The family portrait medallion, traditionally called the Family of Vunnerius Keramus, is made (it is later placed in the Brescia Cross, and then in the Museo Civico dell'Etá Cristiana,
Brescia).
In
Rome,
Hostilian, son of Decius, succeeds his father, while
Trebonianus Gallus is proclaimed
Emperor by the troops. Gallus accepts him as co-emperor, but an outbreak of
plague strikes the city, and kills Hostilian.
Aemilianus is proclaimed "enemy of the State" by the
Roman Senate. Trebonianus Gallus is defeated at
Interamna Nahars (
Umbria); he flees with Volusianus to the north, but at
Foligno they are killed by their own troops.
Aemilianus rules the Roman Empire for three months; he promises to fight in
Thrace and goes to war against
Persia. The Senate gives him the rank of Pontifex Maximus.
The
Roman Empire is threatened by several peoples on their borders: the Germanic confederations, such as the
Franks on the Middle
Rhine, the
Alemanni on the upper Rhine and Danube, and the
Marcomanni facing the provinces at
Noricum and
Raetia. On land the confederation of
Goths threaten the lower Danube provinces, and on the sea they threaten the shores of Thracia, Bithynia et Pontus, and Cappadocia. In the eastern provinces, the
Sassanid Persians had the previous year defeated a Roman field army at Barballisos, and afterwards plundered the defenseless provinces. This period of time is called today the
Crisis of the Third Century.
Cities in the Roman Empire begin to build walls, as the defense of the frontiers begins to crumble; future emperor
Aurelian inspects along the Rhine.
Asia
Peace and unity are finally restored in China, with the victories of the
Wei Kingdom in the north. The ruling dynasty is worn out by war, and the kingdom is ruled by ministers on their behalf.
By topic
Medicine
The great
pandemic of the Roman world strikes violently in
Pontus on the
Black Sea, and causes enormous loss of life in
Alexandria, encouraging thousands to embrace Christianity.
Pope Stephen I threatens to excommunicate
Cyprian, bishop of
Carthage, and other
bishops in Africa and Asia Minor, unless they stop rebaptizing
heretics. Cyprian attacks the Pope in a treatise that gains support from the
Council of Carthage. He sends envoys to
Rome, raising the specter of a
schism between the Roman and Carthaginian
Churches.
Valerian's persecution of
Christians begins: his edict orders bishops and priests to sacrifice according to the pagan rituals, and prohibits Christians, under penalty of death, from meeting at the tombs of their deceased.
A second Imperial
edict prohibits
Christianity in the Roman Empire. This edict divides Christians into four categories:
priests, who are to be put to death; senators and
equestrians, who are to be stripped of their positions and their property confiscated;
nuns, who are to be exiled; and imperial civil servants, who are condemned to forced labour.[citation needed]
Emperor
Valerian leads an army (70,000 men) to relieve
Edessa, besieged by the forces of Persian King
Shapur I. An outbreak of a
plague kills many
legionaries, weakening the Roman position in
Syria.
Postumus revolts against Gallienus in
Gaul. The western provinces of
Britain and
Spain join his independent realm—which is called in modern times the
Gallic Empire.
Postumus, governor of Gaul, declares himself
Emperor, and continues to rule the Gallic Empire until
269, when he is killed by his soldiers.
The family portrait medallion, traditionally called the Family of Vunnerius Keramus, is made (it is later placed in the Brescia Cross, and then in the Museo Civico dell'Etá Cristiana,
Brescia).
In
Rome,
Hostilian, son of Decius, succeeds his father, while
Trebonianus Gallus is proclaimed
Emperor by the troops. Gallus accepts him as co-emperor, but an outbreak of
plague strikes the city, and kills Hostilian.
Aemilianus is proclaimed "enemy of the State" by the
Roman Senate. Trebonianus Gallus is defeated at
Interamna Nahars (
Umbria); he flees with Volusianus to the north, but at
Foligno they are killed by their own troops.
Aemilianus rules the Roman Empire for three months; he promises to fight in
Thrace and goes to war against
Persia. The Senate gives him the rank of Pontifex Maximus.
The
Roman Empire is threatened by several peoples on their borders: the Germanic confederations, such as the
Franks on the Middle
Rhine, the
Alemanni on the upper Rhine and Danube, and the
Marcomanni facing the provinces at
Noricum and
Raetia. On land the confederation of
Goths threaten the lower Danube provinces, and on the sea they threaten the shores of Thracia, Bithynia et Pontus, and Cappadocia. In the eastern provinces, the
Sassanid Persians had the previous year defeated a Roman field army at Barballisos, and afterwards plundered the defenseless provinces. This period of time is called today the
Crisis of the Third Century.
Cities in the Roman Empire begin to build walls, as the defense of the frontiers begins to crumble; future emperor
Aurelian inspects along the Rhine.
Asia
Peace and unity are finally restored in China, with the victories of the
Wei Kingdom in the north. The ruling dynasty is worn out by war, and the kingdom is ruled by ministers on their behalf.
By topic
Medicine
The great
pandemic of the Roman world strikes violently in
Pontus on the
Black Sea, and causes enormous loss of life in
Alexandria, encouraging thousands to embrace Christianity.
Pope Stephen I threatens to excommunicate
Cyprian, bishop of
Carthage, and other
bishops in Africa and Asia Minor, unless they stop rebaptizing
heretics. Cyprian attacks the Pope in a treatise that gains support from the
Council of Carthage. He sends envoys to
Rome, raising the specter of a
schism between the Roman and Carthaginian
Churches.
Valerian's persecution of
Christians begins: his edict orders bishops and priests to sacrifice according to the pagan rituals, and prohibits Christians, under penalty of death, from meeting at the tombs of their deceased.
A second Imperial
edict prohibits
Christianity in the Roman Empire. This edict divides Christians into four categories:
priests, who are to be put to death; senators and
equestrians, who are to be stripped of their positions and their property confiscated;
nuns, who are to be exiled; and imperial civil servants, who are condemned to forced labour.[citation needed]
Emperor
Valerian leads an army (70,000 men) to relieve
Edessa, besieged by the forces of Persian King
Shapur I. An outbreak of a
plague kills many
legionaries, weakening the Roman position in
Syria.
Postumus revolts against Gallienus in
Gaul. The western provinces of
Britain and
Spain join his independent realm—which is called in modern times the
Gallic Empire.
Postumus, governor of Gaul, declares himself
Emperor, and continues to rule the Gallic Empire until
269, when he is killed by his soldiers.