Part 2
Lysimachus defeated and killed by Seleucus. The Tarentine war begins, and continues 10 years. The Achæan league begins 281
Pyrrhus of Epirus goes to Italy to assist the Tarentines 280
The Gauls, under Brennus, are cut to pieces near the temple of Delphi. About this time flourished Dionysius the astronomer, Sostratus, Theocritus, Dionysius Heracleotes, Philo, Aratus, Lycophron, Persæus, &c. 278
Pyrrhus, defeated by Curius, retires to Epirus 274
The first coining of silver at Rome 269
Athens taken by Antigonus Gonatas, who keeps it 12 years 268
The first Punic war begins, and continues for 23 years. The chronology of the Arundelian marbles composed. About this time flourished Lycon, Crates, Berosus, Hermachus, Helenus, Clinias, Aristotimus, &c. 264
Antiochus Soter defeated at Sardis by Eumenes of Pergamus 262
The Carthaginian fleet defeated by Duilius 260
Regulus defeated by Xanthippus. Athens is restored to liberty by Antigonus 256
Aratus persuades the people of Sicyon to join the Achæan league. About this time flourished Cleanthes, Homer junior, Manetho, Timæus, Callimachus, Zoilus, Duris, Neanthes, Ctesibius, Sosibius, Hieronymus, Hanno, Laodice, Lysias, Ariobarzanes 251
The Parthians under Arsaces, and the Bactrians under Theodotus, revolt from the Macedonians 250
The sea-fight of Drepanum 249
The citadel of Corinth taken by Aratus, 12th of August 243
Agis king of Sparta put to death for attempting to settle an Agrarian law. About this period flourished Antigonus Carystius, Conon of Samos, Eratosthenes, Apollonius of Perga, Lacydes, Amilcar, Agesilaus the ephor, &c. 241
Plays first acted at Rome, being those of Livius Andronicus 240
Amilcar passes with an army to Spain, with Annibal his son 237
The temple of Janus shut at Rome, the first time since Numa 235
The Sardinian war begins, and continues three years 234
Original manuscripts of Æschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles, lent by the Athenians to Ptolemy for a pledge of 15 talents 233
The first divorce known at Rome, by Spurius Carvilius. Sardinia and Corsica conquered 231
The Roman ambassadors first appeared at Athens and Corinth 228
The war between Cleomenes and Aratus begins, and continues for five years 227
The colossus of Rhodes thrown down by an earthquake. The Romans first cross the Po, pursuing the Gauls, who had entered Italy. About this time flourished Chrysippus, Polystratus, Euphorion, Archimedes, Valerius Messala, C. Nævius, Aristarchus, Apollonius, Philocorus, Aristo Ceus, Fabius Pictor the first Roman historian, Philarchus, Lysiades, Agro, &c. 224
The battle of Sellasia 222
The Social war between the Ætolians and Achæans, assisted by Philip 220
Saguntum taken by Annibal 219
The second Punic war begins, and continues 17 years 218
The battle of the lake Thrasymenus, and next year that of Cannæ, May 21st 217
The Romans begin the auxiliary war against Philip in Epirus, which is continued by intervals for 14 years 214
Syracuse taken by Marcellus, after a siege of three years 212
Philopœmen defeats Machanidas at Mantinea 208
Asdrubal is defeated. About this time flourished Plautus, Archagathus, Evander, Teleclus, Hermippus, Zeno, Sotion, Ennius, Hieronymus of Syracuse, Tlepolemus, Epicydes 207
The battle of Zama 202
The first Macedonian war begins and continues near four years 200
The battle of Panius, where Antiochus defeats Scopas 198
The battle of Cynoscephale, where Philip is defeated 197
The war of Antiochus the Great begins, and continues three years 192
Lacedæmon joined to the Achæan league by Philopœmen 191
The luxuries of Asia brought to Rome in the spoils of Antiochus 189
The laws of Lycurgus abrogated for a while at Sparta by Philopœmen 188
Antiochus the Great defeated and killed in Media. About this time flourished Aristophanes of Byzantium, Asclepiades, Tegula, C. Lælius, Aristonymus, Hegesinus, Diogenes the stoic, Critolaus, Massinissa, the Scipios, the Gracchi, Thoas, &c. 187
A war, which continues for one year, between Eumenes and Prusias, till the death of Annibal 184
Philopœmen defeated and killed by Dinocrates 183
Numa’s books found in a stone coffin at Rome 179
Perseus sends his ambassadors to Carthage 175
