190s

Events

190

By place

Roman Empire

• A part of Rome burns; Emperor Commodus orders the city to be rebuilt, under the name Colonia Commodiana.
• In his rise to power, Lucius Septimias Severus is appointed as a Roman Council (later becoming emperor during the year of the 5 emperors)
• A Roman road crosses the Alps, by the Simplon Pass.

China

• First year of the Chuping era of the Chinese Han Dynasty.
• The Campaign against Dong Zhuo begins. During the Battle of Xingyang, Cao Cao's army is defeated by Dong Zhuo.
• Luoyang is burned and plundered by the forces of Dong Zhuo. The court is moved to Chang'an.

Parthia

• Osroes II, controlling Media, claims the throne of the Parthian Empire. King Vologases IV of Parthia puts down the rebellion and restores order.

By topic

Art and Science

• Cleomedes teaches that the moon does not glow on its own, but rather reflects sunlight.

Economic

• Egypt (under Roman rule) is impoverished due to an inflation rate of 100% during the previous decade.
• The percentage of silver in the Egyptian denarius is lowered from 90% to 70%.

191

By place

Parthia

• King Vologases IV of Parthia dies after a 44-year reign, and is succeeded by his son Vologases V.

China

• A coalition of Chinese warlords from the east of Hangu Pass launches a punitive campaign against the warlord Dong Zhuo, who seized control of the central government in 189, and held the figurehead Emperor Xian hostage. After suffering some defeats against the coalition forces, Dong Zhuo forcefully relocates the imperial capital from Luoyang to Chang'an. Before leaving, Dong Zhuo orders his troops to loot the tombs of the Han emperors, and then destroy Luoyang by fire, to leave behind nothing for the coalition.
• Battle of Jieqiao: Yuan Shao narrowly defeats Gongsun Zan, in northern China.

By topic

Art

• c. 191–192 – The sculpture of Commodus as Hercules, from Esquiline Hill, Rome, is made (it is now kept at Palazzo dei Conservatori, Rome).

Religion

• Serapion becomes Patriarch of Antioch.

192

By place

Roman Empire

• December 31 – Emperor Commodus alarms the Senate, by appearing dressed as a gladiator for his new consulship on January 1. His mistress Marcia finds her name on the imperial execution list, and hires champion wrestler Narcissus to assassinate Commodus; the Antonines Dynasty ends.
• Civil war again strikes Ancient Rome (192–193).

China

• May 22 – Lü Bu assassinates warlord Dong Zhuo, who has controlled the central government of the Han Dynasty (since 189).

Vietnam

• The kingdom of Champa begins to control south and central Vietnam (approximate date).

By topic

Arts and Science

• A fire destroys Galen's library.

Religion

• Syriac Christians establish an early Christian community in Kerala, India.

193

By place

Roman Empire

• January 1 – Year of the Five Emperors: The Roman Senate chooses Publius Helvius Pertinax, against his will, to succeed the late Commodus as Emperor. Pertinax is forced to reorganize the handling of finances, which were wrecked under Commodus, to reestablish discipline in the Roman army, and to suspend the food programs established by Trajan, provoking the ire of the Praetorian Guard.
• March 28 – Pertinax is assassinated by members of the Praetorian Guard, who storm the imperial palace. The Empire is auctioned off; Marcus Didius Julianus the highest bidder, offers 300 million sesterces for the throne. Roman governors Clodius Albinus (Britannia) and Pescennius Niger (Syria) claim, with support of their troops, the imperial throne.
• April 14 – Lucius Septimius Severus is proclaimed Emperor by his troops at Carnuntum, in Pannonia Superior (Balkans). He marches with his army to Rome.
• June 1 – Septimius Severus enters the capital, and has Julianus put to death. He replaces the Praetorian Guard with a 15,000-man force from the Danubian legions, and gains control of the Roman Empire, beginning the Severan dynasty.
• Battle of Cyzicus and Battle of Nicaea (Asia Minor): Septimius Severus defeats the army under Pescennius.
• In Britain, Clodius Albinus allies with Septimius Severus, and accepts the title of Caesar. British tribes take advantage of the disorder in the Empire, and damage Hadrian's Wall. Extensive repairs to the defence work is carried out by the legionaries.
• Counterfeiting workshops begin to appear throughout the Roman Empire.
• The Council of Rome, the pre-ecumenical council

China

• Last (4th) year of Chuping era of the Chinese Han dynasty.
• Cao Cao's invasion of Xu Province: Cao Cao invades Tao Qian's Xu Province, holding him responsible for the death of Cao Song.

By topic

Commerce

• The silver content of the Roman denarius falls to 50 percent under emperor Septimius Severus, down from 68 percent under Marcus Aurelius.

194

By place

Roman Empire

• Decimus Clodius Septimius Albinus Caesar became a Roman Consul.
• Battle of Issus: Septimius Severus marches with his army (12 legions) to Cilicia, and defeats Pescennius Niger, Roman governor of Syria. Pescennius retreats to Antioch, and is executed by Severus' troops.
• Septimius Severus besieges Byzantium (194–196); the city walls suffer extensive damage.

