400 |
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The Chinese invent
edge-runner mills with water-powered drives and
ships
with watertight sub-compartments at about this time.
Saint Augustine writes his Confessions.
|
401 |
Pope Innocent I establishes
the Petrine
Doctrine. He claims universal jurisdiction
over the Roman Church. He serves as pope until 417. |
402 |
The Western capital of the Roman Empire moved from
Milan to Ravenna because of marauding barbarians |
405 |
Saint Jerome finishes his translation of the Vulgate
Bible. |
406 |
Bitterly cold winter freezes
the Rhine river, allowing hordes of Vandals, Alans,
Suevi, and Burgundian warriors to cross into Rome's
continental holdings. Vandals and other barbarians
overrun the Roman province of
Gaul. |
407 |
The Avars found
the first Mongol Empire. It lasts until 553.
Orders begin to recall
Roman troops from outlying provinces to protect
Italy from barbarians. |
409 |
Rome
sends orders for British legion to withdraw and protect
Italy. The last Roman forces abandon the province
in 410.
Vandals cross the Pyrenées
and invade Spain. |
410 |
Alaric the Goth leads his
Germanic forces to sack Rome itself--the first time
this had happened since looting Gauls invaded 800
years earlier.
The last Roman forces leave Britain to assist in
defending Rome from Alaric. |
c. 410-417 |
First recorded use of commemorative metal crucifix
over a church attributed to Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem,
between the basilica and rotunda. According to legend,
Roman Emperor Theodosius II encased it in gold and precious
metals, and then crucifixes began to appear in and on
churches in increasing numbers. |
413-26 |
Saint Augustine writes The City of God. |
420s |
Emperor Aetius begins
a policy of hiring one mercenary barbarian band to
attack other barbarian bands--Roman army now
ineffective. |
425 |
Scattered raids by Angles,
Saxons, and Jutes on Britain.
Valentinian III declared "Roman
Emperor" in the West--though much of the old Empire
is in ruins--with communication breaking down and widespread
depopulation. |
c. 428 |
Germanic tribes begin exploratory raids in Britain, now that Roman legions have departed. |
429 |
Vandals cross the
Straights of Gibraltar and conquer Roman holdings in
North Africa. Vandal kingdom forms in northern Africa.
It lasts until 535.
The Arian
heresy
dominates this region. |
432 |
Saint Patrick begins
mission to Ireland. |
433 |
Attila rules the
Huns. He dies in 453. |
439 |
Vandal forces under
King Gaiseric capture Roman Carthage. |
440 |
Pope Leo the Great
elected Pope. He serves until 461. |
449 |
Traditional date the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes invade
the part of Britain that will become England, introducing
Old English as a language to the Celtic-speaking island.
The Jutes under Hengest and Horsa conquer Kent (southeastern
section of modern England). |
450 |
Folklore attributes
Saint Patrick with the invention of whiskey--though
Romans
probably
brewed "aqua vitae" as early as 50 BCE.
Establishment of the seven liberal arts as regular
course of study in medieval colleges. Probably no connection
to earlier events this year.
450-700 earliest possible period for Old English poems reflecting continental life (dates contested in scholarly circles) |
451 |
Attila the Hun invades
Gaul. Franks, Romans, and Alemanni repulse him at the
battle of Châlons. |
452 |
Attila the Hun invades
northern Italy |
453 |
Death of Atilla the Hun. |
455 |
Gaiseric
and the Vandals sack Rome. Death of Emperor Valentinian. |
465 |
The so-called "White
Huns" dominate northern India. |
471 |
Theodoric the Great,
King of the Ostrogoths. He rules until 526. |
475 |
Romulus Augustus declared
Roman Emperor. He will be the last one. |
476 |
Rome falls in its
final death spasms under Romulus Augustulus. Odovacar
the Goth and his forces depose Romulus Augustus. Traditional
end
of the Western Roman Empire, though the Eastern half
continues and grows into the Byzantine Empire.
|
477 |
Huneric, Vandal
King of North Africa, rules until 484.
Budhagupta, the last major Gupta
Emperor in northern India, ascends to the throne. He
rules until 495. |
478 |
|
479 |
|
481 |
Clovis becomes King of the Franks.
He rules until 511. |
484 |
Gunthamund, Vandal
king of North Africa, rules until 523. |
493 |
Theodoric the Great becomes king
of all Italy. His rule reinforces the dominance of the
Arian heresy in place of Orthodox Catholicism. |
495 |
Death of Budhagupta in northern
India. |
496 |
Thrasamund, Vandal
King of North Africa, rules to 523.
King Clovis of the
Franks converts to Christianity. |
500 |
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