Ptolemy’s generals defeated by Antiochus, in a battle between Pelusium and mount Cassius. The second Macedonian war 171
The battle of Pydna, and the fall of the Macedonian empire. About this period flourished Attalus the astronomer, Metrodorus, Terence, Crates, Polybius, Pacuvius, Hipparchus, Heraclides, Carneades, Aristarchus, &c. 168
The first library erected at Rome, with books obtained from the plunder of Macedonia 167
Terence’s Andria first acted at Rome 166
Time measured out at Rome by a water-machine, invented by Scipio Nasica, 134 years after the introduction of sun-dials 159
Andriscus the Pseudophilip assumes the royalty of Macedonia 152
Demetrius king of Syria defeated and killed by Alexander Balas 150
The third Punic war begins. Prusias king of Bithynia put to death by his son Nicomedes 149
The Romans make war against the Achæans, which is finished the next year by Mummius 148
Carthage is destroyed by Scipio, and Corinth by ♦Mummius 147
♦ ‘Mummus’ replaced with ‘Mummius’
Viriathus is defeated by Lælius, in Spain 146
The war of Numantia begins, and continues for eight years 141
The Roman army of 30,000, under Mancinus, is defeated by 4000 Numantines 138
Restoration of learning at Alexandria, and universal patronage offered to all learned men by Ptolemy Physcon. The age of Satyrus, Aristobulus, Lucius Accius, Mnaseas, Antipater, Diodorus the peripatetic, Nicander, Ctesibius, Sarpedon, Micipsa, &c. 137
The famous embassy of Scipio, Metellus, Mummius, and Panætius, into Egypt, Syria, and Greece 136
The history of the Apocrypha ends. The Servile war in Sicily begins, and continues for three years 135
Numantia taken. Pergamus annexed to the Roman empire 133
Antiochus Sidetes killed by Phraates. Aristonicus defeated by Perpenna 130
Demetrius Nicator defeated at Damascus by Alexander Zebina 127
The Romans make war against the pirates of the Beleares. Carthage is rebuilt by order of the Roman senate 123
Caius Gracchus killed 121
Dalmatia conquered by Metellus 118
Cleopatra assumes the government of Egypt. The age of Erymnæus, Athenion, Artemidorus, Clitomachus, Apollonius, Herodicus, Lucius Cælius, Castor, Menecrates, Lucilius, &c. 116
The Jugurthine war begins, and continues for five years 111
The famous sumptuary law at Rome, which limited the expenses of eating every day 110
The Teutones and Cimbri begin their war against Rome, and continue it for eight years 109
The Teutones defeat 80,000 Romans on the banks of the Rhone 105
The Teutones defeated by Caius Marius at Aquæ Sextiæ 102
The Cimbri defeated by Marius and Catulus 101
Dolabella conquers Lusitania 99
Cyrene left by Ptolemy Apion to the Romans 97
The Social war begins, and continues three years, till finished by Sylla 91
The Mithridatic war begins, and continues 26 years 89
The civil wars of Marius and Sylla begin, and continue six years 88
Sylla conquers Athens, and sends its valuable libraries to Rome 86
Young Marius is defeated by Sylla, who is made dictator 82
The death of Sylla. About this time flourished Philo, Charmidas, Asclepiades, Apellicon, Lucius Sisenna, Alexander Polyhistor, Plotius Gallus, Diotimus, Zeno, Hortensius, Archias, Posidonius, Geminus, &c. 78
Bithynia left by Nicomedes to the Romans 75
The Servile war, under Spartacus, begins, and, two years after, the rebel general is defeated and killed by Pompey and Crassus 73
Mithridates and Tigranes defeated by Lucullus 69
Mithridates conquered by Pompey in a night battle. Crete is subdued by Metellus, after a war of two years 66
The reign of the Seleucidæ ends in Syria, on the conquest of the country by Pompey 65
Catiline’s conspiracy detected by Cicero. Mithridates kills himself 63
The first triumvirate in the person of Julius Cæsar, Pompey, and Crassus. About this time flourished Apollonius of Rhodes, Terentius Varro, Tyrannion, Aristodemus of Nysa, Lucretius, Dionysius the grammarian, Cicero, Antiochus, Spurinus, Andronicus, Catullus, Sallust, Timagenes, Cratippus, &c. 60
Cicero banished from Rome, and recalled the next year 58
Cæsar passes the Rhine, defeats the Germans, and invades Britain 55
Crassus is killed by Surena, in June 53
Civil war between Cæsar and Pompey 50
