The Saxons were a gathering of Germanic Tribes in the North German Plain, the majority of which lived in vast areas of Great Britain during the Middle Ages. They are listed on the Bible Timeline Poster between 150 AD and 250 AD. The Saxons became part of the Anglo-Saxons who would ultimately bring about the first united Kingdom of England. Many stayed in Germany and defended against the growing Frankish Empire with the guidance of the renowned Widukind.
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‘Three modern states in Germany are called Saxony: Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and the Free State of Saxony (from north to south)’
Roman influence began to decrease in the northwest part of the country fed with the forceful Saxon piracy located in the North Sea. They extended quickly into North Germany and down the shores of Gaul and Britain. On the other hand, the coasts of Elbe into the Scheldt rivers were maintained by the Frisians over which the Saxons could manipulate.
These growths brought the Saxons into collision with the Franks, becoming the Saxon Wars against Charlemagne in his attempt to convert them into Christianity. This had lasted for 32 years before the Saxons were finally brought completely under the Frankish empire.
Trajan was well known, and a well loved Emperor. Of the Five Good Emperors mentioned by Edward Gibbon, Trajan was listed as the 2nd best. He came into power on Jan 27 98 AD where he is listed on the Bible Timeline.
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Trajan operated Rome as a triumphant warrior/emperor and was an influence to one of the greatest military growths the country’s history. Roman borders had expanded as far as they would ever go before his death.
Trajan also cared about the community and the economy. He began with a wide range of programs for public buildings, and social welfare policies.
Trajan’s Ascension
September 96 Marcus Cocceius Nerva succeeded the throne. He was older and had no children. Another problem included his unpopularity with the army. In consequence after a year of strife, he was obligated by the Praetorian Guard to adopt Trajan, who was more popular as heir.
Nerva died not long after and Trajan succeeded him with no opposition. As the new emperor of Rome, he was met by the community with much excitement. This was warranted considering his fairness and mercy that was not as prominent with Domitian’s period.
Trajan set free several people who had been unfairly put in prison by Domitian and restored a large amount of personal land that Domitian had taken. Trajan’s renown was so great that later the Roman Senate awarded him with the honorable title of Optimus or “the best.”
Trajan was most known for as a military commander, especially in his conquers around the Near East. Particularly in his two years of battle with Dacia. This had been an issue of trouble for the Romans for past a decade.
Later he re-established Dacia with the Romans and appropriated it as a Roman Empire region. As a result, they were able to boost the economy from the acquired gold mines. For the next several years Trajan governed in the city with the same prestige he started with. At this period, he communicated with Pliny the Younger particularly about the Christians who were becoming more prominent. They were refusing to adhere to standard religious expectations.
They were largely disdained but as far as Pliny was concerned were not a threat. Trajan replied with his standard care for the public advising Pliny to ignore empty claims against the Christians and only focus on those who were pretentiously obstinate.
War with Parthia
Parthia received the Roman’s attention in 113 A.D. after crowning an unapproved ruler in Armenia. This kingdom had been shared between the two for about fifty years. Trajan’s first action was to attack Armenia and overthrow the king. He then proclaimed Parthia as part of the Roman Empire adding in a process the respect of domination from several tribes in the Caucasus by the Eastern shore of the Black Sea. This procedure kept Trajan occupied for at least a year.
Afterwards, he went on to conquer Babylon, the capital of Chesiphon. Working his way through Mesopotamia until she reached the Persian Gulf. There deciding to stop with his age catching up with him and his health declining. In 117 A.D., Trajan gradually returned to Italy and left Hadrian as a commander over the East.
He died soon after, and Hadrian became his successor. One of his first actions was to end all of Trajan’s Eastern invasions. He re-established Armenia and Osroene to the Parthian’s (under Roman ‘suzerainty’). Then kept everything that was left from Trojan’s conquests under Roman rule.
Battle leader, legal representative and author, Pliny the Elder appears on the Bible Timeline Poster from 23 AD to 70 AD. His studies on nature molded the foundation of the sciences for centuries.
