AD 284-305

• Diocletian reigns as Roman emperor

AD 283-296

• St. Caius serves as 27^th bishop of Rome and 28^th pope

AD 286-305

• Maximian reigns as Roman emperor

AD 296-304

• St. Marcellinus serves as 28^th bishop of Rome and 29^th pope

AD 305-306

• Constantius I reigns as Roman emperor

AD 305-311

• Galerius reigns as Roman emperor

AD 306-337

• Constantine I (called the Great) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 306-308

• Maximian reigns as Roman emperor

AD 306-307

• Flavius Valerius Severus reigns as Roman emperor

AD 308-312

• Maxentius reigns as Roman emperor

AD 308-324

• Licinius reigns as Roman emperor

AD 308-314

• Maximinus (Maximin) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 308-309

• St. Marcellus I serves as 29^th bishop of Rome and 30^th pope

AD 309?-310?

• St. Eusebius serves as 30^th bishop of Rome and 31^st pope

AD 311-314

• St. Meltiades serves as 31^st bishop of Rome and 32^nd pope

AD 312

"Peace of Constantine"

• Conversion experience of Constantine in 312
• Ended persecution of Christians
• Constantine's co-emperor, Licinius, joined him in issuing the Edict of Milan (313), which mandated tolerance of Christians in the Roman Empire
• Christianity became fashionable
• Floodgates into Christianity opened a second time
• However, "The blood of martyrs is the seed of faith." (Tertullian)--> people were not so rooted in faith as before

AD 336-336

• St. Marcus serves as 33^rd bishop of Rome and 34^th pope

AD 337-352

• St. Julius I serves as 34^th bishop of Rome and 35^th pope

AD 337-340

• Constantine II reigns as Roman emperor

AD 337-350

• Constans reigns as Roman emperor

AD 337-361

• Constantius II reigns as Roman emperor

AD 339

Ambrose of Milan is born

• Baptized Augustine of Hippo in 387
• Identified chrismation (confirmation) as a separate sacrament from baptism
• On the Mysteries, 9.54;10.324 --> led to idea of transubstantiation of the Eucharist
• Basilica --> before this time, Christians worshipped in houses. "Basilica" = Greek for "judge." Judges seat at the front of the Basilica. Later, high altar took place of judge's seat because God is the Great Judge.

AD 345-420

Jerome

• His Vulgate Bible became the authorized version of the Latin church
• Served as secretary to Pope Damasus (366-384)
• Damasus was a strong promoter of the primacy of Rome as the center of church government (Smith, 53)
• Epistles 15 --> Jerome is likewise a promoter of Roman primacy, not necessarily primacy of the Roman bishop. "I follow no one as supreme leader except Christ only; hence I attach myself in communion with your Beatitude, that is, with the see of Peter. I know that the Church is build upon this rock.

AD 350-353

• Magnentius reigns as Roman emperor

AD 352-366

• Liberius serves as 35^th bishop of Rome and 36^th pope

AD 354-430

Augustine of Hippo

• Church unity
• "From his conception of the church as a fellowship of love came Augustine's teaching on the church's unity. Because they are members of one body, believers must be a unity. Such unity also necessitates unity of doctrine, and any failure in doctrinal unity involves heresy." (Smith, 58)
• Believed that baptism is requisite to salvation "for human beings can be redeemed only within the church which may be entered only through baptism." "Only through (infant) baptism could complete and immediate cleansing be accomplished. (Smith, 58)
• Increased use and significance of sacraments

AD 361-363

• Julian (known as the Apostate) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 363-364

• Jovian reigns as Roman emperor

AD 364-375

• Valentinian I (emperor in the West) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 364-378

• Valens (emperor in the East) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 366-384

• St. Damasus I serves as 36^th bishop of Rome and 37^th pope

AD 367-383

• Gratian (emperor in the West) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 375-392

• Valentinian II (emperor in the West) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 379-395

• Theodosius I (called the Great) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 380

Canon of the Mass

• Hippolytus --> ecclesiastical writer and doctor, led this movement prior to 380
• Fixed worship text of mass in Latin so it could be passed down
• Established Rome as the seat of the Church (political center / bones of Peter and Paul)

AD 383-388

• Maximus (emperor in the West) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 384-399

• St. Siricius serves as 37^th bishop of Rome and 38^th pope

AD 392-394

• Eugenius (emperor in the West) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 395-423

• Honorius (emperor in the West) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 394-408

• Arcadius (emperor in the East) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 399-401

• St. Anastasius I serves as 38^th bishop of Rome and 39^th pope

AD 401-417

• St. Innocent I serves as 39^th bishop of Rome and 40^th pope

AD 408-450

• Theodosius II (emperor in the East) reigns as Roman emperor

Alaric sacks Rome

• Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire XXXI  The king of the Goths, despising the ignoble prey, still advanced with unabated vigour; and after he had passed through the stately arches, adorned with the spoils of barbaric victories, he pitched his camp under the walls of Rome.

AD 413-426

• St. Augustine of Hippo writes City of God

AD 417-418

• St. Zozimus serves as 40^th bishop of Rome and 41^st pope

AD 418-422

• St. Boniface I serves as 41^st bishop of Rome and 42^nd pope

AD 421

• Constantius III (emperor in the West) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 422-432

• St. Celestine I serves as 42^nd bishop of Rome and 43^rd pope

AD 425-455

• Valentinian III (emperor in the West) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 432-440

• St. Sixtus III serves as 43^rd bishop of Rome and 44^th pope

AD 440-461

• St. Leo I serves as 44^th bishop of Rome and 45^th pope

AD 450-457

• Marcianus (Marcian) (emperor in the East) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 455

• Petronius Maximus (emperor in the West) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 455-456

• Avitus (emperor in the West) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 457-461

• Majorian (emperor in the West) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 457-474

• Leo I (emperor in the East) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 473-474

• Leo II (emperor in the East) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 461-468

• St. Hilary serves as 45^th bishop of Rome and 46^th pope

AD 461-465

• Severus (emperor in the West) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 465-467

• Interregnum in the West

AD 467-472

• Anthemius (emperor in the West) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 468-483

• St. Simplicius serves as 46^th bishop of Rome and 47^th pope

AD 472

• Olybrius (emperor in the West) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 473

• Glycerius (emperor in the West) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 473-474

• Julius Nepos (emperor in the West) reigns as Roman emperor

AD 475-476

• Romulus Augustulus (emperor in the West) reigns as Roman emperor

A conglomeration of various Germanic ethnic groups joined forces and conquered Rome

Odoacer, leader of the Ostragoths proclaimed himself emperor and eventually founded the great Ostrogothic Empire in 493, which included Italy, Sicily, Dalmatia, Upper Rhaetia, and later on Provence, with the capital Ravenna.