8th century: c. 700 - 800
...poets - Wang Wei, Li Po and Tu Fu - are contemporaries during the T'ang dynasty Li Po (701–62) The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions 1 rev Literature Poetry Asia East Asia China 731 731 The Venerable Bede, in his monastery at Jarrow, completes his history of the English church and people Bede (673–735) The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature 3 Literature English literature Literature in English British Isles Europe Britain 732 732 The Muslim advance into France is halted when Charles Martel defeats the Arabs between Poitiers and Tours...
12th century: c. 1100 - c. 1200
...of Phrase and Fable 2 Literature German literature Germany c. 1180 1180 In Cordoba the Muslim philosopher Averroës writes commentaries on Aristotle that are influential throughout medieval Europe Averroës A Dictionary of World History 2 Literature Philosophy Europe Spain c. 1180 1180 In Cairo the Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides writes, in Arabic, a much translated text with the endearing title Guide to the Perplexed Maimonides, Moses (1135–1204) The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church 2 rev Literature Philosophy Judaism Africa North...
14th century: c. 1300 - c. 1400
...may be Langland, begins the epic poem of Piers Plowman Piers Plowman A Dictionary of British History 1 rev Britain 1066-1500 Literature English literature Literature in English Poetry British Isles Europe Britain 1367 1367 One of four new yeomen of the chamber in Edward III's household is Geoffrey Chaucer Chaucer, Geoffrey ( c. 1343–1400 A Dictionary of British History 1 rev Britain 1066-1500 Literature English literature Literature in English Poetry British Isles Europe Britain 1368 1368 Chu Yüan-chang drives the Mongols out of Beijing and declares a new...
2nd century: c. 100 - c. 200
...Conquest and colonization Europe Empires Britain c. 125 125 Suetonius, librarian to Trajan and personal secretary to Hadrian, is well placed to research his racy Lives of the Caesars Suetonius ( ad c .70– c .140) The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature 3 Latin literature Roman empire Literature Europe Greece Italy Empires 130 130 Hadrian, visiting Jerusalem, decides to rebuild it as a Roman city - an act which provokes the final Jewish uprising Jewish revolts (66–73) The Oxford Companion to Military History 1 Roman empire Politics Protest and...
6th century: c. 500 - c. 600
...in prison in Pavia and awaiting execution, writes the Consolation of Philosophy Boethius ( c. 480–524) The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable 2 Latin literature Literature Philosophy Europe Italy 526 526 By the end of his long reign Theodoric amply justifies his title 'the Great' and his place in legend as Dietrich von Bern Dietrich of Bern The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature 3 Politics Dynasties and royalty Europe Italy 527 527 Justinian becomes emperor in Constantinople, beginning a reign which will restore the empire to much of its...
5th century: c. 400 - c. 500
...to Classical Literature 3 Roman empire Politics Conquest and colonization Migration Europe France Spain Society Empires 407 407 The Roman city of Nîmes is sacked by the Vandals, in an early indication of the gradual loss of Gaul to the Germanic tribes Vandals The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature 3 Roman empire Migration War Europe France Society Empires 410 410 Alaric and the Visigoths enter Rome and plunder the city - the first foreign intruders for eight centuries Visigoths (west *Goths) The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature 3 Roman empire...
16th century: c. 1500 - 1600
...World History 2 Politics Dynasties and royalty Europe 1524 1524 William Tyndale studies in the university at Wittenberg and plans to translate the Bible into English Tyndale, William ( c. 1494–1536) A Dictionary of British History 1 rev Reformation Literature English literature Literature in English German literature Religion Christianity British Isles Europe Germany Britain 1525 1525 The French king, Francis I, is taken prisoner by the Spanish at the battle of Pavia Francis I (1494–1547) World Encyclopedia 1 Renaissance Italian Renaissance War Battles Europe...
9th century: c. 800 - c. 900
...Literature 3 8th century Caliphs Social and domestic Mesopotamia Asia West Asia Iraq Society c. 800 800 Seafarers colonize New Zealand, the last great island region in the Pacific to be reached by human beings New Zealand A Dictionary of British History 1 rev 8th century Exploration Australia and Oceania New Zealand Society c. 800 800 Beowulf , the first great work of Germanic literature, mingles the legends of Scandinavia with the experience in England of Angles and Saxons Beowulf A Dictionary of English Folklore 1 8th century Literature English literature...
