), Ptolemy manages to acquire Alexander the Great's corpse, to lend authority to his rule in Egypt, Seleucus wins control of a vast area, comprising the eastern part of Alexander's empire from the Mediterranean to India, Go to Seleucids in World Encyclopedia (1 ed. eventually to be known as Constantinople (in the 1900s to be changed to Istanbul). ), The brutal philosophy of Legalism contributes to the decline of the Zhou dynasty, Go to legalism in Pagan temples have been robbed of their treasures. Since the formation of the Republic of Macedonia in 1991, Macedonians and . When was the 4th century? are offered for the well-being of their kingdom, for recovery from illness and However, on October 21, 336 BCE, he was assassinated at a celebration of his daughter's marriage. . ), The people of Paracas, a coastal region of central Peru, create extremely sophisticated fabrics of woven cotton or vicua wool, Go to Paracas Culture in 347 bc) in 311 In China, Empress Jia has slaughtered But it was his own student, Aristotle, himself the tutor of Alexander the Great, who truly spread Greek thought to the wider world. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. Soldiers fight wars not only for their king Adrianople. 395 Christian emperors have been persecuting ), At Gordium, in central Turkey, Alexander is credited with cutting the mythical Gordian Knot (identifying him as the ruler of Asia), Go to Gordion (Turkey) in he had conquered the entire Persian Empire and was dead. Oxford Dictionary of the Classical World (1 ed. The election of Pope Martin V put an end to the dispute between Rome and Avignon, but the burning at the stake of the Czech reformists Jan Hus and Jerome of Prague unleashed 4 Hussite wars, which bloodied Bohemia until 1427. You could not be signed in, please check and try again. As a result, Goths entering the empire are largely Christian. By the year 400 BC Greek philosophy, art, literature and architecture had spread far and wide, with the numerous independent Greek colonies that had sprung up throughout the lands of the eastern Mediterranean. The Gupta Empire (4th-6th century) is regarded as the "Golden Age" of Hinduism, although a host of kingdoms ruled over India in these centuries. ), The kingdom of Magadha, with its capital at Rajgir (near modern Patna), emerges as the dominant power in north India, Go to Magadha in Darius was later killed by one of his own men. The Oxford Guide to People and Places of the Bible (1 ed. By 323 B.C.E. Towards the end of the century, Emperor of the Former Qin, Fu Jin, united the north under his banner, and planned to conquer the Jin dynasty in the south, so as to finally reunite the land, but was decisively defeated at the Battle of Fei River in 383, causing massive unrest and civil war in his empire, thereby leading to the fall of the Former Qin, and the continued existence of the Eastern Jin dynasty. He became the first ruler of the Mauryan Empire in 322 BCE. Constantine and the emperor of the eastern half of the empire, Licinius, makes that bans Jews from entering Jerusalem, and he abolishes privileges that have 1822 Free American Blacks settle Liberia, West Africa. Aristotle proposed his division of the sciences. ), Philip of Macedon defeats Athens and Thebes at Chaeronaea, giving him control of Greece, Go to Chaeronea in Though the period has usually been characterized by historians as being excessively violent compared to the Spring and Autumn period, it was also punctuated by several cultural and social growths through the expansion of several different sects of Confucianism and Taoism, and the formulation of Legalist thought. The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed. ), The Celts move across the Channel into Britain, soon becoming the dominant ethnic group in the island, The Greek author Theophrastus writes On the History of Plants, the earliest surviving work on botany, Go to Theophrastus (c. 372 bc287 bc) in They were wiped out by a Tsunami during the 4th century. Then a generation of peace for the church. Christian mobs have been attacking what are 325 Christianity is receiving 313 The Edict of Milan, agreed to by He associates ), Phoenicia is brought into the new Hellenistic empire, changing hands frequently between contending successors of Alexander, Go to Phoenicians in Who's Who in the Classical World (1 ed. they considered unsophisticated. ), Back in Persia, to emphasize that Greece and Persia are now one, Alexander marries eighty of his senior officers to Persian wives, Alexander and his companion Hephaestion marry daughters of Darius III, When the army reaches Ecbatana, Hephaestion dies of a fever and the grief-stricken Alexander erects shrines in his memory, Alexander the Great, still only 33, dies in Babylon following a banquet, Alexander's generals decide that the joint heirs to his throne shall be his half-brother (Philip III) and his posthumous son by Roxana (Alexander IV), Go to Philip (2) Arrhidaeus (c. 357317 bc) in The two emperor system originally established by Diocletian in the previous century fell into regular practice, and the east continued to grow in importance as a centre of trade and imperial power, while Rome itself diminished greatly in importance due to its location far from potential trouble spots, like Central Europe and the East. and patronizes it. Constantine at his death-bed, Constantine chooses baptism. Go to Seleucids in Oxford Dictionary of the Classical World (1 ed.) However, Alexander suddenly became ill and died several days later. Years: c. 300 - c. 400: Subject: History, Early history (500 CE to 1500) Publisher: HistoryWorld: Online Publication Date: 2012 Current online version: 2012 eISBN: 9780191735479 Read More. ), Alexander's corpse, hijacked by Ptolemy, becomes a sacred relic in Alexandria, Chandragupta Maurya seizes the throne of Magadha, in India, and establishes the Mauryan dynasty, Go to Mauryan empire (c. 325185 bc) in speaking people have been migrating through the territory of other peoples and they have reached the southern tip of the African continent. 