As a novice reader of
Italian history, it was difficult keeping the "players” straight
(comparable to reading "War & Peace"). I found using
a chronology assisted in explaining the interaction of those involved, along with the place, and date of event.
Although there was much more activity on the part of the
early German rulers in what is now Europe, (read "The Invasion of
Europe by the Barbarians” by J. B. Bury) I chose to list events
primarily involving Italy.
Year |
Event |
| 311 | Milvian Bridge- Coversion to paganism except for some of the upper class society. |
| 324 | Capital at Constantinople |
| 325 | Nicene Creed ---First Council of Nicaea |
| 381 | Revision by First Council of Constantinople of Nicene Creed |
| 381 | The First Council of Constantinople called to confirm the victory over ARIANISM, established the orthodox teaching of the Trinity and condemned the heresy of Apollinarianism. |
| 400 | Total conversion from paganism to Christianity. |
| 405 | Constantine III with Roman Troops left England adding French Troops on the way |
| 408 | Alaric, King of the Goths, captured Rome. Roman imperial authority collapsed |
| 409 | Alans, Vandals and Sueves crossed the frozen Rhine to enter Roman Empire via France |
| 418 | Visigoths take Southwestern France (Aquitane) |
| 429 | 80,000 Vandals leave Spain and move to Africa and set-up the Arian Church |
| 476-493 | Odoacer, King of the Heruli, rules the peninsula |
| 484-519 |
Acacian Schism -Rome and Constantinoble divided- Final separation of Rome and Eastern Empire |
| 493-526 | Theodoric, King of the Ostrogoths, beneficent genius, rules peninsula |
| 509 | King Clovis, defeats King Alaric at Battle of Vouille adding South France to his kingdom |
| 509 | The Arian Visigoths left France to the Catholic Franks and settled in Spain |
|
527 |
Justinian |
|
547 |
With approval of Byzantines, Lombards settle in Hungry and East Austria |
|
553 |
Byzantine generals Belisarius and Narses overthrow the Ostrogoths |
|
553 |
Second Ecumenical Council called and dominated by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I; condemning Nestorian writings and encouraging Monophysitism |
|
553 |
Italy once again is part of Roman Empire |
|
568 |
The German Langobardi (Lombards) invade north of Italy; Pavia is capital and later Spoleto and Benevento are incorporated |
|
568 |
Papacy keeps Rome and Papal States |
|
|
The Athanasian Creed no longer ascribed to St. Athanasius on the Trinity and the Incarnation |
|
650 |
The Apostles Creed, which is similar to the Nicene Creed |
|
680 |
Third Ecumenical Council condemned Monotheletism and a former pope, Honorius I (this is not accepted by the orthodox church) |
| 711 | Moors, nomadic people of N. Africa who became Muslims; went to Spain and overran the Visigoths. |
|
750 |
Lombards, pagans and Arians drove the Byzantines out and ruled most of Italy |
|
751 |
King Liutprand consolidated the kingdom and reduced Spoleto and Benevento to vassalage. His successors took Ravenna |
|
754 |
Pope Stephen II persuades King Pepin (Pepin the short) to save Rome from the Lombards. Pepin saved Rome and took Pentapolis and Romagna and twenty-four cities and gave them to the Roman Church (increasing Papal States) |
|
754 |
Papal States included extensive lands in central Italy, including Ravenna |
|
768-814 |
Charlemagne, son of King Pepin becomes Carolingian King of the Franks |
|
772 |
King Liutprand threatened Rome |
|
772-804 |
Charlemagne subjugates and christianized the Saxons |
|
774 |
Pope Adrian I persuades Charlemagne to suppress the Lombard kingdom which he in turn added to his own and to the papal possessions. |
|
774 |
Charlemagne defeated the Lombards and is crowned King of the Lombards at Pavia. Of the Lombard kingdom, only Benevento remained |
|
787 |
Popes Adrian I, Gregory II and Empress Irene were opponents of Iconoclasm. |
|
787 |
Iconoclasm was rejected at the Second Council of Nicaea. The controversy led Byzantine artists toward spiritual expression rather than naturalism |
|
795 |
Pope Adrian I died |
|
800 |
Charlamagne restores Leo III to papacy. (He had been physically attacked by Adrian I's family and went to Charlemagne for support) |
|
800 |
Charlamagne, Emperor of the West is crowned Western Emperor by Leo III, thereby initiating the Holy Roman Empire |
| Charlemagne ruled through a highly efficient administrative system; codified the law in his various dominions and his court at AACHEN was center for intellectual and artistic renaissance | |
| 813 | Charlamagne's son Louis I named co-emperor. |
| 814 | Charlamagne died; his last years were troubled with raids by the Norsemen |
| 814 | Louis I becomes Emperor |
| 816 | Pope Leo III died |
| 816 | The Lombard Duchies - Spoleto, Friuli and Benevento are invaded by the Saracens who had invaded Spain in 711 and lost it to Charlamagne in 778 |
| 848 | Saracens advance from Corsica to Rome |
| 869-70 | The Fourth Ecumenical Council confirmed the condemnation of Photius. (not accepted by Orthodox Church) |
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