Asia

• Battle of Yan Province: Warlords Cao Cao and Lü Bu fight for control over Yan Province; the battle lasts for over 100 days.
• First year of the Xingping era during the Han Dynasty in China.

By topic

Art and Science

• Galen writes his manual on pathology, The Art of Curing (approximate date).

Religion

• Irenaeus declares Gnostic doctrines to be heretical (approximate date).

195

By place

Roman Empire

• Emperor Septimius Severus has the Roman Senate deify the previous emperor Commodus, in an attempt to gain favor with the family of Marcus Aurelius.
• King Vologases V and other eastern princes support the claims of Pescennius Niger. The Roman province of Mesopotamia rises in revolt with Parthian support. Severus marches to Mesopotamia to battle the Parthians.
• The Roman province of Syria is divided and the role of Antioch is diminished. The Romans annex the Syrian cities of Edessa and Nisibis. Severus re-establishes his headquarters and the colonies there.
• Lucius Septimius Bassianus (or Caracalla), age 7, changes his name to Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, to solidify connections with the family of Marcus Aurelius, and is given the title Caesar.
• Clodius Albinus, who had been proclaimed emperor in Britain, crosses into Gaul with his legions, while at the same time recruiting new soldiers. He is soon the head of an army of 150,000 men, according to Cassius Dio. Severus, still in Mesopotamia, hastily returns to Rome.
• The denarius is devalued by Severus. The coin now contains only 50% precious metal.

China

• In China, the Xiongnu federation crosses the Great Wall and establishes itself in Shanxi Province.
• Last (2nd) year of the Xingping era during the Han Dynasty.

196

By place

Roman Empire

• Emperor Septimius Severus attempts to assassinate Clodius Albinus but fails, causing Albinus to retaliate militarily.
• Emperor Septimius Severus captures and sacks Byzantium; the city is rebuilt and regains its previous prosperity.
• In order to assure the support of the Roman legion in Germany on his march to Rome, Clodius Albinus is declared Augustus by his army while crossing Gaul.
• Hadrian's wall in Britain is partially destroyed.

China

• First year of the Jian'an Era, during the reign of the Xian Emperor of the Han.
• The Xian Emperor returns to war-ravaged Luoyang and seeks the protection of warlord Cao Cao. He is advised to move the capital to Xuchang; the emperor becomes a pawn in the hands of the Chinese warlords.

Korea

• Naehae becomes king of Silla.

197

By place

Roman Empire

• February 19 – Battle of Lugdunum: Emperor Septimius Severus defeats the self-proclaimed emperor Clodius Albinus at Lugdunum (modern Lyon). Albinus commits suicide; legionaries sack the town.
• Septimius Severus returns to Rome and has about 30 of Albinus's supporters in the Senate executed. After his victory he declares himself the adopted son of the late Marcus Aurelius.
• Septimius Severus forms new naval units, manning all the triremes in Italy with heavily armed troops for war in the East. His soldiers embark on an artificial canal between the Tigris and Euphrates.
• Legio I, II, and III Parthica are levied by Septimius Severus for his Parthian campaign.
• The Roman army marches east to repel a Parthian invasion of Mesopotamia; they loot the royal palace at Ctesiphon and capture an enormous number of its inhabitants as slaves.
• Septimius Severus reconstitutes the Province of Mesopotamia under an equestrian governor commanding two legions.
• Septimius Severus, who had spared the Senate at the beginning of his reign, now excludes it from controlling the Roman empire by declaring a military dictatorship.

Asia

• Battle of Wancheng: Zhang Xiu launches a surprise attack at Cao Cao.
• Yuan Shu declares himself emperor of the short-lived Zhong dynasty.
• Sansang becomes ruler of the Korean kingdom of Goguryeo.

By topic

Art and Science

• Galen's major work on medicines, Pharmacologia, is published.

Religion

• A Christian council is held in Edessa.

198

By place

Roman Empire

• January 28
  • Publius Septimius Geta, son of Septimius Severus, receives the title of Caesar.
  • Caracalla, son of Septimius Severus, is given the title of Augustus.

China

• Winter – Battle of Xiapi: The allied armies led by Cao Cao and Liu Bei defeat Lü Bu; afterward Cao Cao has him executed.

By topic

Religion

• Marcus I succeeds Olympianus as Patriarch of Constantinople (until 211).

199

By place

Roman Empire

• Mesopotamia is partitioned into two Roman provinces divided by the Euphrates, Mesopotamia and Osroene.
• Emperor Septimius Severus lays siege to the city-state Hatra in Central-Mesopotamia, but fails to capture the city despite breaching the walls.
• Two new legions, I Parthica and III Parthica, are formed as a permanent garrison.

China

• Battle of Yijing: Chinese warlord Yuan Shao defeats Gongsun Zan.

Korea

• Geodeung succeeds Suro of Geumgwan Gaya, as king of the Korean kingdom of Gaya (traditional date).

By topic

Religion

• Pope Zephyrinus succeeds Pope Victor I, as the 15th pope.