200s
CE 
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The 3rd Century CE |
200s
CE |
 200s - British Campaign 208-11 Many attacks by Germans and Persians. 193-211  Septimius SeverusTertullian, "the father of Latin Christianity", is the first to write about the Trinity. |
 210s - 211-217 Caracalla granted Roman citizenship to all free men throughout the Roman Empire to increase the tax base.217 Macrinus had Caracalla murdered and was later executed. 218-222 Elagabalus' short reign was notorious for religious controversy and alleged sexual debauchery. |
| 220s - 218-222 Elagabalus  222-235 Severus Alexander was 14 years-old when his grandmother arranged for the assassination of his cousion Elagabalus. Alexander was a successful administrator, but his poor military skills led to his own assassination, which was followed by the crisis of the 3rd century.c. 220s Historian Cassius Dio published 80 volumes on the history of ancient Rome. c. 220-230 Origen composes his theological treatise On the First Principles, which laid out the foundations of Christian theology |
 230s - 222-235 Alexander Severus 235-284 Crisis of the 3rd Century - nearly 50 yrs of civil war, 20 emperors235-238 Maximinus 238 /Gordian I & Gordian II 238 Pupienus & Balbinus 238-244 Gordian III c. 232 Origen is banished from Alexandria and stripped of Presbyter status after asking to be ordained in Palestine. His alleged self-mutilation to become a eunuch for the sake of the Good News and philosophical eclecticism contributed to criticism by later theologians. |
 240s -238-244 Gordian III 244-249 Philip the Arabian 245 Plotinus begins teaching his philosophy of the transcendent "One", the human Intellect and incorporeal soul in Rome. His lecture notes are edited by his student Porphyry and become popular and later referred to as "NeoPlatonism" in the 19th century. 249-251 Decius |
 250s  249-251 Decius defeats and kills Philip. He later executes prominent Christians.1st millennium of Rome's existence celebrated. 251-253 Gallus makes peace with the Goths after they kill Decius. Aemilianus defeats Goths and Gallus, becoming emperor for 3 months. 253-260 Valerian & his son Gallienus |
 260s  260-268 Gallienus was assassinated by usurpers in the breakaway Gallic Empire. 268 The silver Denarius, which was intoduced in 211 BC, had less than 5% of the silver it contained in 65 CE. It is gradually replaced by the bronze Antoninianus. 268-270 Claudius II defeats the Goths and contains the Alemanni, but dies from pestilence |
 270s  270-275 Aurelian wins many military victories, which reunite the empire, but he is murdered by corrupt officials.275- Tacitus, an experienced senator condemns the murder and continues the fight against germanic tribes for 6 months. 276-282 Probus was a successful general and conscientious administrator, but he was killed in a mutiny of soldiers preparing for the Persian war. Mithraism fades, but is incorporated into |
 280s 276-282 Probus 282-283 Carus successfully fought the Sarmations and died while campaigning against the Sasanian Empire 284 The sons of Carus, Carinus & Numerian, succeed him. 284-286 Diocletian executes the praetorian prefect for allegedly killing Numerian. Tetrarchy & Twelve Imperial Dioceses created by Diocletian 286-305 Diocletian & Maximianus |
 290s 286-305 Diocletian & Maximian rule as co-emperors. Britain and northwestern Gaul secede |