400 On the plains of what someday The Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names (2 ed. 1797 Earthquake in Quito, Ecuador kills 41,000. They fell out of favor with the Nanda emperor, and took it upon themselves to overthrow him. The Oxford Classical Dictionary (3 rev ed. ), Alexander IV and his mother Roxana are murdered by order of Cassander (by now the self-proclaimed king of Macedonia), Go to Cassander (297 bc) in The Zhou and Qin dynasties controlled China, though we don't know anything about what they did other than the names of their rulers. In East Asia, China was nominally ruled by the Zhou Dynasty. From there, he went to Egypt, where he was greeted as a liberator and made pharaoh. 301 Perhaps as early as now, or maybe into the following century, Samoans have traveled across 2000 What happened in the 4th century BC? The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (2 ed. Oxford Dictionary of the Classical World (1 ed. Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus was now Augustus, and he reigned from 27 BC to 14 AD. There is disagreement on the exact year this began, though the year 475 BCE is the most common year historians cite. In the West, the early part of the century was shaped by Constantine the Great, who became the first Roman emperor to adopt Christianity. According to archaeologists, sufficient archaeological evidence correlates of state-level societies coalesced in the 4th century to show the existence in Korea of the Three Kingdoms (300/400668 CE) of Baekje, Goguryeo, and Silla. 391 Emperor Theodosius the First sanctions the destruction of the great pagan temple of Serapeum at Alexandria, Egypt, dedicated to Alexandria's protector deity, Serapis. ), Socrates, convicted in Athens of impiety, is sentenced to death and drinks the hemlock, Go to Socrates (469399 bc) in ), Philip III is killed on the orders of Olympias, the mother of Alexander, Seleucia is founded as a new capital on the Tigris, eclipsing Babylon and recycling much of the older city as building material, Go to Seleucia (Iraq) in Timeline: 4th Century BCE (400 to 301) 400 Zoroastrianism is the faith of many Persians. He also made efforts to fuse Greek and Persian cultures. He abolishes the Olympics. becomes emperor. ), While in Egypt, Alexander founds Alexandria the best known of the many towns he establishes to spread Greek culture, Go to Alexandria in Libraries have been destroyed, causing the disappearance of many writings. Bantu In Asia, they controlled some of India all the way to Asia Minor and the Levant. "300s BC" redirects here. A Dictionary of World History (2 ed. are to govern separate sections of the empire. 390 The three Korean states, Koguryo, World Encyclopedia (1 ed. The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (2 ed. What changes did the Roman Empire experience in the fourth century? When Greek traders sailed all over the Mediterranean they brought their culture and ideas with them. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. 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With the overthrow of Darius, Alexander became the ruler of the whole territory of the Persian Empire, though fighting continued in some form until 329 BCE. Chanakya is said to have seen great potential in Chandragupta and taken it upon himself to raise and educate him in geopolitics, statecraft, and warfare. Many important events and achievements occurred during the 4th century. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. many. 321 Constantine makes the day of Bishop Arius and Arian at the city of Jiankang (Nanjing). S. McGill, C. Sogno and E. Watts (Cambridge 2008). North America was occupied by nomads. the sun god Sol Invictus (Sunday) a holy day and a day of rest for Christians. converted to Christianity in Constantinople, has turned forty. Philosophical thought also spread from Greece during the 4th century. A map of major civilizations in the 4th century BCE. the Church's leading theoretician, a scholar of history and theology. The Oxford Classical Dictionary (3 rev ed. [citation needed] General prosperity was felt throughout this period, but recurring invasions by Germanic tribes plagued the empire from 376[1][2] CE onward. | {{course.flashcardSetCount}} These governments ranged from a direct democracy in Athens to monarchies and dictatorships. will be called the United States, the bow and arrow is replacing the spear, 22 chapters | Penguin, 1994. The Oxford Classical Dictionary (3 rev ed. Other areas of the world, such as Australia, Northern Europe, or Central Asia, were also populated at the time. The army of Constantine wins, and Constantine In the western Mediterranean region, the city of Carthage was trading throughout the region. Buddhist prayers ), Moving northeast into Mesopotamia, Alexander again defeats Darius III (at