VII | From the Beginning of the Middle Ages to the Formation of the… — The Circle of Knowledge by Henry W. Ruoff

VII | From the Beginning of the Middle Ages to the Formation of the Mohammedan Empire, 395-622 A. D.

Great Events of Period. Invasion of the Germanic Tribes. Middle Ages begin. Anglo-Invasion of Britain. 400-500: Fall of the Roman Empire. Beginning of new states. 500-600: Great disorders in the West. Beginnings of Feudalism; power of the clergy increases. In the East the great reign of Justinian. 600-700: Rise and wonderful spread of Mohammedanism from Arabia to Siude on the east, and Carthage on the west. Christianizing of Germany.

A. D.	Britain	Western Part of the Roman Empire					Eastern Empire		Persia	China, India, Japan	A. D.
A. D.	Britain	Spain	Gaul (Franks)	Germans	Italy	Church	Eastern Empire		Persia	China, India, Japan	A. D.
	I. Roman Period (B.C. 55-410 A.D.)				395-423. Honorius, Emperor. Capital Rome, Ravenna imperial residence after 402.		395. Arcadius received the Eastern Empire, also called the Byzantine or Grecian Empire. Capital Byzantium or Constantinople.		399-420. Isdegerdes favors the Christians.
400						400. Chrysostom, patriarch of Constantinople; ST. AUGUSTINE.					400
					402. Alaric invades Italy. Stilicho collects an army from Gaul, Britain, etc., and defeats him at Pollentia and Verona.	402. Pope Innocent I.
		409. Gerontius, the Roman governor, invites the Vandals, Alani and Suevi into Spain.			408. Stilicho slain. Alaric’s third invasion.	402. Pope Innocent I.
	410. The Roman troops being gradually withdrawn, the natives become independent.		412. Ataulphus, with the Visigoths, leaves Italy, conquers Narbonne and Toulouse.	413. Kingdom of the Burgundians founded by Gondicar.	410. Alaric captures and sacks Rome.	412. Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria.	414-53. Regency of Pulcheria.		412. Conquers Armenia.
		415. The empire of the Visigoths.			410. Alaric captures and sacks Rome.	416. The Pelagian heresy condemned by the African bishops.	414-53. Regency of Pulcheria.		412. Conquers Armenia.
		415. The empire of the Visigoths.			423-455. The greater part of Gaul and Spain lost.	422. Pope Celestine I.	420-22. Persian War on account of persecution of the Christians.		420-440. Varanes V.	420. China: Close of Isin dynasty.
425	The Scots and Picts continually harass the island, and the Franks and Saxons infest its coast.	429. Empire of the Vandals.			423-455. The greater part of Gaul and Spain lost.	432. St. Patrick preaches the Gospel in Ireland.	431-440. Armenia divided between the Persians and Romans.				425
					437. Pannonia, Dalmatia and Noricum, lost to the Greek Empire.	432. St. Patrick preaches the Gospel in Ireland.	438. Theodosian Code.
						440. Pope LEO I. the Great, greatly extends the power of the bishop of Rome.	441. Invasion of the Huns; who ravage Europe to the walls of Constantinople.		440-457. Varanes VI., Legislator.
	II. Anglo-Saxon Period (449-1066)		448-456. Merovius powerfully assists in the defeat of Attila, and thus gives his name to the first race of French kings.	449. The Saxon invasion of England.					440-457. Varanes VI., Legislator.
450		451. Invasion of Attila, with half a million Huns. The Huns under Attila, called the “Scourge of God,” defeated by the confederate armies of Romans and Visigoths at Chalons.	450. Dynasty of the Merovingians.		452. Attila returns from Gaul into Italy. Pope Leo saves Rome.	451. The fourth general council at Chalcedon, at which Eutychianism and Nestorianism are solemnly condemned.					450
	455-556. Saxon Octarchy.		455. The Britons settle in Bretagne.		455-476. From the assassination of Valentinian, ten emperors rapidly succeed.		454. The Ostrogoths, after Attila’s death, settle in Pannonia and Mœsia.
	455. Hengist founds the kingdom of Kent.		457. Childeric conquers to the Loire, including Paris.	456. The Alemanni follow the Burgundians into Alsace. The river Aar in Switzerland becomes the boundary between them.	455. Genseric and the Vandals plunder Rome.		457-474. Leo the Great. The first emperor crowned by a patriarch of the Greek Church.		457. Firoz, one of the most celebrated princes of Persia.
