the Great conquered it again. -
Period: Apr 2, 747 to Jan 28, 814
Charlemagne
The first Holy Roman Emperor of Europe who was crowned by Pope Leo III after he assisted the Pope in defeating an attack from the Lombards in Italy. -
Period: 1175 to 1235
Berlinghiero Berlinghieri
An influential Italian painter of Christian art in the Byzantine style during the Middle Ages whose sons also became famous painters after him. His most famous painting is Madonna and Child. -
Period: 1225 to 1274
Thomas Aquinas
An Italian theologian who mixed the beliefs of the Ancient Greeks and the Bible. He spent 9 years of his life writing the Summa Theologica, which means summary of theology, in which he discussed many aspects of the Christian faith. -
1230
Madonna and Child
A famous tempera on wood painting in the Byzantine style by artist Berlinghiero, featuring Jesus and his mother Mary. The painting now hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. -
Period: 1265 to 1321
Dante Alighieri
An Italian writer and poet in the Middle Ages whose most famous work is his Divine Comedy on Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paridiso. It is considered a classic and is still widely read today. -
Period: 1350 to
The Renaissance
A time period in which explorers searched for new discoveries, the printing press was invented, and artists created realistic paintings and sculptures for the first time. -
Period: 1390 to Jul 9, 1441
Jan Van Eyck
A Dutch early Northern Rennaissance painter who mixed and used oil paints to make more saturated colors in his paintings. His paintings also contain very fine detail. -
Period: 1401 to 1428
Masaccio
An Italian painter of church frescos during the early Renaissance period. He is known for transforming this entire art form in the period of only 6 years and laid the foundation for much of Western painting. -
1434
Arnolfini Portrait
The most famous painting by Jan Van Eyck which contains brilliant colors, realistic lighting, and fine detail. One notable part of the painting is the tiny mirror on the wall in the back, in which Van Eyck painted an exact reverse of the scene. -
Period: Apr 15, 1452 to May 2, 1519
Leonardo da Vinci
A "Renaissance Man" in the truest term, da Vinci was an artist, anatomist, architect, mathematician, chemist, and engineer. He is most well known for two of his famous paintings: the Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. -
Period: May 21, 1471 to Apr 6, 1527
Albrecht Dürer
A German artist who became the first non-Italian to greatly influence art. He was a skilled painted and engraver with his most famous work being the Apocalypse, a series of 14 wood cuts based on Revelation. -
Period: Mar 6, 1475 to Feb 18, 1564
Michelangelo Buonarroti
A master sculptor whose detailed works were informed by his love of anatomy, with his most famous sculpture being the marble statue of David. He also became a master painter, painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling for Pope Julius II. -
Period: Nov 10, 1483 to Feb 18, 1546
Martin Luther
Known as the father of the Protestant Reformation, the German monk rejected multiple unbiblical teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and led a return back to Sola Scriptura. -
1499
The Pieta
This Renaissance sculpture of Jesus and his mother Mary was crafted out of marble by Italian sculptor Michelangelo. It depicts the 6th sorrow of Mary and currently sits in Vatican City in St. Peter's Basilica. -
1503
Mona Lisa
A painting of a woman well known for her mysterious smile, this masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci is the most visited painting in all of history. It is valued at about $1 billion today and is housed at the Louvre in Paris, France. -
Period: Jul 10, 1509 to May 27, 1564
John Calvin
This Protestant Reformer who followed Martin Luther led the Protestant Reformation in Geneva, Switzerland. His teachings on the doctrines of predestination are now known as Calvinism and are hallmarks of Reformed and Presbyterian churches. -
1514
St. Jerome in His Study
This engraving by Albrecht Dürer depicts the Latin Vulgate translator, St. Jerome, in his study. This famous work is full of Biblical symbolism and is a well-known piece of Reformation era art. -
Oct 31, 1517
Martin Luther Nails 95 Theses
German monk Martin Luther wrote 95 theses about why the sale of indulgences were not Biblical. He nailed these theses to the door of Wittenburg Church which maddened the Church Leaders. Pope Leo X excommunicated him for this. -
Period: Oct 31, 1517 to
The Protestant Reformation
Because the Catholic Church abused its power and used it only to benefit themselves, Reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin sought to fix the corruption by teaching that the Bible is the ultimate authority, not the Church. -
Period: to
Rembrandt van Rijn
This Dutch Golden Age painter was a master of portraits, and his paintings were more realistic than previous portrait painters. He practiced by painting his own self-portrait nearly 100 times throughout his life. -
Return of the Prodigal Son
This painting by Dutch Golden Age master Rembrandt was one of his last paintings and was created less than two years before his death. It depicts the end of Jesus' prodigal son parable when the ungrateful son returns to his father's house. -
Period: to
George Frideric Handel
A German-British composer in the late Baroque era who is most famous for his oratorio, The Messiah. It is still performed around the world today at Christmastime. Ludwig van Beethoven even called Handel "the greatest composer that even lived." -
Period: to
Johann Sebastian Bach
A German Baroque composer who is famous for his music being filled with harmony. His music was not very popular during his life, but started to become famous 50 years after his death. Today Bach is known as the father of music.