Alphabetical Index to Bible Timeline – Page 58 – Amazing Bible Timeline with World History

Posted on February 14, 2013July 20, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Buddhism in Ancient China, History of

The kingdoms of China were located to the north of India. Buddhism, which began during the sixth century BC, reached these lands during the rule of the Han Dynasty. The Silk Road was the primary overland trade route that connected many regions within central Asia, the Middle East, and southern Europe. The Buddhist monks in India began to slowly make their way across the Silk Road into China. Chinese monks also visited the land of India via the Silk Road. Many Chinese and Indian monks also lived side by side. Quite a few Chinese monks had learned about Buddhism through these holy men. Scholars and historians like to emphasise that the Mahayan form of Buddhism is the type that took root in China. The Theravada branch formed in eastern and southeastern Asia and Sri Lanka. Buddhism finally started to appear in China around 65 B.C. which is where this event appears on the Biblical Timeline Poster with World History.

Buddhism and Daoism Compete in Early China

Once Buddhism spread to China it had to compete with a religious belief called Daoism (Taoism) which motivated its followers to live according to “The Way” or the truth. Buddhism and Daoism beliefs were separate. Buddhism emphasized suffering while Daoism stressed order and morality. Eventually, both systems began to mix with one another. Most of the commoners did not accept Buddhism right away and it wasn’t until the Age or Era of Disunity that the locals started to embrace this belief system. The Age of Disunity was a time period of civil war that occurred after the collapse of the Han Dynasty. There was a lot of suffering for many local peasants and they finally made a connection between the concept of suffering that is found in Buddhism and the turmoil they were experiencing during the civil wars. This resulted in Buddhism playing a more prominent role in their lives.

China,Buddhism_Spreads — Ancient Depiction of Buddha

Buddhism is Widely Accepted by the Chinese

Buddhism eventually became the state religion of China and different leaders both domestic and foreign used Buddhism as a means to unify the people. They also used it to control the people as well. Buddhist temples and monasteries began to spring up all over China after Buddhism was first introduced. This took place over time too as people began to learn more about this newfound religion. The changes that Buddhism brought upon China were not immediate or apparent. In time the Chinese people embraced Buddhism and this religion began to flourish. Chinese Buddhism eventually became so widespread that it has influenced million of peoples all over the world.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Buddhism
http://chineseculture.about.com/od/religioninchina/a/Buddhism.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Longmen-lu-she-na-1.jpg

Posted on February 13, 2013October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Great Wall of China Built, When and Why Was the

The Tatars (also called Tartars) were a group of nomadic tribal people that existed in Central Asia. They were a part of many different tribal groups called the Donghu (eastern barbarians) that roamed Central Asia around 700 B.C. The Tartars are related to the Mongols who eventually went on to forge a vast empire that stretched across most of Asia, the Middle East and various parts of Eastern Europe. Since the Tartars were considered Eastern Barbarians their culture was similar to many other tribal groups with the same name.

Early Walls

Chinese emperors started to build the wall around 700 B.C. The wall was erected for the purpose of defense and since that time it had additions added onto the structure. The kingdoms built the walls around the areas where they ruled. There were certain dynasties that made considerable improvements on the Great wall throughout its history and they include the kingdom of Chu, which was ruled by the Eastern Zhou and Qin, Qi, Zhao, Han and Yan. Qin Si Huang conquered these six different Chinese kingdoms in 221 B.C. and ordered the destructions of the walls surrounding each territory. After destroying the walls around the six kingdoms he rebuilt a single wall around his territories that lay in the north. Through his efforts the foundation of the Great Wall and how it appears today was created then. This is when it appears on the Biblical Timeline Poster with World History.

Once the Han Dynasty came to power between 206 A.D. and 220 A.D., a secondary wall was built outside of the original wall. This outer wall was added to the Great Wall and it was designed to keep out foreigners. This particular wall had stayed in place for over a thousand years starting with the Han Dynasty and it wasn’t until the time of the Ming Dynasty (1368 A.D.) that the wall received additions and repairs.

Tartar Invasions and The Great Wall

The Tartars had invaded China all throughout its long history. They infiltrated the wall on numerous occasions and some of these invasions took place in 1075 A.D. and later on during the conquest of China. They didn’t attack the Chinese during the rule of Khans (or the Yaun) in the 13th and 14th centuries.