					461. Ricimer, leader of the Goths, reigns under the name of Severus III.
		466-483. Gothic Monarchy of Spain.			474. Ricimer sacks Rome.		474-491. Zeno.
475					476. Odoacer, King of the Heruli, overthrows the Western Empire, and founds the Kingdom of Italy.		475. The Ostrogoths. Theodoric brought up as a hostage at Constantinople, becomes chief of the whole nation. He invades the empire, ravages Thrace with great cruelty.			480. India: End of Gupta dynasty.	475
		NEW NATIONS FORMED OUT OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
		Spain	Franks	Germans	Italy
		Kingdom of the Visigoths.	Kingdom of the Franks.
			481-511. Clovis the true founder of the French monarchy: capital Paris.			482. The Emperor Zeno publishes the Henoticon.
			486. Defeats Syagrius at Soissons. End of the Roman Dominion.	491-516. Gondebald, King of Burgundy.		492. Pope Gelasius I. He advances bold claims to authority.	489-493. Theodoric’s expedition from Thrace, etc., into Italy.
					493. Italy conquered by Theodoric, King of the Ostrogoths. Odoacer put to death.	492. Pope Gelasius I. He advances bold claims to authority.	493. The Kingdom of the Ostrogoths.
			496. Conversion of Clovis. He defeats the Alamanni.		493-555. Kingdom of the East Goths (Ostrogoths) in Italy.	496. Christianity introduced among the Franks, whose king, Clovis, accepts baptism.	493. The Kingdom of the Ostrogoths.
500					500. Edict of Theodoric.		502-505. War with Persia.				500
		508-522. Theodoric the Great, King of the Ostrogoths, rules the affairs of Spain—he preserves Narbonne, wrested from the Visigoths by Clovis, to this empire, but joins Arles and Provence to his own.		506. Burgundy tributary to the Franks.	508. Conquest of Arles and Provence.		507. Long walls built to protect Constantinople from the Bulgarians.
	519. Kingdom of Wessex (West Saxons) which ultimately unites to itself the whole English monarchy.			516. Sigismond.		518. The accession of Justin marks the downfall of the Monophysites.	518-527. Justin. Proclus his minister. 518-565. Brilliant period of the Byzantine Empire.
		522-531. Amalaric, the first Gothic king who establishes his court in Spain: capital, Seville.		523. Godomar.
525						527. Separation of the Armenian from the Greek Church.	527. JUSTINIAN I. becomes emperor; celebrated for his code of laws and the victories of his generals, Belisarius and Narses.				525
						529. The Order of Benedictine Monks instituted at Monte Cassino, near Naples.	530. Belisarius defeats the Persians at Daras.		531-579. Chosroës I., “The Just,” greatest of the Sassanid kings. War with Justinian. Invasion of Syria and capture of Antioch. Belisarius in Syria.
							532. Suppresses the Nika riot in the Hippodrome of Constantinople.
					533-555. WARS OF JUSTINIAN AGAINST THE VANDALS AND OSTROGOTHS.
							533-534. Overthrows the Vandals in Africa.
					535-553. Unsuccessful war with Justinian, the troops revolt and elect Vitiges, 536-541.		535. Subdues Sicily.
			536. Witiges, King of the Ostrogoths, surrenders his possessions in Gaul to the Franks.		536. Belisarius takes Rome.		536. Belisarius and Narses recover Italy.
					536. Belisarius takes Rome.		537. Witiges besieges Belisarius in Rome.	537. It endures a long and disastrous siege from Vitiges.
			540. Byzantine power established in Italy.		541-552. Totila re-establishes the powers of the Ostrogoths.		544. In the Edict of the Three Chapters, Justinian largely repudiates the work of the Council of Chalcedon.					Turks settled in Asia ab. 545-550	549-551. Siege of Petra.
			550									Turks settled in Asia ab. 545-550	549-551. Siege of Petra.	550
552. Narses, the general of Justinian, invades Italy, overthrows the Gothic monarchy.	553. Narses defeats and kills Totila and overthrows Gothic kingdom in Italy.							552. Japan: Buddhism introduced.
558-561. Clotaire sole monarch.								552. Japan: Buddhism introduced.	554. Italy under Greek Exarchs.