Pliny passed away August 25, 79 AD after trying to save a friend and his family with his ship from Mount Vesuvius as it erupted. The volcano had already demolished Pompeii and Herculaneum. The persistent wind prevented his ship from leaving the shoreline. His collapse and death were blamed on the toxic fumes; however his companions had no reaction to the vapors. That suggested he might have died from natural influences instead of the volcanic activity.
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Pliny grew up in a wealthy family and joined the army as was the custom for men of his status. He worked his way up through the ranks with his knowledge and influential friendships. It was during this time that he started writing books and became interested in recording history. He started with the wars among the Romans and the Germans.
It took him several years to finish his first project. The next two books he wrote were about his former commander Pomponius Secundus. Pliny also published books on grammar, public speaking, Africa, nature and more.
At the end of Nero’s reign around 69 A.D., Vespasian became emperor and appointed Pliny to be in his administrations as a procurator. June 23, 79 Vespasian died of a disease. Two months later, Pliny was sent to Misenum in the Roman navy to guard against unlawful actions. When Mount Vesuvius erupted, he received a message from his friend Rectina for help. He died shortly after being rescued.
Rome had been a part of Britain since 55 BC through 40 AD where it is listed on the Bible Timeline Chart. During that time, there was significant influence from Rome to the British on many levels. An example would be how their culture was shaped and the way the economy flowed. In the end, Rome shaped the language, geography, structural design, and more. The current capitol is a Roman City, and for an extended period of time the language and religion was Roman.
Rome ultimately invaded Britain for the convenience of Julius Caesar and Emperor Claudius. It started with Julius Caesar who had just conquered Gaul and did not want to return to Rome. Britain had given him an excuse in 55 B.C. after King Cunobelin of the Catuvellauni imprisoned Commius for trying to prompt Britain to accept Roman protection. Britain had previously overtaken the Trinovantes as the strongest realm in south-eastern Britain, overpowering the previous Trinovantian capital of Camulodunum (Colchester), and pressed the nearby Atrebates, ruled by the descendants of Julius Caesar’s former ally Commius. Caesar then battled his way to land in order to free him. It was a small victory but impressed the senate in Rome. He then organized an expedition to conquer and plunder Britain in hopes of more prestige and gold. He returned to Britain with five legions at his command and re-established Commius as king on the Atrebatic throne. He then returned to Gaul disappointed having found nothing to plunder.
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Later Emperor Claudius looking to make a better name for himself set out to return the Atrebatic throne to the rightful ruler of that time named Verica. He had lost his place to the new chief of the Catuvellauni, Caratacus. In 43 A.D., Claudius sent four legions overseas to conquer Britain. Starting at Richborough, they fought into the River Medway. The battle commenced when his general, Vespasian obtained the river with his legion sustained by a group of ‘Celtic’ auxiliaries, and the British were taken.
Temple of Claudius
Vespasian continued on to attack MaidenCastle and Hod hill. During this time, laudius penetrated the Catuvellaunian capital of Colchester in victory. He erected a temple there and a bronze statue of himself; then founded a legionary fortress. He stayed in Britain for merely 16 days. The remaining parts of the island took almost 30 years to overcome.
Emperor Claudius had a nephew named Caligula who was considered one of Rome’s worst rulers. Once Emperor Caligula was murdered in 41 A.D. Claudius took his place. That is where he is listed on the Biblical Timeline Poster. Most sources claim that Emperor Claudius was probably not the most likely candidate that should have been allowed a consulship in Rome. He was a sickly child and his illness had caused him to form some disabilities. He walked with a limp for most of his life and he was considered slightly deaf as well.
When former emperors Tiberius and Caligula had ruled Rome they both got rid of any potential rivals to their power. They didn’t care who the rivals were and they executed or banished many of their kinsmen or close friends. Since Claudius wasn’t well liked because of his illness Tiberius and Caligula both had overlooked him as a threat and they left him alone.
Claudius’ Early Years
Claudius came from a wealthy and respected family within Rome who had connections with Emperor Tiberius. His father Drusus was a military commander and politician who spent a great deal of time fighting in Germania. His mother was Antonia Minor the daughter of Mark Antony and Octavia Minor. He was born in 10 B.C. and apparently his father Drusus had died shortly before or after his birth.
