January 18 – Western Roman Emperor
Constans I makes himself extremely unpopular; one of his generals,
Magnentius, is proclaimed emperor at Augustodunum in the Diocese of Galliae, with the support of the army on the
Rhine frontier.
January – Constans I flees towards
Spain, where he is subsequently assassinated at Castrum Helenae. Magnentius rules the Western portion of the Roman Empire and is far more tolerant towards
Christians and
Pagans alike.
June 30 – Nepotianus is defeated and killed by
Marcellinus, a trusted
general sent by Magnentius. His head is put on a spear and carried around the city.
December 25 – Vetranio meets Constantius II at
Naissus (
Serbia) and joins forces with him. Vetranio is forced to abdicate his title, and Constantius allows him to live as a private citizen on a state pension.
The
Alamanni and the
Franks cross the Rhine and defeat the depleted Roman units left at the frontier. The Germans take control of around 40 towns and cities between the
Moselle and the
Rhine.[citation needed]
May 17 –
Pope Julius I dies after a 15-year reign in which he has made himself the chief opponent of
Arianism. He is succeeded by
Pope Liberius as the 36th
pope, who immediately writes to Constantius II requesting a council at
Aquileia to discuss the former Alexandrian patriarch
Athanasius, who opposes the Arian belief to which the emperor subscribes.[citation needed]
Constantius II sends his official
Paulus Catena to
Britain, to hunt down the opponents supporting Magnentius.
Flavius Martinus,
vicarius of Britain and supporter of Constantius, opposes the persecutions; he is then accused by Catena of being a traitor. In response, Martinus tries to kill Catena with a sword; he fails and then commits suicide.
As a result of the
armies of the West having been largely withdrawn by the usurper
Magnus Magnentius, to fight Constantius II, hordes of barbarians (
Franks and
Alemanni) cross the upper
Rhine into
Gaul and invade the lands of the
Helvetians.
Emperor
Constantius II builds new forts to secure upper
Mesopotamia. Persia's king
Shapur II sends an
emissary to
Constantinople with gifts and a letter wrapped in white
silk. He requests that Constantius return the lands of his ancestors from the
Euphrates to the frontier of
Macedonia. Constantius tactfully refuses to cede any territories.
Siege of Amida: Shapur II besieges the Roman fortress of
Amida (modern
Diyarbakir). After seventy-three days the city is conquered and the population is massacred by the Persians.
Ammianus Marcellinus is a fortunate survivor and flees to
Singara (
Iraq).
Famine in
Upper Rhineland: A fleet of 800 river boats, built for the
Rhine, cross to the British east coast, and carry back enough
corn to raise the
famine.[13]
Winter – Shapur II halts his campaign, due to heavy casualties during the Persian invasion.
July – Emperor
Constantius II convenes the
Council of Rimini, to resolve the crisis over
Arianism in the Church. Some 400
bishops of the Western portion of the
Roman Empire attend, while the Eastern bishops simultaneously hold a meeting at
Seleucia. Given
Saint Jerome's comment that, "The whole world groaned in astonishment to find itself Arian", it appears to have failed.
Pope Liberius rejects the new creed at
Rimini.
January 18 – Western Roman Emperor
Constans I makes himself extremely unpopular; one of his generals,
Magnentius, is proclaimed emperor at Augustodunum in the Diocese of Galliae, with the support of the army on the
Rhine frontier.
January – Constans I flees towards
Spain, where he is subsequently assassinated at Castrum Helenae. Magnentius rules the Western portion of the Roman Empire and is far more tolerant towards
Christians and
Pagans alike.
June 30 – Nepotianus is defeated and killed by
Marcellinus, a trusted
general sent by Magnentius. His head is put on a spear and carried around the city.
December 25 – Vetranio meets Constantius II at
Naissus (
Serbia) and joins forces with him. Vetranio is forced to abdicate his title, and Constantius allows him to live as a private citizen on a state pension.
The
Alamanni and the
Franks cross the Rhine and defeat the depleted Roman units left at the frontier. The Germans take control of around 40 towns and cities between the
Moselle and the
Rhine.[citation needed]
May 17 –
Pope Julius I dies after a 15-year reign in which he has made himself the chief opponent of
Arianism. He is succeeded by
Pope Liberius as the 36th
pope, who immediately writes to Constantius II requesting a council at
Aquileia to discuss the former Alexandrian patriarch
Athanasius, who opposes the Arian belief to which the emperor subscribes.[citation needed]
Constantius II sends his official
Paulus Catena to
Britain, to hunt down the opponents supporting Magnentius.
Flavius Martinus,
vicarius of Britain and supporter of Constantius, opposes the persecutions; he is then accused by Catena of being a traitor. In response, Martinus tries to kill Catena with a sword; he fails and then commits suicide.
As a result of the
armies of the West having been largely withdrawn by the usurper
Magnus Magnentius, to fight Constantius II, hordes of barbarians (
Franks and
Alemanni) cross the upper
Rhine into
Gaul and invade the lands of the
Helvetians.
Emperor
Constantius II builds new forts to secure upper
Mesopotamia. Persia's king
Shapur II sends an
emissary to
Constantinople with gifts and a letter wrapped in white
silk. He requests that Constantius return the lands of his ancestors from the
Euphrates to the frontier of
Macedonia. Constantius tactfully refuses to cede any territories.
Siege of Amida: Shapur II besieges the Roman fortress of
Amida (modern
Diyarbakir). After seventy-three days the city is conquered and the population is massacred by the Persians.
Ammianus Marcellinus is a fortunate survivor and flees to
Singara (
Iraq).
Famine in
Upper Rhineland: A fleet of 800 river boats, built for the
Rhine, cross to the British east coast, and carry back enough
corn to raise the
famine.[13]
Winter – Shapur II halts his campaign, due to heavy casualties during the Persian invasion.
July – Emperor
Constantius II convenes the
Council of Rimini, to resolve the crisis over
Arianism in the Church. Some 400
bishops of the Western portion of the
Roman Empire attend, while the Eastern bishops simultaneously hold a meeting at
Seleucia. Given
Saint Jerome's comment that, "The whole world groaned in astonishment to find itself Arian", it appears to have failed.
Pope Liberius rejects the new creed at
Rimini.