The battle of Pharsalia about May 12th 48
Alexander taken by Cæsar 47
The war of Africa. Cato kills himself. This year is called the year of confusion, because the calendar was corrected by Sosigenes, and the year made to consist of 15 months, or 445 days 46
The battle of Munda 45
Cæsar murdered 44
The battle of Mutina. The second triumvirate in Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus. Cicero put to death. The age of Sosigenes, Cornelius Nepos, Diodorus Siculus, Trogus Pompey, Didymus the scholiast, Varro the poet, &c. 43
The battle of Philippi 42
Pacorus general of Parthia defeated by Ventidius, 14 years after the disgrace of Crassus, and on the same day 39
Pompey the younger defeated in Sicily by Octavius 36
Octavius and Antony prepare for war 32
The battle of Actium, 2nd September. The era of the Roman emperors properly begins here 31
Alexander taken, and Egypt reduced into a Roman province 30
The title of Augustus given to Octavius 27
The Egyptians adopt the Julian year. About this time flourished Virgil, Manilius, Dioscorides, Asinius Pollio, Mæcenas, Agrippa, Strabo, Horace, Macer, Propertius, Livy, Musa, Tibullus, Ovid, Pylades, Bathyllus, Varius, Tucca, Vitruvius, &c. 25
The conspiracy of Muræna against Augustus 22
Augustus visits Greece and Asia 21
The Roman ensigns recovered from the Parthians by Tiberius 20
The secular games celebrated at Rome 17
Lollius defeated by the Germans 16
The Rhæti and Vindelici defeated by Drusus 15
The Pannonians conquered by Tiberius 12
Some of the German nations conquered by Drusus 11
Augustus corrects the calendar, by ordering the 12 ensuing years to be without intercalation. About this time flourished Damascenus, Hyginus, Flaccus the grammarian, Dionysius of Halicarnassus, and Dionysius the geographer 8
Tiberius retires to Rhodes for seven years 6
Our Saviour is born, four years before the vulgar era, in the year 4709 of the Julian period, A.U.C. 749, and the fourth of the 193rd Olympiad 4
A.D. Tiberius returns to Rome 2
The leap year corrected, having formerly been every third year 4
Ovid banished to Tomos 9
Varus defeated and killed in Germany by Arminius 10
Augustus dies at Nola, August 19th, and is succeeded by Tiberius. The age of Phædrus, Asinius Gallus, Velleius Paterculus, Germanicus, Cornel. Celsus, &c. 14
Twelve cities in Asia destroyed by an earthquake 17
Germanicus, poisoned by Piso, dies at Antioch 19
Tiberius goes to Capreæ 26
Sejanus disgraced 31
Our Saviour crucified, Friday, April 3rd. _This is put four years earlier by some chronologists_ 33
St. Paul converted to Christianity 35
Tiberius dies at Misenum, near Baiæ, March 16th, and is succeeded by Caligula. About this time flourished Valerius Maximus, Columella, Pomponius Mela, Appion, Philo Judæus, Artabanus, and Agrippina 37
St. Matthew writes his Gospel 39
The name of christians first given, at Antioch, to the followers of our Saviour 40
Caligula murdered by Chæreas, and succeeded by Claudius 41
The expedition of Claudius into Britain 43
St. Mark writes his Gospel 44
Secular games celebrated at Rome 47
Caractacus carried in chains to Rome 51
Claudius succeeded by Nero 54
Agrippina put to death by her son Nero 59
First persecution against the christians 64
Seneca, Lucan, and others put to death 65
Nero visits Greece. The Jewish war begins. The age of Persius, Quintus Curtius, Pliny the elder, Josephus, Frontinus, Burrhus, Corbulo, Thrasea, Boadicea, &c. 66
St. Peter and St. Paul put to death 67
Nero dies, and is succeeded by Galba 68
Galba put to death. Otho, defeated by Vitellius, kills himself. Vitellius is defeated by Vespasian’s army 69
Jerusalem taken and destroyed by Titus 70
The Parthians revolt 77
Death of Vespasian, and succession of Titus. Herculaneum and Pompeii destroyed by an eruption of mount Vesuvius, November 1st 79
Death of Titus, and succession of Domitian. The age of Silius Italicus, Martial, Apollon. Tyanæus, Valerius Flaccus, Solinus, Epictetus, Quintilian, Lupus, Agricola, &c. 81
Capitoline games instituted by Domitian, and celebrated every fourth year 86
Secular games celebrated. The war with Dacia begins, and continues 15 years 88
Second persecution of the christians 95