11th century: c. 1000 - 1100
...includes in his Proslogion his famous 'ontological proof' of the existence of God ontological argument The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy 2 rev Literature Literature in English Philosophy Religion Christianity Europe France c. 1080 1080 Omar Khayyám, mathematician and astronomer, writes four-line verses, or quatrains, in his spare time quatrain The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature 3 Literature Poetry Asia Central Asia Iran (Persia) c. 1080 1080 Work begins on the story of the Norman conquest, narrated in embroidery in the Bayeux tapestry...
13th century: c. 1200 - c. 1300
...c. 1300 1300 Duns Scotus, known as the Subtle Doctor in medieval times, later provides humanists with the name Dunsman or dunce Duns Scotus, Bl Johannes ( c. 1265–1308) The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church 2 rev Britain 1066-1500 14th century Literature English literature Literature in English Philosophy British Isles Europe...
3rd century: c. 200 - c. 300
...its kind Europus The Oxford Classical Dictionary 3 rev Religion Christianity Asia West Asia Lebanon and Syria c. 244 244 Plotinus, moving from Alexandria to Rome, teaches the influential philosophy later known as Neo-Platonism Plotinus (205–270) World Encyclopedia 1 Latin literature Literature Philosophy Alexandria Africa North Africa Egypt Europe Italy c. 245 245 Origen, living in Caesarea, compiles the Hexapla , displaying versions of the Old Testament in six columns for comparative study Hexapla The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church 3 rev Religion...
10th century: c. 900 - c. 1000
...slave The Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins 2 Politics Terrorism and assassination Europe c. 950 950 The material of the Eddas, taking shape in Iceland, derives from earlier sources in Norway, Britain and Burgundy Edda The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms 3 Literature English literature Literature in English Poetry British Isles Europe France Norway Britain c. 950 950 The Byzantine empire enjoys a revival, bringing the Slavs within the Greek Orthodox fold and winning victories against the Muslims Slavs A Dictionary of World History 2 Byzantine empire...
1st century CE: c. 10 BCE - c. 100
...colonization Scotland Europe Empires Britain 98 98 Tacitus begins his career with two specialized but influential works of history, one on Britain and the other on Germany Tacitus, Cornelius ( c. ad 55–after 115) The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature 3 Latin literature Roman empire Literature Europe Greece Italy Empires 98 98 Trajan, succeeding to the imperial throne in AD 98, is sufficiently confident to spend a year in Germany before returning to Rome Trajan ( c. 53–117 ad ) The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable 2 Roman empire Politics...
15th century: c. 1400 - c. 1500
...Dutch painting Europe Belgium Netherlands 1469 1469 Thomas Malory, in gaol somewhere in England, compiles Morte d'Arthur – an English account of the French tales of King Arthur Malory, Sir Thomas (d. 1471) A Dictionary of British History 1 rev Britain 1066-1500 Literature English literature Literature in English British Isles Europe Britain 1469 1469 The Orkneys and Shetlands come into the possession of James III of Scotland with the dowry of Margaret of Denmark Margaret of Denmark (b. c .1457) The Kings and Queens of Britain 2 rev Britain 1066-1500 Politics...
7th century: c. 600 - c. 700
...Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music 5 6th century Performing arts Music Religion Christianity Judaism Asia West Asia Europe c. 600 600 The classic form of Arabic poetry, predating Islam, evolves as the qasidah Arabic The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Linguistics 2 6th century Literature Poetry Asia West Asia c. 600 600 The distinction between capital and lower-case emerges in the scriptoria of the Irish monasteries 6th century British Isles Europe Ireland Britain c. 600 600 The Scots, a tribal group of northern Ireland, extend their kingdom across the sea into...
4th century: c. 300 - c. 400
...of the Christian Church 3 rev Byzantine empire Politics Dynasties and royalty Turkey Europe Empires c. 380 380 Kalidasa, the most distinguished of India's authors in classical Sanskrit, is at the Gupta court in Patna Kalidasa The Oxford Companion to Theatre and Performance 1 Literature Drama Poetry Asia South Asia India (the subcontinent) India (republic) c. 380 380 The Codex Sinaiticus , the earliest surviving manuscript of the complete New Testament, is copied out - probably in Egypt Codex Sinaiticus (‘א’) The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church 3...