Gaugamela), leaving Persia open to his advances, Go to Gaugamla in These early invasions marked the beginning of the end for the Western Roman Empire. From then on, the ideas of Socrates and Pythagoras and the plays of Sophocles and Aristophanes spread throughout the world. Eventually, Chandragupta and Chanakya came to serve the Nanda Empire, a powerful empire in Northern India. Year Event; c. 300: Horses strong enough to carry men wearing armour are put to good use by northern . Alexander's father, King Philip II of Macedon, instituted several key reforms to the Macedonian military that allowed him to win several key military victories throughout his reign. In 3rd century, the Qin eventually conquered all the remaining states of China and formed the Qin dynasty in 221 BCE, just 35 years after the fall of the Zhou dynasty. At beginning of century, Edessa (Urfa in modern Turkey) becomes first Christian state. Even a lot of places where people were living in villages, like the Mayan maize farmers or the Celts, hadn't organized themselves into large enough groups to have much impact on the rest of the world. 4. Theodosius, who has described heretics as insane, dies. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. ), Central to Plato's philosophy is the theory that there are higher Forms of reality, of which our senses perceive only a transient shadow, Go to Plato (c. 429c. The same year, Alexander faced Darius again in the Battle of Gaugamela and, again, Darius fled the field. ), Ptolemy begins to transform Alexandria into a centre of Greek culture, founding his famous 'museum' and library, Go to Alexandrian Library in It is also when the Romans built their first aqueduct. ), Artemisia, widow of Mausolus, builds him a tomb at Halicarnassus so spectacular that his name provides a new word - mausoleum, Go to Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the in 664 The civil war among the Muslims ends. North America was mostly populated by nomadic people. China in the 4th century BC entered an era of constant warfare known as the Warring States period. ), Vesta, goddess of the hearth, is served in Rome by virgin priestesses who tend the sacred flame in her shrine, Go to Vestal virgin in He was the first Christian emperor and saw the empire begin to become a Christian state. but for the Way of the Buddha. ), Homer's Iliad becomes a profound source of inspiration to Alexander, who will keep scrolls of the text in his tent during his conquests, Go to Iliad, The in The Zoroastrians believe in a struggle between their god, Mazda, and the devil. Christianity a legal faith. 430 The Vandals have conquered all the way to Augustine's city, Hippo. In 334 BCE, Alexander launched his attack. People came up with a lot of improvements during that century, too. The Celts were spreading across Central and Western Europe. 333 Constantine widens the Using this instability, Chandragupta abandoned his mission of taking the Nanda capital and instead turned his attention to the destabilized lands to the west, which was a prosperous region. All Rights Reserved. The Oxford Classical Dictionary (3 rev ed. A Dictionary of World History (2 ed. ), The League of Corinth resolves to launch a war against Persia, with Philip II in command of the confederate forces, An advance guard of 10,000 troops sets off towards Persia in the spring, with Philip due to follow later with the main army, At a summer feast to celebrate the wedding of his daughter, Philip of Macedon is murdered by one of his courtiers, The League of Corinth elects Alexander to take his father's place as leader of the campaign against Persia, Before departing for the east, Alexander destroys Thebes and enslaves the Thebans for rebelling against the League of Corinth, Go to Thebes in a. The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature (3 ed. The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (2 rev ed. ), Alexander travels far into the desert, to a famous oracle of the sun god Amon (or Amon-Re) at Siwah, where the priest recognizes him as the son of the god, Go to oracle in He rescinds the law Apostate. In 305, he retired, the only Roman emperor ever to do so, and Galerius . b. The Zhou Dynasty ruled China, sometimes in name only, from around 1046 until 256 BCE. numbers are too vast, and the persecutions drag on. ), Daoism, attributed to the mythical sage Lao Tzu, becomes a popular alternative to the solemnity of Confucianism, Private financiers in Athens give loans, take deposits, change money from one currency to another and arrange credit for travellers, Go to credit in The 4th century BC started the first day of 400 BC and ended the last day of 301 BC. pagans, Jews and Arian Christians. Create an account to start this course today. ), A Greek text, attributed to Polybus, argues that the human body is composed of four humours, Go to four humours in But there were also things happening in China, and there were people living civilized lives throughout the rest of the world - we just don't know anything about what they were doing or even who their rulers might have been. Alexander continued conquering and spreading Greek ideas and culture farther east, building a great empire as far as India. Burnt brick 'or fired bricks' were first used in Mediterranean civilizations. and express their belief that Julian's death was the work of God. A Dictionary of World History (2 ed. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (2 ed. A Dictionary of World History (2 ed. The Long Fourth Century 284-450: Continuity and Change in the Later Roman Empire ed. He then moved south and captured the Levant. The Carthaginians traded all over the Mediterranean Sea. The century witnessed major changes and transitions in church relations with state and society. 4th Century 300s (300-399) 300-309 310-319 320-329 330-339 340-349 350-359 360-369 370-379 380-389 390-399 5th Century 400s (400-499) 400-409 410-419 420-429 430-439 440-449 450-459 460-469 470-479 480-489 490-499 6th Century 500s (500-599) 500-509 510-519 520-529 530-539 540-549 550-559 560-569 570-579 580-589 590-599 7th Century 600s (600-699) The Carolingian Renaissance and the Viking raids occurred within this period. See: List of political entities in the 4th century BC. Shortly after arriving in Babylon, Alexander began planning further campaigns into Arabia and to the west, perhaps even into Italy. In China, two canals were built to provide irrigation water for an area of 40x50 miles. are upset. 1803 William Dunlap adapts French melodrama "Voice of Nature". Aristotle's philosophies and teachings spanned many subjects. of the empire, Valens, is defeated by Christianized Germans called Goths, at ), Alexander, recreating a classic Greek ceremony, runs naked in Troy to the supposed tomb of Achilles to place a garland, At the river Granicus, not far from Troy, Alexander defeats a Persian army employing many Greek mercenaries, Go to Grncus in Oxford Dictionary of the Classical World (1 ed. Throughout the second half of the third century Christianity grew in almost all sectors of the Roman Empire. his empire's Christians. This empire went on to conquer further lands to the northwest and, eventually, most of the Indian subcontinent to the south. He proclaims Christianity the religion of his Roman Empire. The period saw the rapid rise of large states (such as Chu) over smaller ones thanks to technological advancement. A Dictionary of World History (2 ed. According to the traditional periodization of history, it is part of the Modern Age . Alexander quickly moved deeper into Persian territory, prompting the Persian king, Darius III, to meet him in battle. ), Philip of Macedon persuades most of the Greek city-states, brought together in Corinth, to agree to a military alliance with himself as leader, Go to Corinth, League of in THE CHURCH IN THE FOURTH CENTURY This is a very important part of the history of the church. 380 The co-emperors Gratian and Theodosius ), Euclid, teaching at the museum in Alexandria, writes what becomes Europe's standard textbook on geometry, Go to Mafia [Crime] in {{courseNav.course.mDynamicIntFields.lessonCount}} lessons publish their edict that the doctrine of the Trinity is to be the official They migrated to Greece and Rome during the Gupta period. Most notably, perhaps, was his division of the sciences, whereby he separated the sciences into physics, mathematics, and theology. This allowed millers to use the animals to do most of the strenuous labor associated with their job, greatly increasing the output of their mills. In China, two canals, which provided water for many people and are still in use today, were excavated in the plain of Chengdu. These civilizations also spread technological and philosophical innovations such as the donkey-powered mill and the division of the sciences by Aristotle. The 4th century is in many ways the best-documented period of Greek history. ), Epicurus postulates a universe of indestructible atoms in which man himself is responsible for achieving a balanced life, Go to Epicureanism in Christians rejoice at news of his death 4th Century BC. ), Some 20 years after the death of Alexander the Great one of his generals, Ptolemy, extends his rule from Egypt to include Jerusalem, Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma emerge as India's trio of main gods, with the Vedic religion of the Aryans evolving into Hinduism, Go to Hinduism in The 4th century was the years from 400 to 301 BCE, which saw many significant events and achievements in different parts of the world. Many civilizations were active, such as the Celts, the Mayans, the Carthaginians, the Chinese, the Greeks, and the Persians. been bestowed upon the Christian clergy. 399 Socrates is accused of corrupting Athenian youth and gets death sentence. ), The Zapotecs create a great city at Monte Alban, continuing the Olmec culture, Go to Zapotec in In the Middle East, the House of Wisdom was founded in Abbasid Baghdad, attracting many scholars to the city.The field of algebra was founded by the Muslim polymath al-Khwarizmi. Politician and Revolutionary Georges Danton. written of the Roman Empire as having arisen to prepare the way for the arrival ), The Upanishads, written over a long period from oral tradition, are the mystical texts of early Hinduism, Go to Upanishads in Seleucus wins control of a vast area, comprising the eastern part of Alexander's empire from the Mediterranean to India. 3rd Century. ), The Indian epic of romance and adventure, the Ramayana, is probably the work of a single author at about this time, Go to Ramayana in Eventually, however, the Persians became weakened by rebellions and civil war. Because of ill-health, he Arguably the most important series of political events in this period were the conquests of Alexander, bringing about the collapse of the once formidable Persian Empire and spreading Greek culture far into the east.