			561. Chilperic I. (the French Nero), King of Neustria, married the beautiful Fredegonda.	Many Germanic tribes, particularly the Bavarians and Saxons join the Lombards and Avars in their invasion of Italy.	Kingdom of the Lombards	560. Pope John III. The Tritheists maintain the separate existence of the persons of the Trinity.	565. Death of Belisarius and Justinian. Justin II becomes emperor.
			561-575. Sigebert, King of Austrasia, wife Brunehilda.		568. Italy conquered by the Lombards under Alboin. He later fixes his capital at Pavia.		570-600. The Avars invade the Eastern Empire, and spread over Hungary, Poland and Prussia.	569-582. The Turks send embassies to the Greek emperor—treaty between them.
			561-575. Sigebert, King of Austrasia, wife Brunehilda.		568-752. The Exarchate of Ravenna established.		571-591. Wars with Persia.
575	575. East-Anglia, is formed into a kingdom. The name of Angle-land was given to a small part of the eastern coast, East-Engla-land.						578-582. Tiberius II.		579-590. Hormisdas III.		575
					580. The Latin language ceases to be spoken in Italy, while it supersedes Gothic in Spain.		582-602. Maurice.
	586. The kingdom of Mercia was the last founded by the Angles.	586-601. Recared good and prosperous reign establishes the Catholic faith throughout Spain—the clergy obtain great authority.					The empire extended to the Araxes, and almost to the Caspian.
	588-828. WARS OF THE HEPTARCHY.
	590-616. Supremacy of Ethelbert, King of Kent.	The Latin language supersedes the Gothic.				590-604. GREGORY I. the Great. Canon of the mass established.	592. War with the Avars.		591-628. Chosroes II.	590-618. China: Dynasty of Suy.
	590-616. Supremacy of Ethelbert, King of Kent.	The Latin language supersedes the Gothic.					592. War with the Avars.		591-628. Chosroes II.	593-600. Japan: strong Chinese influences.
600	Ethelbert publishes the first Code of Laws in Britain.					607-614. Boniface IV.	603-628. War with Persia.	600. Arabia became the theater of important events which greatly influenced the history of the East.	603. Invades the Greek Empire—conquers Syria, 611; Palestine and Jerusalem, 614; Egypt, 616 and Asia Minor except the coasts—overrun Africa. Splendid court of Persia.		600
600	Ethelbert publishes the first Code of Laws in Britain.		613-628. Clotaire II., sole monarch, grandson of Clovis, his power extends over all the Gauls to the Pyrenees—the Saxons and Lombards tributary: capital, Paris.			The Anglo-Saxons embrace Christianity—as do also, during this century, the Frieslanders, Westphalians, Thuringians, Danes, Swedes, Germans, and Franks.	603-628. War with Persia.	609. MOHAMMED proclaims his religion.			600

A. D.	Britain	Eastern Empire		Persia	China, India, Japan
	I. Roman Period (B.C. 55-410 A.D.)	395. Arcadius received the Eastern Empire, also called the Byzantine or Grecian Empire. Capital Byzantium or Constantinople.		399-420. Isdegerdes favors the Christians.
400	400. Chrysostom, patriarch of Constantinople; ST. AUGUSTINE.
	410. The Roman troops being gradually withdrawn, the natives become independent.	414-53. Regency of Pulcheria.		412. Conquers Armenia.
		420-22. Persian War on account of persecution of the Christians.		420-440. Varanes V.	420. China: Close of Isin dynasty.
425	The Scots and Picts continually harass the island, and the Franks and Saxons infest its coast.	431-440. Armenia divided between the Persians and Romans.
		438. Theodosian Code.
		441. Invasion of the Huns; who ravage Europe to the walls of Constantinople.		440-457. Varanes VI., Legislator.
	II. Anglo-Saxon Period (449-1066)
450
		454. The Ostrogoths, after Attila’s death, settle in Pannonia and Mœsia.
		457-474. Leo the Great. The first emperor crowned by a patriarch of the Greek Church.		457. Firoz, one of the most celebrated princes of Persia.
	466-483. Gothic Monarchy of Spain.	474-491. Zeno.
475		475. The Ostrogoths. Theodoric brought up as a hostage at Constantinople, becomes chief of the whole nation. He invades the empire, ravages Thrace with great cruelty.			480. India: End of Gupta dynasty.