The Tartars were added into the Mongol’s Empire as a part of the confederation of tribes that were established in the early part of the 13th century under Genghis Khan. Some of the Tartars ruled in China as administrators and officials during the Yaun era.

Ultimately, the Tartars would not have been able to penetrate Chinese society if it were not for the efforts of the Mongols. They aided the Mongols as they spread into China and fought along side of them in battle. There were some Tartar tribes that settled into other Mongolian lands other than China.

The Great Wall helped to keep the Tartars and other barbarian tribes out of China for many years. After the Mongolian Dynasty of China (Yaun) had been wiped out in 1368 A.D. the Ming Dynasty used the wall as a means to keep the Tartars and other wandering tribes from trying to come back to reclaim China.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Tatars http://www.allsands.com/history/places/historyoftheg_rkf_gn.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Great_Wall_of_China_at_Jinshanling.jpg

Posted on February 12, 2013September 17, 2018 by Margaret Hunter — 2 Comments

China Expels the Mongols

The Mongols were a part of the nomadic tribal groups that existed in Central Asia starting in 700 B.C. They were originally known as the Donghu or Eastern Barbarians, and this particular tribal group had slowly moved across Asia, Russia and into Eastern Europe for over a thousand years. The Mongols were not a significant people until about the 13th century A.D.

A Mongol warrior by the name of Genghis Khan had managed to bring the various nomadic tribes into one unified group. The tribes were given the choice to join peacefully with the Mongols otherwise they would be forced into compliance. Once the tribes were unified Genghis Khan had amassed enough power, the Mongols began to challenge kingdoms and empires that were situated in Russia, the Middle East, Euro-Asia and China.

Mongols,Expelled_from_China — The state emblem of Mongolia.

Kublai Khan and the Yuan Dynasty

Genghis didn’t conquer all of China during his lifetime, but his efforts allowed a future Khan, named Kublai, to complete the task. Kublai Khan was an effective military commander like his grandfather Genghis and in 1279 A.D. he managed to gain control all of China. Once in power the Mongols established the Yuan Dynasty, and they started to rule over the people. They changed some parts of Chinese society such as the government, military, taxation and local administration, but they allowed other parts of China’s culture to remain intact. The Mongols were fond of China’s culture, and many of them had adopted the Chinese ways during their reign. The Mongols dominated China for almost a century and by 1368 A.D. they were driven out of China’s territory.

Decline of the Yuan Dynasty

After the death of Kublai Khan in 1294 A.D., the empire had grown weaker. The Khan rulers after Kublai couldn’t effectively keep control of China’s population. Various Mongolian empires no longer considered the Chinese Khans as true members of the Mongolian tribes. They believed that the Yuan rulers had adopted Chinese culture as their own. Another problem that faced the Yuan was a major epidemic that spread across the land killing millions of people and a famine which eliminated millions more. Social disorder had increased, and the Mongol rulers were passing laws that forbid the use of weapons by local Chinese citizens. People were dying, fortunes were being lost, and the peasants were fed up with Mongol rule. The Yuan leaders were also fighting among themselves, and they were afraid of outsiders as well as people within their borders. These events took place between 1300 and 1340 A.D.

Mongols Expelled from China

A farmer named Zhu Yuan Zhang had lost everything that he owned during this turbulent period. By the time, he was 17 years old he had no choice but to live in a Buddhist monastery because he didn’t have a home. After residing in this monastery for two years, he started a revolt against the Mongols, which lasted for 13 years. He led a group of peasants known as the Red Turbans and many disillusioned and disfranchised commoners had joined the ranks of this group. The Mongol rulers found out about the Red Turbans and ruthlessly tried to stomp them out, but it didn’t work. The Red Turbans took their rebellion underground, and when the time was right, they attacked the Mongols by surprise and massacred their leaders in 1368 AD. Once this took place, the last Mongol Emperor named Toghon Temur Khan fled China after the Red Turbans surrounded the capital of Beijing. Zhu Yuan Zhang ultimately ended up slaying the Toghon Temur Khan and ended the Dynasty of Yuan. The Mongols never again regained control of China.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongols#History
http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/mongols/china/china.htm
http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/mongols/china/china2.htm
http://www.dynastiesofasia.com/asian-history-references/yuan-dynasty-period-in-chinese-history.htm
http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/society/mongols.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:State_emblem_of_Mongolia.svg