Domitian put to death by Stephanus, &c., and succeeded by Nerva. The age of Juvenal, Tacitus, Statius, &c. 96
Nerva dies, and is succeeded by Trajan 98
Pliny proconsul of Bithynia sends Trajan an account of the christians 102
Dacia reduced to a Roman province 103
Trajan’s expedition against Parthia. About this time flourished Florus, Suetonius, Pliny junior, Philo Biblius, Dion, Prusæus, Plutarch, &c. 106
Third persecution of the christians 107
Trajan’s column erected at Rome 114
Trajan dies, and is succeeded by Adrian 117
Fourth persecution of the christians 118
Adrian builds a wall in Britain 121
Adrian visits Asia and Egypt for seven years 126
He rebuilds Jerusalem, and raises there a temple to Jupiter 130
The Jews rebel, and are defeated after a war of five years, and all banished 131
Adrian dies, and is succeeded by Antoninus Pius. In the reign of Adrian flourished Teon, Phavorinus, Phlegon, Trallian, Aristides, Aquila, Salvius Julian, Polycarp, Arian, Ptolemy, &c. 138
Antoninus defeats the Moors, Germans, and Dacians 145
The worship of Serapis brought to Rome 146
Antoninus dies, and is succeeded by Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, the last of whom reigned nine years. In the reign of Antoninus flourished Maximus Tyrius, Pausanias, Diophantus, Lucian, Hermogenes, Polyænus, Appian, Artemidorus, Justin the martyr, Apuleius, &c. 161
A war with Parthia, which continues three years 162
A war against the Marcomanni, which continues five years 169
Another, which continues three years 177
Marcus Aurelius dies, and Commodus succeeds. In the last reign flourished Galen, Athenagoras, Tatian, Athenæus, Montanus, Diogenes, Laërtius 180
Commodus makes peace with the Germans 181
Commodus put to death by Martia and Lætus. He is succeeded for a few months by Pertinax, who is murdered 193; and four rivals arise, Didius Julianus, Pescennius Niger, Severus, and Albinus. Under Commodus flourished Julius Pollux, Theodotion, St. Irenæus, &c. 192
Niger is defeated by Severus at Issus 194
Albinus defeated in Gaul, and killed at Lyons, February 19th 198
Severus conquers the Parthians 200
Fifth persecution against the christians 202
Severus visits Britain, and two years after builds a wall there across from the Frith of Forth 207
Severus dies at York, and is succeeded by Caracalla and Geta. In his reign flourished Tertullian, Minutius Felix, Papinianus, Clemens of Alexandria, Philostratus, Plotianus, and Bulas 211
Geta killed by his brother Caracalla 212
The Septuagint discovered. Caracalla murdered by Macrinus. Flourished Oppian 217
Opilius ♦Macrinus killed by the soldiers, and succeeded by Heliogabalus 218
♦ ‘Macrinius’ replaced with ‘Macrinus’
Alexander Severus succeeds Heliogabalus. The Goths then exacted an annual payment not to invade or molest the Roman empire. The age of Julius Africanus 222
The Arsacidæ of Parthia are conquered by Artaxerxes king of Media, and their empire destroyed 229
Alexander defeats the Persians 234
The sixth persecution against the christians 235
Alexander killed and succeeded by Maximinus. At that time flourished Dion Cassius, Origen, and Ammonius 235
The two Gordians succeeded Maximinus, and are put to death by Pupienus, who soon after is destroyed, with Balbinus, by the soldiers of the younger Gordian 236
Sarbinianus defeated in Africa 240
Gordian marches against the Persians 242
He is put to death by Philip, who succeeds, and makes peace with Sapor the next year. About this time flourished Censorius, and Gregory Thaumaturgus 244
Philip killed, and succeeded by Decius. Herodian flourished 249
The seventh persecution against the christians 250
Decius succeeded by Gallus 251
A great pestilence over the empire 252
Gallus dies, and is succeeded by Æmilianus, Valerianus, and Gallienus. In the reign of Gallus flourished St. Cyprian and Plotinus 254
The eighth persecution against the christians 257
The empire is harassed by 30 tyrants successively 258
Valerian is taken by Sapor and flayed alive 260
Odenatus governs the east for Gallienus 264
The Scythians and Goths defeated by Cleodamus and Athenæus 267
Gallienus killed, and succeeded by Claudius. In this reign flourished Longinus, Paulus Samosatenus, &c. 268
