Dyoaisius Exiguus, begins to reckon the years from the birth of Christ.* April 1, Justin makes his sister's son, Justinian, colleague. c p August 1, Justin dies, eg c p aged 77, p and Aged 45, p reigns 38 years, 3 months, 12 days. In November, Belisarius beats the Vandals in Africa, In November, Justinian publishes his Institutions, and in December, his Digesta.t Belisarius finishing the war in Africa, puts an end to the Vandal kingdom, and carries their king to Constantinople. c p Belisarius reduces Sicily.c p Evagrius Scholasticus born in Syria. eg v Belisarius reduces the eastern part of Italy; and Vitiges king of the Goths in Italy, quits the Gothic Belisarius takes Ravenna with Vitiges; and called to repel the Persians, carries him to Constantinople. ср The last election of Consuls at Rome. So great a plague at Constantinople, that ten thou- January 17, Totilas king of the Goths in Italy, takes Rome; but Belisarius returning, enters and defends it, and beats him away. Ida, the Saxon, begins the kingdom of Northumberland. Belisarius recalled to repel the Persians. Totilas besieges and takes Rome again. The Sclavi under Lechus, seize on Poland and begin the kingdom. July 9, the Armenians begin their era.]] Dyonisius was a Scythian by descent, and placed the birth of Christ two or three or four years too late, as is generally now agreed. i Isaacson. The Digesta are a collection; and the Institutions, an abridgement of the Roman laws which had been made for 1200 years past c By the wars in Italy, the fields lay untilled, and so great a famine followed, that in Picenum fifty thousand men perished, the women ate their children, two women killed seventeen men and ate them. c § Evagrius says, this plague spread over the world, lasted fifty-two years, and in a manner destroyed the whole earth. eg Their years are exactly in the form of Nabonasser's, which they observe to this day, c Eastern No. Y. C. Emperors. 553 554 556 563 565 18 567 563 569 570 571 578 May 1, the fifth General Council meets at Constantinople * Narses sent to Italy, beats Totilas, wounds him to death, and by the end of July recovers Rome and almost all Italy. cp t In February, Teias, the last king of the Goths in Ita- Narses finishing the war in Italy, puts an end to the Belisarius dies in honour. November 13 cor 14 p Justinian dies, aged 84, hr and his sister's son Justin II. Reigns 12 years, 10 months, 22 days. Justin sends Longis, the first Exarch, to Ravenna. Alboin, king of the Lombards, leaves Pannonia, and seizes the north of Italy. cp с September 3, c he marches into the western part. c p Alboin subduing the western part of Italy, is pro- September 26, Justin makes Tiberius, a Thracian, his colleague. cp v October 5, Justin dies, cv and Reigns alone 3 years, 10 months, 9 days. eg c p Gildas, the British historian, flourishes. August 13, Tiberius marries his daughter to Mauricius, Reigns 20 years, 3 months, 9 days. An earthquake destroys sixty thousand more at Antioch. A Council in France declare the Lord's day to begin at evening. Evagrius writes his history this year.§ John, bishop of Constantinople, assumes the title of Pope Gregory sends Austin, a monk, to Britain, to December 25, he and his companions baptise Edelbert, king of Kent, and ten thousand of his subjects. VII. CENTURY. A Centurion, set up by the army, November 23, installed at Constantinople: November 27, kills Mauricius's sons before his eyes, at Chalcedon, and then cuts off his head. p * It had above 150 bishops; and condemns the erroneous writings of Theodorus, Theodoret and Ibas. eg c p v + Narses was by descent a Persian, and an eunuch, but a great commander.p The story of his blindness and begging, is a fiction of the papists, to reproach him for the power he exercised over their Pontiffs. c In the twelfth year of Mauricius, eg which is between August 14, this year, and August 14, next. cp v Eastern No. Y. C. Emperors. 604 606 May 26, Austin, the monk, dies in Britain. c sm February 6, Boniface III, chosen Pope, calls a Council of 72 bishops, who decree, that not the Patriarch of Constantinople, but the Roman Pontiff shall be styled Universal Bishop. 610 Heraclius The Roman governor in Africa e hr in July e sails to Constantinople, beats and takes Phocas: October 611 615 622 628 630 631 632 634 635 636 639 641 23 24 642 25 645 648 653 668 26 670! 