		489-493. Theodoric’s expedition from Thrace, etc., into Italy.
		493. The Kingdom of the Ostrogoths.
500		502-505. War with Persia.
		507. Long walls built to protect Constantinople from the Bulgarians.
	519. Kingdom of Wessex (West Saxons) which ultimately unites to itself the whole English monarchy.	518-527. Justin. Proclus his minister. 518-565. Brilliant period of the Byzantine Empire.
525		527. JUSTINIAN I. becomes emperor; celebrated for his code of laws and the victories of his generals, Belisarius and Narses.
		530. Belisarius defeats the Persians at Daras.		531-579. Chosroës I., “The Just,” greatest of the Sassanid kings. War with Justinian. Invasion of Syria and capture of Antioch. Belisarius in Syria.
		532. Suppresses the Nika riot in the Hippodrome of Constantinople.
		533-555. WARS OF JUSTINIAN AGAINST THE VANDALS AND OSTROGOTHS.
		533-534. Overthrows the Vandals in Africa.
		535. Subdues Sicily.
		536. Belisarius and Narses recover Italy.
			Turks settled in Asia ab. 545-550	549-551. Siege of Petra.
550
		553. Narses defeats and kills Totila and overthrows Gothic kingdom in Italy.			552. Japan: Buddhism introduced.
		565. Death of Belisarius and Justinian. Justin II becomes emperor.
		570-600. The Avars invade the Eastern Empire, and spread over Hungary, Poland and Prussia.	569-582. The Turks send embassies to the Greek emperor—treaty between them.
		571-591. Wars with Persia.
575	575. East-Anglia, is formed into a kingdom. The name of Angle-land was given to a small part of the eastern coast, East-Engla-land	578-582. Tiberius II.		579-590. Hormisdas III.
		582-602. Maurice.
	586. The kingdom of Mercia was the last founded by the Angles.	The empire extended to the Araxes, and almost to the Caspian.
	588-828. WARS OF THE HEPTARCHY.
	590-616. Supremacy of Ethelbert, King of Kent.	592. War with the Avars.		591-628. Chosroes II.	590-618. China: Dynasty of Suy.
					593-600. Japan: strong Chinese influences.
600	Ethelbert publishes the first Code of Laws in Britain.	603-628. War with Persia.	600. Arabia became the theater of important events which greatly influenced the history of the East.	603. Invades the Greek Empire—conquers Syria, 611; Palestine and Jerusalem, 614; Egypt, 616 and Asia Minor except the coasts—overrun Africa. Splendid court of Persia.
			609. MOHAMMED proclaims his religion.

A. D.	Western Part of the Roman Empire
A. D.	Spain	Gaul (Franks)	Germans	Italy	Church
				395-423. Honorius, Emperor. Capital Rome, Ravenna imperial residence after 402.
400					400. Chrysostom, patriarch of Constantinople; ST. AUGUSTINE.
				402. Alaric invades Italy. Stilicho collects an army from Gaul, Britain, etc., and defeats him at Pollentia and Verona.	402. Pope Innocent I.
	409. Gerontius, the Roman governor, invites the Vandals, Alani and Suevi into Spain.			408. Stilicho slain. Alaric’s third invasion.
		412. Ataulphus, with the Visigoths, leaves Italy, conquers Narbonne and Toulouse.	413. Kingdom of the Burgundians founded by Gondicar.	410. Alaric captures and sacks Rome.	412. Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria.
	415. The empire of the Visigoths.				416. The Pelagian heresy condemned by the African bishops.
				423-455. The greater part of Gaul and Spain lost.	422. Pope Celestine I.
425	429. Empire of the Vandals.				432. St. Patrick preaches the Gospel in Ireland.
				437. Pannonia, Dalmatia and Noricum, lost to the Greek Empire.
					440. Pope LEO I. the Great, greatly extends the power of the bishop of Rome.
		448-456. Merovius powerfully assists in the defeat of Attila, and thus gives his name to the first race of French kings.		449. The Saxon invasion of England.
450	451. Invasion of Attila, with half a million Huns. The Huns under Attila, called the “Scourge of God,” defeated by the confederate armies of Romans and Visigoths at Chalons.	450. Dynasty of the Merovingians.		452. Attila returns from Gaul into Italy. Pope Leo saves Rome.	451. The fourth general council at Chalcedon, at which Eutychianism and Nestorianism are solemnly condemned.