Claudius conquers the Goths, and kills 300,000 of them. Zenobia takes possession of Egypt 269
Aurelian succeeds 270
The ninth persecution against the christians 272
Zenobia defeated by Aurelian at Edessa 273
Dacia ceded to the Barbarians by the emperor 274
Aurelian killed, and succeeded by Tacitus, who died after a reign of six months, and was succeeded by Florianus, and, two months after, by Probus 275
Probus makes an expedition into Gaul 277
He defeats the Persians in the east 280
Probus is put to death, and succeeded by Carus, and his sons Carinus and Numerianus 282
Diocletian succeeds 284
The empire attacked by the Barbarians of the north. Diocletian takes Maximianus as his imperial colleague 286
Britain recovered, after a tyrant’s usurpation of 10 years. Alexandria taken by Diocletian 296
The tenth persecution against the christians, which continues 10 years 303
Diocletian and Maximianus abdicate the empire, and live in retirement, succeeded by Constantius Chlorus and Galerius Maximianus the two Cæsars. About this period flourished Julius Capitolinus, Arnobius, Gregory and Hermogenes the lawyers, Ælius Spartianus, Hierocles, Flavius Vopiscus, Trebellius Pollio, &c. 304
Constantius dies, and is succeeded by his son 306
At this time there were four emperors, Constantine, Licinius, Maximianus, and Maxentius 308
Maxentius defeated and killed by Constantine 312
The emperor Constantine begins to favour the christian religion 319
Licinius defeated and banished by Constantine 324
The first general Council of Nice, composed of 318 bishops, who sit from June 19th to August 25th 325
The seat of the empire removed from Rome to Constantinople 328
Constantinople solemnly dedicated by the emperor on the 11th of May 330
Constantine orders all the heathen temples to be destroyed 331
The death of Constantine, and succession of his three sons, Constantinus, Constans, and Constantius. In the reign of Constantine flourished Lactantius, Athanasius, Arius, and Eusebius 337
Constantine the younger defeated and killed by Constans at Aquilea 340
Constans killed in Spain by Magnentius 350
Gallus put to death by Constantius 354
One hundred and fifty cities of Greece and Asia ruined by an earthquake 358
Constantius and Julian quarrel, and prepare for war; but the former dies the next year, and leaves the latter sole emperor. About this period flourished Ælius Donatus, Eutropius, Libanius, Ammian. Marcellinus, Jamblicus, St. Hilary, &c. 360
Julian dies, and is succeeded by Jovian. In Julian’s reign flourished Gregory Nazienzen, Themistius, Aurelius Victor, &c. 363
Upon the death of Jovian, and the succession of Valens and Valentinian, the empire is divided, the former being emperor of the east, and the other of the west 364
Gratian taken as partner in the western empire by Valentinian 367
Firmus tyrant of Africa defeated 373
Valentinian II. succeeds Valentinian I. 375
The Goths permitted to settle in Thrace, on being expelled by the Huns 376
Theodosius the Great succeeds Valens in the eastern empire. The Lombards first leave Scandinavia and defeat the Vandals 379
Gratian defeated and killed by Andragathius 383
The tyrant Maximus defeated and put to death by Theodosius 388
Eugenius usurps the western empire, and is two years after defeated by Theodosius 392
Theodosius dies, and is succeeded by his sons, Arcadius in the east and Honorius in the west. In the reign of Theodosius flourished Ausonius, Eunapius, Pappus, Theon, Prudentius, St. Austin, St. Jerome, St. Ambrose, &c. 395
Gildo, defeated by his own brother, kills himself 398
Stilicho defeats 200,000 of the Goths at Fesulæ 405
The Vandals, Alani, and Suevi permitted to settle in Spain and France by Honorius 406
Theodosius the younger succeeds Arcadius in the east, having Isdegerdes king of Persia as his guardian, appointed by his father 408
Rome plundered by Alaric king of the Visigoths, August 24th 410
The Vandals begin their kingdom in Spain 412
The kingdoms of the Burgundians is begun in Alsace 413
The Visigoths found a kingdom at Toulouse 415
The Alani defeated and extirpated by the Goths 417
The kingdom of the French begins on the Lower Rhine 420