Posted on February 11, 2013August 20, 2015 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Cleopatra Biography

Cleopatra is one of the most famous Egyptian Pharaoh’s in history. She is considered to be the last ruler of ancient Egypt. She was born in Alexandria, Egypt in 69 B.C. (which is where she appears on the Bible Timeline Chart with World History.) She was the daughter of Ptolemy XII Auletes. The Ptolemy Dynasty was founded in Egypt by one of Alexander the Greats generals over three centuries earlier. Before she ruled Egypt as a sole monarch she was a co-regent with her father and two brothers. As a matter of fact Cleopatra had to marry her brothers in order to maintain her status as queen. Cleopatra used the aid of the Roman rulers to gain complete control of Egypt and she did this by having an affair with Julius Caesar and then with Mark Antony.

Cleopatra Gains Power
During his reign, Ptolemy XII went to Rome with Cleopatra in order to get assistance with keeping his empire intact. When he left a female usurper tried to take the throne but was quickly disposed of by Ptolemy XII once he returned with Roman help. After this event, Cleopatra became a co-ruler of Egypt with her father Ptolemy XII. She was 14 at the time. Eventually, Ptolemy XII had died and his 10 year old son Ptolemy XIII was married to Cleopatra. She didn’t want to share power with him. She quickly eliminated his image and name from official documents and usurped his authority. She tried to consolidate power all throughout the kingdom but she started to make enemies.

Cleopatra_Last_Ruler_of_Ancient_Egypt — Cleopatra

Cleopatra Loses her Throne
Cleopatra was power hungry and she ended up clashing with the Roman troops (Gabiniani) who were left behind to assist Ptolemy XII when he was alive. The Gabiniani killed the sons of the Roman governor of Syria, Marcus Calpurnius Biblulus when they arrived in Egypt for aid against their enemies. Cleopatra turned the guilty Gabiniani assassins over to the Bibulus and once she did the remaining Gabiniani became her sworn enemies. The Gabiniani and some of her court members rebelled against her rule and finally forced to the queen leave the throne in 48 B.C. This is when Ptolemy XIII became the sole ruler. Cleopatra tried to start a rebellion but it failed and she had to leave Egypt with her sister Arsinoe.

Cleopatra Seduces Caesar
An important event had taken place when Cleopatra was ousted from the throne. Julius Caesar and his son in law General Pompey (Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus) were fighting for control of Rome. Pompey had escaped to Egypt during this conflict because he was on the run from Caesar. Once he arrived in Egypt he was assassinated by one of his officers and Ptolemy XIII watched this event as it unfolded. He then took Pompey’s head and presented it to Caesar once he arrived in Alexandria. When Caesar realized what had happened he was outraged and decided to seize Alexandria for himself. He then set himself up as the arbiter between the claims of Ptolemy and Cleopatra.

Cleopatra decided to use this situation to her advantage and used her feminine charms to seduce Caesar. About nine months later she bore him a son named Ptolemy Caesar. Julius Caesar was going to annex or take Egypt for Rome, but he decided to champion the cause of Cleopatra. He then defeated Ptolemy’s army and restored Cleopatra to the throne. Ptolemy XIII drowned in the Nile during this battle and Ptolemy XIV was the new co-ruler with Cleopatra.

The Last Days of Cleopatra’s Reign
Ptolemy XIV had died from poisoning in 44 B.C. and Cleopatra now ruled throne with her son. She even wanted to make Caesarion an heir to Rome but Caesar refused her offer. Caesar had been assassinated shortly before Ptolemy XIV was poisoned. Cleopatra managed to rule Egypt up until 30 B.C. the year of her death. Cleopatra had to constantly maintain her alliances with Rome in order to keep her power especially after Caesar had passed away. Before she had died the Egyptian kingdom was defeated at Alexandria by Octavian and the Romans killed off Caesarion. The rest of her Cleopatra’s children with Mark Antony were taken back to Rome and Egypt was officially a Roman territory.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleopatra
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/miscellanea/cleopatra/egypt.html
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Queen_Cleopatra.jpg

Posted on February 9, 2013October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — 4 Comments

Marius and Sulla

Lucius Cornelius Sulla and Gaius Marius were two important Roman generals and politicians that both ruled Rome during their lives. These two historical Roman figures would eventually fight a civil war that would be the first to decide if Rome would remain a Republic or become an empire. All of this happened during the first century BC that is where it is found on the Biblical Timeline Chart with World History.

