CHRONOLOGY.
739
A.M.
4319
4321
4324
4323
4326
4327
4328
4329
4330
4333
4334
4336
4337
4339
4340
4341
4342
4343
A. D.
313 The punishment of crucifixion abolished by Con-stantine.
317 Lieinins and Constantine create Grispus, Constantine,and Licinius their sons, Caesars.
320 Constantine and his son Constantius abrogate the
Papian and other laws against celibacy.
321 Constantine forbids all manner of work to be done on
the Sundays, and commanded Friday to be keptholy.
The Goths invading the empire are defeated by Con-stantine.
322 The Sarmatians defeated in several battles by Con-
stantine.
323 Civil war between the emperors Constantine and
Licinius.
Great battle near Adrianople, July 3, between Con-stantine and Licinius, in which the latter is de-feated with the immense loss of 33,000 killed.Soon after Licinius is defeated again with theloss of 25,000, and is strangled by Constantine’sorders.
324 Constantine purges the east as much as lay in his
power of idolatry and heathenism, and promotedChristianity with all his might.
325 The famous council of Nice assembled by Constan-
tine, at which were present 318 bishops ; and bywhich Arius, F.use'bius of Nicomedia, Theognisof Nice, &c. were condemned to banishment.
326 Constantine being at Rome, is ill-treated for his in-
troducing Christianity, which lie so resented, thathe could never be prevailed upon to go thereagain.
329 Constantine set about the building of the famous city
of Constantinople, and recalled from banishmentthe two Arian bishops Eusebius and Theognis.
330 Constantine dedicates his new city of Constantinople
to the God of martyrs, and lixed nis residencehere, never returning to Rome again, which, "bydegrees, brought on the dissolution of theempire.
332 The Goths again invading the empire, are defeated
by Constantine, who, it is said, killed 100,000of their men.
333 A great plague and famine, which sweep off an
immense number of people, in Syria, Cilicia,and Thrace.
Sapor, king of the Persians, persecuted the Christians,and martyred about 10,000 ; upon which Con-stantine sent a letter to the Persian king, willinghim to cease from persecuting the Christians.
335 Constantine gives Gaul, Spain, and Britain, to his
eldest son; Asia, Syria, and Egypt, to Con-stantius his second son; Illyricum, Itulv, andAfrica, to Constans his youngest son ; Thrace,Macedon, and Achaia, to his nephew Dalmatius;and to his nephew king Annibalianus, ArmeniaMinor, Pontus, and Cappadocia, with the city ofCaisnrea for his capital.
336 Death of Arius, the famous heresiarch.
337 Constantine dies, May 22, in the castle of Achcrona
near llelenopolis in Bvlhinia, aged sixty-threeyears, two months, and twenty-live days, havingreigned 32 years, 9 months, and 27 (lavs ; andis succeeded in the empire by his sons Constantine,Constantins, and Constans.
338 The three sons of Con tantine meet in Pannonia,
where they agree and divide the provinces al-lotted to 'Dalmatius and Annibalianus by the Iqjeemperor among them, Dalmatius and Anniba-liamis being slain by the soldiers upon the deathof Constantine.
339 A law is published in the name of the three em-
perors, forbidding upon pain of death marriagesbt tween uncles and nieces, which had been be-
A. M. A. D.
fore (A. D. 49,) authorised by the senate infavour of Claudius and Agrippina.
4344 340 Constantine desiring all or part of Italy, which his
brother Constans refusing, he enters with a greatarmy, and takes several places. Constans comesagainst him, draws him into an ambuscade, nearAquileia, and cuts botli him and his army topieces. Upon this the other brother Constantiusyields all Constantine’s dominions to Constans,thereby making him emperor of all the west.
4345 341 The Franks make an irruption into Gaul, and ravage
the country every where ; but are driven out byConstans.
A decree issued in the name of the two emperors,forbidding all idolatrous worship.
4348 344 Neocasarea in Pontus overthrown by an earthquake.
4349 345 Dliras in Greece swallowed up by an earthquake.
4353 349 A great part of the city of Bcrytus overthrown by an
earthquake, which so frightened those that had notembraced Christianity, that they came and werebaptized.
4354 350 Nisibis besieged by the Persians, who were obliged
to raise it after having lost about 20,000 in thesiege.
The emperor Constans murdered by Guiso.
Three pretenders for the empire stand up, and causeconsiderable civil commotions.
4355 351 The emperor Constantius promotes his cousin Gallus
to the dignity of Catsar.
4357 353 Magnentius, after he had supported the usurped dig-
nity of emperor about three years, is completelydefeated near Mons Seleucus in Gaul, by Con-stantius, and soon after kills himself.
Gaul terribly ravaged by the Barbarians.
The Saracens commit dreadful ravages in Meso-potamia.
4358 354 Gallus Ctesar put to death for his intolerable cruelty
at Flanona in Dalmatia.
4359 355 Constantius gives the title of Caesar to Julian, the
brother of Gallus.
The frontiers of the empire harrassed by the Alemans,Franks, and Quadians.
4360 356 The Germans having been defeated in several battles
by Constantius, at last sue for peace, which isgranted them.
A law passed by the emperor for condemning thoseto deatli who should sacrilice to or worship idols,and another law passed If} which all magicians areto be devoured by wild beasts.
4361 357 Gaul freed from the Barbarians by tire success of
Julian.
4362 358 A most dreadful earthquake was felt in Asia, which
damaged 150 cities.
4363 ' 359 Julian obliges several German nations to retire from
Gaul, and sue for peace.
4365 361 Constantius dies on the borders of Cilicia, and is suc-
ceeded in the empire by Julian, surnamed theApostate.
A little before the death of Constantius, Julian re-nounced the Christian religion in Illyricum,opened the temples of the gods, offered sacrificesaccording to the ancient rites, and exhorted allpersons to follow his example.
4366 362 Julian and the Jews endeavoured to rebuild the tem-
ple at Jerusalem ; hut are hindered by winds,tempests, lightnings, and earthquakes, by whichmany of the workmen are slain, and their workdestroyed.
Dreadful earthquakes were felt in every province;most of the cities of Palestine, Lvbia, Sicily, andGreece, are said to have been thrown down. The-temples of Apollo at Rome and Daphne weredestroyed by lire. The sea broke in, and de-stroyed whole cities with their inhabitants. A
geueral