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Once Claudius began to grow his mother didn’t want to have anything to do with him. She referred to him as a monster because of his apparent disability. He also had some unusual illnesses during his childhood years that help to make his handicap more profound. He was then sent to live with grandmother Livia who eventually pushed him off to a former mule driver for training. As he grew into young a young adult his handicap seemed as if it went away and his family became somewhat interested in him again. He became educated but still wasn’t fully accepted by his relatives or Roman society. A well-known scholar of the time named Livy was hired to tutor Claudius and this gave him some hope of becoming a respected leader within Roman society.
The Reluctant Politician
Claudius didn’t understand how to maneuver through politics and this dashed his hopes of becoming a leader in public office. Even though his uncle Emperor Tiberius allowed him a position he didn’t want him to advance any further. Claudius decided to retire to a scholarly life instead of trying to pursue a political career. After Emperor Tiberius had died Emperor Caligula took over and when he was in charge he eventually made Claudius his co-consul. The only reason why Caligula did this was for sentimental reasons and to publicly humiliate his uncle Claudius. Sources claim that Claudius was probably so stressed out that he lost a lot of weight during the four years that Emperor Caligula ruled Rome.
Claudius becomes Emperor
Emperor Caligula was assassinated in 41 A.D. and Claudius had to go into hiding before he could become the leader of Rome. Soon the senate realized that he should become the rightful emperor and allowed him to govern Rome. Once Claudius became ruler he pardoned many of the conspirators who killed his nephew but he did kill the main instigators of this event.
Emperor Claudius expanded the Empire’s borders during his rule gaining the territories of Judea, Lycia, Thrace, Noricum, Mauretania and Pamphylia. He conducted censuses throughout the empire, personally judge legal cases and built many public works. The people loved Claudius despite his disabilities. They considered him the same type of person as they were. However, he didn’t get along with the senate and tried to make many reforms to this governing body. Emperor Claudius also built temples to honor the Roman gods and he endorsed the spectacle of Roman games. Eventually, Claudius had died in 54 A.D. either by poisoning or from natural causes. He had four wives during his lifetime and his last wife was Agrippina the Younger. He had five children and his adopted son Nero (born by Agrippina) became the next ruler of Rome after his demise.
Tiberius Claudius Nero was a former Roman Emperor, who ruled from 14 A.D. to 37 A.D. That is where he is listed on the Biblical Timeline Chart. Emperor Tiberius was born in 42 B.C. to his father with the same name. His mother’s name was Livia Drusilla. His childhood was simple and carefree. He spent most of his days as a child receiving an education from his father who taught him well. Tiberius had divorced his wife Livia who ended up marrying Emperor Augustus. The Emperor allowed Tiberius to educate his son and his other children he had conceived with Livia. He allowed them to do this at his palace until the day he died in 32 B.C.
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About that time a civil war was looming between Marc Antony and Augustus. A battle eventually had erupted, and Augustus won. Tiberius and his brother Drusus rode alongside Emperor Augustus during the victory celebration three years later in 29 B.C. At the age of 17 Tiberius became a quaestor under the direction of Augustus even though he was too young for the position. Augustus made exceptions for him so that he could perform this duty.
Tiberius fought in Parthia and other provinces within the eastern part of the empire. He then became a praetor and sent his armies west to help his brother Drusus. He also ordered Roman troops into Germania, Hispania, and Gaul. In 13 B.C., he was given the position of proconsul. Tiberius led a series of successful military campaigns with a few exceptions. Around 6 B.C., he was about to become the second most powerful man in Rome. He retired before taking this position.
Emperor Augustus had decided to make Drusus his successor, but he had ended up dying in battle, and so he had to give Tiberius the position. In 13 A.D., Tiberius was made co-ruler with Augustus. Emperor Augustus had finally passed away in 14 A.D., and Tiberius became the emperor.
