 Orbis_, becomes emperor. He defeats
the Goths and makes peace with them. Alamanni invade Umbria and are
defeated by Aurelian in three engagements. 273. Palmyra and its
queen Zenobia taken by Aurelian. Egypt revolts and is subdued. 274.
=Tetricus=, who had maintained himself as emperor in Gaul, Britain, and
Spain, defeated at Châlons. 275. =Tacitus=, emperor. 276. =Probus= and
=Florian=, emperors. They clear Gaul of its German invaders and pursue
them across the Rhine. 282. =Carus=, emperor. Sarmatians defeated.
Persian expedition. 284. =Diocletian=, emperor. He makes Nicomedia in
Bithynia his capital. 285. =Maximian=, joint emperor for administration
of the West. 293. =Constantius Chlorus= and =Galerius= named cæsars.
296. Constantius recovers Britain. Revolt of Egypt suppressed by
Diocletian. Battle of Carrhæ. Galerius defeated by the Persians. 297.
=Galerius= defeats the Persians and makes a treaty securing Mesopotamia
to the Romans. 298. Constantius defeats the Alamanni at Langres. 303.
Christian persecution. 305. Abdication of Diocletian and Maximian.
=Constantius= and =Galerius=, emperors. 306. =Constantine the Great=
succeeds his father Constantius in the rule of Spain, Gaul, and
Britain. =Maxentius= emperor at Rome. =Maximian= resumes the purple.
=Licinius= made emperor. 310. Maximian executed by Constantine. 312.
Defeat and death of Maxentius. 313. Edict of Milan issued by Licinius
and Constantine, inaugurating religious toleration. 314. War between
Licinius and Constantine. 323. Battles of Hadrianopolis and Chalcedon.
Defeat of Licinius. 324. Licinius executed. Constantine sole ruler.
325. First general council at Nicæa. 330. Byzantium, or Constantinople,
becomes the capital of the empire. 337. =Constantine II=, =Constans=,
and =Constantius II= divide the empire. 340. Battle of Aquileia between
Constantine II and Constans. Death of Constantine II. His dominions
fall to Constans. 350. Death of Constans. Revolt of Magnentius. 353.
Constantius II sole emperor. 357. Battle of Argentoratum (Strasburg);
Julian defeats the Alamanni. 361. =Julian, “the Apostate,”= emperor.
362. Edict granting general toleration. 363. Persian War. Julian is
victorious at Ctesiphon, and in other battles, but is at last obliged
to retreat and is killed. =Jovian= emperor. He makes peace with the
Persians, resigning five districts beyond the Tigris. He places
Christianity on an equality with other religions. 364. =Valentinianus
I= and =Valens=, emperors. 367. =Gratianus= emperor for the West. 374.
War with the Quadi. 375. =Valentinian II= reigns conjointly with Gratian
on the death of Valentinian I. 376. Huns and Alans attack the eastern
Goths. Valens permits the Goths to settle in Thrace. 378. Goths threaten
Constantinople. Battle of Hadrianopolis. Goths defeat the Romans with
great slaughter. Death of Valens. 379. =Theodosius the Great=, emperor of
the East. 380. Theodosius becomes a Christian. He successfully continues
the war against the Goths and makes a treaty with them which is followed
by their establishment in Thrace, Phrygia, and Lydia, and the enrolment
of large numbers in the army of the Eastern Empire. 383. =Clemens
Maximus= revolts against Gratian, who is captured and put to death. 387.
Maximus makes himself master of Italy. Theodosius restores Valentinian
II, and puts Maximus to death. 390. Massacre of the inhabitants of
Thessalonica by order of Theodosius in revenge for the murder of
officials. 392. Valentinian II murdered. =Eugenius= emperor of the West.
394. Theodosius defeats Eugenius and becomes the last emperor of the
whole Roman world. 395. Death of Theodosius. =Arcadius= becomes emperor
of the East and =Honorius= of the West.

[Illustration]


THE WESTERN DOMINIONS IN THE FIFTH CENTURY OF EMPIRE (395-476 A.D.)

395. At death of Theodosius the division of the empire becomes permanent.
=Honorius=, aged eleven, rules over the western portion, with Stilicho
as regent. Alaric ravages Thrace. Stilicho proceeds against him. 396.
Second expedition of Stilicho. Alaric escapes into Epirus, and Stilicho
returns to Italy. 397. Revolt of Gildo in Africa, causing scarcity of
food in Rome. He is defeated, and kills himself the following year.
403. Battle of Pollentia ends invasion of Italy by Alaric, begun the
previous year. Retreat of Alaric. 405. Radagaisus with an army of
200,000, composed of Celts, Germans, Sarmatians, and Gauls, invades
Italy. Successfully opposed by Stilicho. Capture and death of Radagaisus.
His army destroyed. 406. The Vandals enter Gaul. 407. Revolt of the
army in Britain. Constantine declared emperor; makes himself master of
the whole of Gaul as far as the Alps. 408. Murder of Stilicho. Alaric
besieges Rome, but retires on payment of money. 409. Alaric, besieging
Rome, has Attalus proclaimed emperor. Revolt of Gerontius in Spain; he
proclaims Maximus emperor. Vandals invade Spain. 410. Alaric takes Rome
and plunders it. Death of Alaric. Succeeded by Atawulf. 411. War between
the usurpers, Constantine and Gerontius. Constantius leads the imperial
forces against the two rebels. Death of Constantine and Gerontius.
412. Jovinus proclaimed emperor in Gaul. Peace between Honorius and
Atawulf. 413. Atawulf slays Jovinus. Heraclianus invades Italy, but is
slain. 415. Death of Atawulf in Spain. Succeeded by Wallia, who, the
following year, makes peace with Honorius. 418. Subjection of Spain by
the Goths after two years’ war. Death of Wallia. Succeeded by Theodoric
I. Aquitania ceded to the Goths. 419. The Suevi and Vandals war in
Spain. 421. Constantius declared augustus, but he is not accepted. 423.
Death of Honorius. 424. John or Joannes seizes the western division.
425. =Valentinian III=, nephew of Honorius, declared augustus. Defeat
and death of the usurper Joannes. Attack on the Goths in Gaul. 428.
War in Gaul continued. The Vandal king, Gunderic, dies, and Genseric
succeeds. 429. Genseric crosses into Africa, on invitation of Boniface,
who has been several years in revolt. 431. War of Boniface with Vandals
ended with capture of Hippo. The Vandals are masters of a large part of
Africa. 432. War between Boniface and Aëtius. Death of Boniface. 434.
Attila becomes king of the Huns. It is said that Honoria, sister of
Valentinian, in disgrace at court, invites him to attack Italy. 435.
Peace with Genseric. War with the Burgundians and Goths in Gaul. 436.
Theodoric besieges Narbo. 437. The war in Gaul continues. Valentinian
marries daughter of Theodosius II. 439. Theodoric defeats Litorius at
Tolosa. Peace with the Goths. 440. Genseric invades Sicily. 444. Attila
murders his brother, Bleda, and succeeds to the full authority. 446. The
Vandals devastate Roman dominions in Spain. The Britons ask aid against
the Saxons. 448. The Suevi ravage Roman dominions in Spain. 451. Attila
invades Gaul. He is defeated at Châlons by Aëtius and Theodoric. Death of
Theodoric, who is succeeded by his son, Torismond. 452. Attila invades
Italy. Siege and capture of