	455-556. Saxon Octarchy.	455. The Britons settle in Bretagne.		455-476. From the assassination of Valentinian, ten emperors rapidly succeed.
	455. Hengist founds the kingdom of Kent.	457. Childeric conquers to the Loire, including Paris.	456. The Alemanni follow the Burgundians into Alsace. The river Aar in Switzerland becomes the boundary between them.	455. Genseric and the Vandals plunder Rome.
				461. Ricimer, leader of the Goths, reigns under the name of Severus III.
				474. Ricimer sacks Rome.
475				476. Odoacer, King of the Heruli, overthrows the Western Empire, and founds the Kingdom of Italy.
	NEW NATIONS FORMED OUT OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
	Spain	Franks	Germans	Italy
	Kingdom of the Visigoths.	Kingdom of the Franks.
		481-511. Clovis the true founder of the French monarchy: capital Paris.			482. The Emperor Zeno publishes the Henoticon.
		486. Defeats Syagrius at Soissons. End of the Roman Dominion.	491-516. Gondebald, King of Burgundy.		492. Pope Gelasius I. He advances bold claims to authority.
				493. Italy conquered by Theodoric, King of the Ostrogoths. Odoacer put to death.
			496. Conversion of Clovis. He defeats the Alamanni.	493-555. Kingdom of the East Goths (Ostrogoths) in Italy.	496. Christianity introduced among the Franks, whose king, Clovis, accepts baptism.
500				500. Edict of Theodoric.
	508-522. Theodoric the Great, King of the Ostrogoths, rules the affairs of Spain—he preserves Narbonne, wrested from the Visigoths by Clovis, to this empire, but joins Arles and Provence to his own.	506. Burgundy tributary to the Franks.		508. Conquest of Arles and Provence.
		516. Sigismond.			518. The accession of Justin marks the downfall of the Monophysites.
	522-531. Amalaric, the first Gothic king who establishes his court in Spain: capital, Seville.	523. Godomar.
525					527. Separation of the Armenian from the Greek Church.
					529. The Order of Benedictine Monks instituted at Monte Cassino, near Naples.
				533-555. WARS OF JUSTINIAN AGAINST THE VANDALS AND OSTROGOTHS.
				535-553. Unsuccessful war with Justinian, the troops revolt and elect Vitiges, 536-541.
		536. Witiges, King of the Ostrogoths, surrenders his possessions in Gaul to the Franks.		536. Belisarius takes Rome.
		537. Witiges besieges Belisarius in Rome.		537. It endures a long and disastrous siege from Vitiges.
		540. Byzantine power established in Italy.		541-552. Totila re-establishes the powers of the Ostrogoths.	544. In the Edict of the Three Chapters, Justinian largely repudiates the work of the Council of Chalcedon.
550
				552. Narses, the general of Justinian, invades Italy, overthrows the Gothic monarchy.
		558-561. Clotaire sole monarch.		554. Italy under Greek Exarchs.
		561. Chilperic I. (the French Nero), King of Neustria, married the beautiful Fredegonda.	Many Germanic tribes, particularly the Bavarians and Saxons join the Lombards and Avars in their invasion of Italy.	Kingdom of the Lombards	560. Pope John III. The Tritheists maintain the separate existence of the persons of the Trinity.
		561-575. Sigebert, King of Austrasia, wife Brunehilda.		568. Italy conquered by the Lombards under Alboin. He later fixes his capital at Pavia.
				568-752. The Exarchate of Ravenna established.
575
				580. The Latin language ceases to be spoken in Italy, while it supersedes Gothic in Spain.
	586-601. Recared good and prosperous reign establishes the Catholic faith throughout Spain—the clergy obtain great authority.
	The Latin language supersedes the Gothic.				590-604. GREGORY I. the Great. Canon of the mass established.
600					607-614. Boniface IV.
		613-628. Clotaire II., sole monarch, grandson of Clovis, his power extends over all the Gauls to the Pyrenees—the Saxons and Lombards tributary: capital, Paris.			The Anglo-Saxons embrace Christianity—as do also, during this century, the Frieslanders, Westphalians, Thuringians, Danes, Swedes, Germans, and Franks.

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