Tiberius
The Emperor, who didn’t want to, Rule
Tiberius had some problems with ruling Rome effectively. He acted as if he didn’t want the position of Emperor, and many people thought he was very strange for not accepting his honor. He acted in a vague manner throughout most of his rule. He wanted the Senate and the state to make decisions without his interference. Since he couldn’t effectively communicate with the many different people that he ruled he had a hard time governing them. By 22 A.D. Tiberius had shared his power with his son Drusus (not the same Drusus that had passed away under Augustus), and he started to make lengthy trips from Rome while his son ran the government. In 26 A.D., he finally retired to a Roman Island named Capri leaving Drusus in charge. Though he retired, he was still considered the emperor.
The Last Days of Tiberius
Drusus had died and a praetorian prefect named Lucius Aelius Sejanus replaced him according to Tiberius command. In time, he began to persecute wealthy Roman citizens and senators and eventually tried to legitimize his claim as emperor. Tiberius condemned Sejanus and ordered his execution. After he dealt with Sejanus and all of the problems that he had created he retired for the last time leaving the empire to be run by the Senate. His last few years as emperor were filled with distrust of all people including his family. He is supposed to have executed many people because of this lack of trust. In 77 A.D., Tiberius had died due to old age or illness. His great-grandson Caligula was appointed Caesar in his place.
Arminius was a chieftain of an ancient Germanic tribe known as the Cherusci. This particular tribe of Germania was one of many that were defeated by the Romans. As a result of the Cherusci defeat, Arminius and his brother Flavus were forced as children to become hostages in Rome.
When Rome was ruling the world they made the monarchs of the territories that they conquered to give them their oldest child (usually their sons) as prisoners to the empire. They would then educate and train the captive children in the ways of Rome. This was done to keep the subjected people under control and to keep Roman puppets on the thrones of their conquered enemies. For many years, Arminius was raised in Roman custom and since he became a soldier he had an intimate knowledge of Roman military tactics and strategies.
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Arminius was the son of a Cherusci chief named Segimerus and after his father was defeated in battle he was forced to go into Rome as a hostage while he was still a young child. While he was there he was educated and given military training. In time, he grew in size and joined the Roman army. He was put in charge of a Roman detachment that was made up of German troops. He had fought against his fellow countrymen and eventually gained the trust and loyalty of the Romans. Even though he fought against his own countrymen he was also secretly plotting against the Romans with Germanic allies.
Eventually, Arminius convinced the powerful Roman General Varus that the conquered German tribes were plotting a large revolt. He managed to annihilate three Roman legions was considered one of the greatest (though not largely known) military commanders in the history of warfare because of this battle. After Arminius wiped out the Romans and drove their remaining forces out of Germany he then consolidated his power.
Meanwhile, Emperor Augustus had heard about General Varus’ humiliating defeat and when he lost all of his soldiers at the battle of Teutoburg he beat his head against his palace walls exclaiming “Varus, give me back my legions”. He then sent another able general named Tiberius into the region to exact revenge on the Germans and between 14 and 16 A.D. General Tiberius defeated many German forces.
Arminius had regained control of the Germans after he defeated Varus. He was now considered a highly regarded chieftain but when they started to lose the skill of Tiberius, some of the German leaders turned on him. By 20 A.D., treacherous German chieftains had Arminius assassinated because they felt he was becoming too powerful over the other tribes regardless of his defeats. He is listed on the Biblical Timeline during 1 A.D. through 50 A.D.
An ancient Roman historian named Strabo also states that Arminius had a wife named Thusnelda who was captured by the Romans while she was pregnant. She had a son named Thumelicus who also grew up as a hostage in Rome, the same as the father. Strabo claims that Thumelicus had an interesting story about his life that he was going to record but for some reason he never told his tale. Arminius was 40 years old when he died.
The Roman Emperor Augustus was in shock when he received the news that his legions were decimated to the last man by the Germans. After hearing all of the details of the incident he repeatedly beat his head against his palace walls in frustration while screaming “Varus, give me back my legions.” After the defeat of his legions by the Germans, Emperor Augustus had to send his General Tiberius to avenge Rome’s devastating defeat at the hands of the Germans. The battle of Teutuborg Forest in 9 A.D. was one of Rome’s most humiliating defeats. It is listed on the Bible Timeline Poster at 1 A.D.-50 A.D. The loss that took place from this battle forced Rome to change how it formed its legions and employ its military tactics.