3 p cuts off his head, and reigns 30 years, 7 months, 8 days. Constantin born to Heraclius. Deus Dedit chosen Pope, c who first forbids parents # July 15, at sunset, Mahomet flies out of Mecca: June 17, c Mahomet dies, aged 63. c p June 16, the Saracens beat and slay the Persian They take Jerusalem; and Antioch. They take Edessa and all Mesopotamia. Constantin By his first wife, reigns 4 months. c p In September, his mother in law Martina poisons him, and makes her son Heracleon Emperor: who reigns 6 months. Constans The Saracens take Cæsarea, in Palestine. In February, the Senate depose Heracleon, cut off his nose and his mother's tongue, c p and set up Constantin's son; who reigns 27 years. cp The Sclavi, under Zechus, seize Bohemia. With seventeen hundred sail, the Saracens take Cy prus. They take Rhodes. This summer Constans killed in a bath at Syracuse: cp and his son Constantin Pogonatus, reigns 17 years. cp sm Sammes Britannia. The Saracens take eighty thousand captives out of Beda, the British historian, born. *July 15, at sunset, is the beginning of Friday July 16, according to the oriental reckoning and these Arabian years are lunar, of twelve months; whereof the odd have 30 days, the even 29; 354 in all. The years are of the same sort with Nabonasser's: and the Persians still make it the head of their civil computations. c Which continues in their hands 463 years, to the year of Christ 1099, when Godfrey of Bulloign retakes it. c Eastern No. Y. C. Emperors. Justinian 694 Leontius 697 29 30 31 698 November 7, the sixth General Council opens at Con- In September, e Constantin dies, e p and his son Deposes him, cuts off his nose, sends him into banish- The Saracens drive the Romans out of all Africa: upon which the army sets up Absimarus Who sails to Constantinople, takes Leontius, cuts off his nose, shuts him up in a monastery, and reigns 7 years. c p 703 Justinian 704 711 712 713 714 Absimarus wasteth Syria, and kills two hundred thousand Saracens. VIII. CENTURY. II, takes Constantinople, recovers the empire, and Aripertus, king of Lombardy, gives the Cottian Alps, In December, the army on the Euxine sea set up Philippicus Who sails to Constantinople, kills Justinian, with his son, cp and reigns 1 year, 6 months: and thus the imperial line of Heraclius ends. Artemius The Saracens take several cities in Spain. June 3, an officer privily digs out Philippicus's eyes, cp and June 4, begins to reign. c p September 10, the Saracens, after 7 days fight, slay king Roderic, and seize his kingdom. The army, in Phenicia, set up Theodosius, a collector of taxes, cp and a man of mean extract, hr and besiege Constantinople 6 months. 715 Theodosius Takes the city, with Artemius, shaves and sends him 32 33 716 Leo III. 718 726 727 730 731 into a monastery. An Isaurian captain, c of obscure birth, p set up by Ina, king of the West Saxons, goes to Rome, and * It has 150 bishops, c and condemns the Monothelites. c p Which is a corruption of Gebel Taric, that is, the Mount of Taric. c Every house was to pay a Roman penny (that is seven pence half-penny) a year. Thence called Peter Pence. c Eastern No. Y. C. Emperors. 734 741 34 35 742 743 744 750 752 754 755 759 766 767 768 771 774 Beda dies on ascension day, May 6. * Constantin Reigns 34 years, 2 months, 27 days. cp June 27, He marches against the Saracens : and Artavasdas Who had married his sister, sets up at Constanti nople. Charles the Great born to Pepin, son of Charles In September, Constantin besieges Constantinople. January 25, Leo born to Constantin. c p Pope Zachary deposes Childeric king of France, orders him into a monastery, releases Pepin of his oath, and assigns him the kingdom. cp Astulphus, king of Lombardy, takes Ravenna, and puts an end to the Exarchate in Italy, which had lasted 182 years. February 10, c a General Council meets at Constantinople, cp and holds to August 8. c Pepin makes Astulphus yield to the pope all the places he had taken from the Exarch. Froiola, a Gothic king in Spain, beats the Saracens, and slays fifty-two thousand in one battle Organs first brought to France from Constantinople. August 17, Constantin makes an edict to dissolve the monasteries in Europe. Another, for dissolving those in Asia. September 24, Pepiù dies; and his son Charles reigns. cp § January 14, p Constantin born to Leo. c p Charles takes Desiderius, king of Lombardy, puts an end to the kingdom, adds it to his own, and carries the king to France. He subdues Westphalia and Frisia. September 14, Constantin dies, cp and his son Charles subdues the Saxons as far as the Elbe. Constantin With his widow Irene, reign together 10 years, 1 month. Charles subdues Bavaria. September 24, a General Council meets at Nice, cp and continues to October 13. p || * Petavius says, on ascension day next year, May 6; p but ascension day next year being May 26, Calvisius seems to be right. + Childeric was the last of the Merovean line, and Pepin was his chief minister of state and general. c p It has 338 bishops, condemns images, c p and the eastern churches call it the seventh General Council: though the worshippers of images will not allow it. c. § His brother Charleman reigns with him: but dies in 771, without male heir, and leaves the whole to Charles, surnamed the Great. cp It has 350 bishops, p restores the worship of images, c p though not with divine honor, c and the papists call this the seventh General Council. |