Sulla the Leader
Sulla was elected to consult two times during his career, and he became a dictator as well. Sulla had fought campaigns in Africa and Europe and proved to be victorious in both arenas. His conquests helped him to become a greatly admired General by his men and many fighting forces all throughout Europe and Northern Africa. After his conquest, he started his political career. He was made dictator by members of the Senate in 82 B.C. and this move was used to intentionally give him power as the sole ruler of Rome. He set the stage for Julius Caesar‘s dictatorship and the end of the Republic under the leadership of Emperor Augustus in 27 B.C.

Marius the Leader
Marius was also a consul, and he was elected to this office seven times while in service to his country. Marius started his consulship around 107 B.C. and continued serving as a consul periodically until 86 B.C. He reorganized the Roman army and started a draft that recruited landless citizens to the Roman military forces. Marius fought in Europe and Africa the same as Sulla. Both of these generals served their consulships at different times. Marius served his consulship up until 86 B.C. when he died, and Sulla started his role as a dictator and consul in 82 B.C.

The Roman Republic was quickly becoming an empire. The problem with this new type of government was that the people of Rome were used to being ruled by a government body and not just one individual. This was starting to change because some Roman leaders realized that Rome was dominating too many people and needed a sole leader to head such a vast state. Other members of the ruling class disagreed with this line of thought and wanted to keep the Republic intact.

Optimates and Populares
The optimates desired to maintain the Republic, but the populares wanted to control the government according to their own terms including having a sole emperor in power. Marius and Sulla were rivaled generals and really didn’t care for each other. After Marius had retired from his duties Sulla came to power. Marius didn’t like what was happening. A situation arose with a group of people known as the Mithridates, and the optimates chose Sulla to resolve this problem. The populares didn’t agree, and they backed Marius. Both generals used the senators that supported them to fight against each other in the political arena but eventually Marius won. Sulla then ran to his army that was camped outside of Rome. He then led his army inside of Rome and retook his position as a leader, and the populares agreed to let him be the ruler in charge.

The optimates used this situation to their advantage and declared that Marius and his followers were enemies of Rome and condemned them to death. Marius and his group of populares fled Rome, and the optimates were now in charge. Marius remained in exile for about a year before returning to Rome with a huge army of his own. Once he arrived he allowed his army to kill the senators who had him declared an enemy of the state. Sulla was away fighting the Mithridates when this event had occurred.

Sulla returned to Rome with his army where Marius had gathered another force to stop him. Once Sulla arrived both sides fought a furious battle but Sulla forces won out. He slaughtered all of the populares that he could, and he eventually retired because the bloodshed was too great. The outcome of the Civil War between Marius and Sulla forever changed the nature of the Roman government, and it gave the optimates a strong footing to change the Republic into an empire.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaius_Marius
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Cornelius_Sulla
http://www.heritage-history.com/www/heritage.php?Dir=wars&FileName=wars_sullacivil.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulla’s_first_civil_war

Posted on February 8, 2013August 20, 2015 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Cicero Birth Life and Death 106 BC to 43 BC

Cicero is considered one of the greatest orators, politicians and philosophers in all of the history of the world. He was born in 106 B.C. and is known for his famous speeches which helped to shape the era of the late Roman Republic and the emerging empire. He appears on the Bible Timeline Chart with World History from 106 to 43 BC.

The Early Life of Cicero

Marcus Tullius Cicero was also a consul and lawyer. He was born to a wealthy family in Arpinum which was located outside of the southeast part of Rome. He father was a chickpea producer and this trade is what amassed the Cicero’s fortunes. His father also liked to study a lot since he was not able to participate in Roman politics because of his heritage.

Cicero_Orator_Politician_Philospher — Bust of Cicero, Musei Capitolini, Rome, Half of 1st century AD

Bust of Cicero, Musei Capitolini, Rome, Half of 1st century AD

Cicero emulated his father’s love of learning and it helped him to become an outstanding student. He translated Greek philosophies into Latin for the Romans at an early age. He was such a good pupil that the aristocratic society all over Rome began to hear about him. He had a brief military experience during the Social War in 90 B.C. but he did not care for being a soldier. By 83 B.C., he began his career as a lawyer which was an important event in the early part of his life.