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Emperor Augustus sent his forces into Germania in 9 A.D. to gain control over the barbarian tribes that had been plaguing the land for many years. Many Germans were situated along the Rhine River between Gaul and Germania was constantly harassing the Romans. The Romans controlled Gaul (which is now modern France) and the Germans kept challenging their power by trying to expand into Western Europe.
General Varus was one of Augustus’ leading generals and a gifted military commander. He was given the responsibility of leading Roman legions in Eastern Europe around 9 A.D. Emperor’s Augustus sent him on a mission to put an end to the German’s advancement into Roman territory.
The Teutoburg Forest on a foggy and rainy day.
General Varus was provoked by a man named Arminius to attack the German tribes. Arminius was a German prince (son of a chief) who was forced to go to Rome as a hostage from his birth. Arminius had fabricated a clever lie about a group of rebellious Germans revolting near the Rhine. After informing Emperor Augustus about the matter, he gained his approval for an attack against them. Since Arminius was a trusted soldier and who knew all about the Germans, Varus didn’t question him. Instead, he received his instructions from Augustus and marched his three legions into Germania.
The rebellion was taking place at a location that was far from where the legions were stationed along the Rhine. They had to march for many miles to reach the marauding Germans. Arminius was put in charge of leading the Romans to the rebellious tribes. He navigated the Romans throughout the thick and barely impassible forests that were situated in ancient German lands. While the Romans were making the trek, a large rainstorm had taken place.
The Romans were forced to travel through mud and other rough conditions. This wasn’t the only problem that the Romans had to deal with they also marched to their destination with their troops spaced over a 9-mile stretch. Thousands of troops were miles away from each other, and if something were to happen during the march, then it would take some time before soldiers could aid their comrades.
The rain poured down on the Romans for most of their journey and by the time they made it close to their destination it had stopped. Arminius then decided to go on a brief mushroom hunting expedition and General Varus agreed to his activity. While the Romans were rested, Arminius had managed to navigate them into a trap, and his ruse worked. The Germans violently attacked the unsuspecting Roman Legions and slaughtered thousands of them.
The Romans couldn’t effectively counter the Germans, and they were being beat at every turn. Since their armies were spread out for about 9 miles, this made it easy for the Germans to pick them off at will. Eventually, General Varus and his commanding officers were killed, and the vast majority of the Roman soldiers were also slain. The ones that were fortunate enough to escape were forced into slavery. Many of the captured officers were sacrificed to the gods of the German tribes. After this defeat, the Romans never again tried to conquer German lands. General Tiberius was sent to Germania to avenge this humiliation set in Rome, but he left Germania after he accomplished this task.
Purification and consecration are two important concepts in Christianity that reveals the type of relationship and expectations that God has toward his followers. Baptisms began with John the Baptist in the Bible. John the Baptist was the first evangelist in the history of Christianity, who preached the coming of Christ. He was gifted with the ability to preach, and he had drawn thousands of people from around the countryside of Judah with his message of repentance and salvation in Jesus. John baptized many people as they accepted faith in Christ and even Jesus himself was baptized by him as well.
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The concept of a child being baptized isn’t a far-fetched idea since many early Christians also converted their whole entire households into the faith of Christ (see Christian verses). In the book of Proverbs, a passage of scripture reads “even a child is known by his deeds whether his way is evil or good”. Upon careful inspection, the Bible reveals many references to children being saved by God and showing faith in Jesus as well. Even Christ himself was seen acknowledging God at the temple when he was but a 12-year-old boy. Hebrew people were more than aware of the fact that their children could be evil and that not all children will automatically go to heaven when they die. Also noted, the Hebrews performed the practice of circumcision that was used to identify a person as a Jew. Since the first Christians were former Jewish believers, the idea of baptizing Christian youth definitely meant the same outward expression of their newfound faith in Christ.
As the early church began to grow and expand, the first believers began to develop doctrinal truths to stop heresy and false doctrine from infiltrating the church. One of the doctrines that they started was related to infant baptism. This particular ritual wasn’t documented until the 2nd century A.D. It is located on the Bible Timeline Chart between 50 A.D. and 250 A.D. Then early believers started to keep written records for children who were baptized.