The death of Honorius, and succession of Valentinian III. Under Honorius flourished Sulpicius Severus, Macrobius, Anianus, Panodorus, Stobæus, Servius the commentator, Hypatia, Pelagius, Synesius, Cyrill, Orosius, Socrates, &c. 423
Theodosius establishes public schools at Constantinople, and attempts the restoration of learning 425
The Romans take leave of Britain and never return 426
Pannonia recovered from the Huns by the Romans. The Vandals pass into Africa 427
The French defeated by Ætius 428
The Theodosian code published 435
Genseric the Vandal takes Carthage, and begins the kingdom of the Vandals in Africa 439
The Britons, abandoned by the Romans, make their celebrated complaint to Ætius against the Picts and Scots, and three years after the Saxons settle in Britain, upon the invitation of Vortigern 446
Attila king of the Huns ravages Europe 447
Theodosius II. dies, and is succeeded by Marcianus. About this time flourished Zozimus, Nestorius, Theodoret, Sozomen, Olympiodorus, &c. 450
The city of Venice first began to be known 452
Death of Valentinian III., who is succeeded by Maximus for two months, by Avitus for 10, and, after an interregnum of 10 months, by Majorianus 454
Rome taken by Genseric in July. The kingdom of Kent first established 455
The Suevi defeated by Theodoric on the Ebro 456
Marcianus dies, and is succeeded by Leo, surnamed the Thracian. Vortimer defeated by Hengist at Crayford, in Kent 457
Severus succeeds in the western empire 461
The paschal cycle of 532 years invented by Victorius of Aquitain 463
♦Anthemius succeeds in the western empire, after an interregnum of two years 467
♦ ‘Athemius’ replaced with ‘Anthemius’
Olybrius succeeds Anthemius, and is succeeded, the next year, by Glycerius, and Glycerius by Nepos 472
Nepos is succeeded by Augustulus. Leo junior, son of Ariadne, though an infant, succeeds his grandfather Leo in the eastern empire, and, some months after, is succeeded by his father Zeno 474
The western empire is destroyed by Odoacer king of the Heruli, who assumes the title of king of Italy. About this time flourished Eutyches, Prosper, Victorius, Sidonius Apollinaris 476
Constantinople partly destroyed by an earthquake, which lasted 40 days at intervals 480
The battle of Soissons and victory of Clovis over Siagrius the Roman general 485
After the death of Zeno in the east, Ariadne married Anastasius, surnamed the Silentiary, who ascends the vacant throne 491
Theodoric king of the Ostrogoths revolts about this time, and conquers Italy from the Heruli. About this time flourished Boethius and Symmachus 493
Christianity embraced in France by the baptism of Clovis 496
The Burgundian laws published by king Gondebaud 501
Alaric defeated by Clovis at the battle of Vorcillè near Poitiers 507
Paris made the capital of the French dominions 510
Constantinople besieged by Vitalianus, whose fleet is burned with a brazen speculum by Proclus 514
The computing of time by the christian era, introduced first by Dionysius 516
Justin I., a peasant of Dalmatia, makes himself emperor 518
Justinian I. nephew of Justin succeeds. Under his glorious reign flourished Belisarius, Jornandes, Paul the Silentiary, Simplicius, Dionysius, Procopius, Proclus, Narses, &c. 527
Justinian publishes his celebrated code of laws, and four years after his digest 529
Conquest of Africa by Belisarius, and that of Rome, two years after 534
Italy is invaded by the Franks 538
The Roman consulship suppressed by Justinian 542
A great plague, which arose in Africa, and desolated Asia and Europe 543
The beginning of the Turkish empire in Asia 545
Rome taken and pillaged by Totila 547
The manufacture of silk introduced from India into Europe by monks 551
Defeat and death of Totila the Gothic king of Italy 553
A dreadful plague over Africa, Asia, and Europe, which continues for 50 years 558
Justin II., son of Vigilantia the sister of Justinian, succeeds 565
Part of Italy conquered by the Lombards from Pannonia, who form a kingdom there 568
Tiberius II., an officer of the imperial guards, is adopted, and soon after succeeds 578
Latin ceases to be the language of Italy about this time 581
Maurice the Cappadocian, son-in-law of Tiberius, succeeds 582