The practice of infant baptism evolved over time before it became a standard practice within the Catholic Church. Some of the most notable members of the early Catholic Church were Polycarp and Justin Martyr. Both these famous Christian leaders were baptized when they were young children. A noted Church Father was named Irenaeus, and he stated that “Jesus came to save all men… including infants, children and youth”(see Against the Heresies II 22:4; the quote is paraphrased). His views were taken into consideration when the church began to develop doctrine on the matter. Origen another popular figure during the era of the early church also claimed that infants were to be baptized for the remission of sins. Ultimately, the concept of baptizing children was a natural part of a believer’s faith that began to take on some prominence when Christianity was first being developed. In the time, it has become a modern practice within many Catholic Churches.
Bible References:
Proverbs 20: 11 Even a child is known by his deeds
Colossians 2: 11 – 12 The New Circumcision
Acts 2: 39 Peter makes a reference to baptizing children
Christianity began in the city of Jerusalem around 35 A.D. After the first church was established by the early believers it was attacked by the Jews who wanted to rid themselves of the followers of Jesus Christ. They had previously crucified Jesus because they viewed him as a threat to their power and as a danger to all of Jerusalem. They honestly believed that when Jesus was crucified that his influence would die with him. They were wrong. The Jews didn’t anticipate that his followers would continue to spread his message to the world. So they slowly started a campaign to persecute the early church. Ultimately, they were able to force many Christians to flee Jerusalem to other parts of the world.
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Persecuted Christians Settle all over the Empire of Rome
The Romans had dominated Jerusalem and the surrounding territories within the ancient Middle East and Mesopotamian area. They also controlled most of the lands around the Mediterranean Sea. When Christians left Jerusalem, they spread out to nearby regions within the Roman Empire. As they settled into these areas they started to form new churches. Most of the pagan people that lived in the areas where the Christians settled into thought they were as an odd and strange cult. People were pagans, and the concept of one god was just too foreign for them to understand.
Polytheism is the belief in more than one deity, and ancient people had many polytheistic religions. The Romans were known to worship a pantheon of gods and when they encountered a group of people who worshiped and honored one god they thought this was rather different than the norm. Many Roman people didn’t take to the Jews concept of monotheism, and they didn’t accept the Christian version as well.
General Animosity Toward Early Christians
Christianity was seen as a pagan religion to the Romans. After churches began to form in various parts of the empire the Romans started to become more aware of Christian practices. Many of them formed the idea that Christians were cannibals and that they indulged in incest. They also couldn’t understand the concepts of holiness, salvation, and sin. These were foreign ideas to pagan men. Even though the Romans did stress ideas such as purity, strength, vigor, justice and righteousness; they were rooted in man’s ability to produce these results and not dependence on God (Jesus) through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Most people do not like it when they encounter other groups of people who are different from themselves. Many early Romans felt this way about Christian worshippers. Roman rulers held the same opinion as their subjects. Since they were charged with keeping order within the empire, they sometimes lashed out against the Christians.
The early Christians were martyred all over the empire by different rulers at different times. Some of the most noted rulers who persecuted Christians were Emperor Nero, Emperor Domitian, and Julian the Apostate. After the early Christians were martyred many of the first believers thought to keep them in remembrance.
The Roman Church began a process of recognizing martyred saints around the 2nd century A.D.
Catholic Church Establishes Canonization Practice in Honor of Martyred Believers
The Catholic Church was the first established Christian denomination that was started outside of Jerusalem. The word Catholic means “universal” and the universal church was the first Christian organization that started the worship of martyrs or the worship of Christian saints. The Roman Church began a process of recognizing martyred saints around the 2nd century AD. It is listed on the Bible Timeline between 150-250 A.D. This process eventually became known as canonization and many Christian martyrs who showed exemplary service for the cause of Christianity could be added to the list. The practice still continues, and it is not uncommon for some Catholic believers to pray to these saints so that they could petition God on their behalf. When Christians died after living an outstanding life in Christ, they could be venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church. Famous martyrs over the years have been canonized, and they include Stephen (Acts 6 – 7) who was the first persecuted Christian and Origen and Polycarp, who were early church, fathers.
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