His First Public Appearance as an Orator and Politician

His first case was to defend a man who committed patricide against his father. When he took this case it put him into the position to be killed by Lucius Sulla who was dictator of Rome at the time. Sextus Roscius was accused of the crime, but Cicero accused Chrysogonus a military man who was a favorite of Sulla. Cicero managed to get Sextus Roscius acquitted, but he did so by challenging Sulla’s power. After winning the case, he immediately left to tour Greece, Asia Minor, and Rhodes to avoid Sulla.

While he was in Greece he developed his oratory style and skills and he started to gain fame for his work. He eventually returned to Rome around 75 B.C. but he chose to settle in Sicily instead of Rome. He became a public official who took on cases in the area. Eventually, his reputation began to grow as a great speaker and attorney. His skills as an orator became legendary during this period in his life. His skills as an orator assisted him greatly through various parts of the Roman government until finally he became consul around 63 B.C.

Cicero becomes Consul

Once he became consul he had to put down a conspiracy formed by Lucius Sergius Catilina who wanted to assassinate him and to destroy the Republic. He forced this senator, his family and his followers from Rome with four great speeches. He eventually had Catilina and his followers condemned without a trial. He lived in fear of being sent into exile or tried for this act against Roman citizens.

His fears eventually came to pass and he was exiled in 58 B.C. He had traveled to Greece during this dark time of his life. Julius Caesar and Pompey were two leading officials in Rome around 50 B.C. and Cicero knew both of them. Each of these men was pushing Rome into a civil war because Caesar wanted an empire, but Pompey desired to continue the Republic. Cicero sided with Pompey, but he had many political encounters with Caesar. He turned down a previous offer by Caesar to become a part of a triumvirate (alliance) since he thought it would undermine the Republic. After his exile, he unsuccessfully attacked some policies of Caesar and had to retreat out of the public eye when he realized that he had failed in this area.

Eventually, Caesar invaded Italy and tried to court Cicero to his side but Cicero had already fled Rome to Illyria where Pompey and his group were based. He went back to Rome and was pardoned by Caesar who was assassinated sometime after his return. Once Caesar was killed, Cicero became a popular political figure but Mark Antony became the next emperor. He did not agree with Mark Antony’s policies and was eventually sentenced to death by him. His past works were rediscovered and influenced the Renaissance and he had influenced Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke, Montesquieu and David Hume. He also lived during the last days of the Roman Republic.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicero
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/117565/Marcus-Tullius-Cicero
http://www.mmdtkw.org/VCicero.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cicero_-_Musei_Capitolini.JPG

Posted on February 7, 2013October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Macedonian War, Second

The Republic of Rome might not have been fully aware of the fact that it was slowly becoming a powerful force in the world. Rome had been expanding all over the known world and even into the outer fringes of distant lands. Their power was growing immensely, and they had the tendency to involve themselves in foreign affairs. King Philip V of Macedonia knew about the Romans from his confrontation with them in Illyria, which took place during the 1st Macedonian War. The second Macedonian war takes place at the very end of the second century BC that is where it appears on the Biblical Timeline with World History. It ended in 196 BC.

1st Macedonian Conflict with Rome

Rome got involved in Greek and Macedonian affairs during the 1st Macedonian War, and it set the stage for their invasion of Mesopotamia, Asia Minor and the Middle East. In the 1st Macedonian War, King Philip V of Macedonia aligned himself with Hannibal in 215-205 B.C. against Rome, who was encroaching on the region.

King Philip V sided with another Greek kingdom known as the Illyrians against the Romans in two wars that occurred between 230 and 219 B.C. These conflicts were known as the Illyrian wars. King Demetrius, the leader of Illyria, had fled to King Philip’s court after his defeat to the Romans in 219 and became an adviser against the Romans. Rome had decided to push into Greece for some reasons and some them was to keep Illyrians under control and to keep King Philip V power in check. They knew about Alexander‘s conquest and how the Greeks were able to dominate the world through them and did not want King Philip V making Macedonia repeat his success.

King Philip V got tired of Rome measuring in his affairs. During the 1st Macedonian War, Philip and Hannibal became allies. The Romans did not like this situation because Hannibal had been such a problem for them for many years. Even though this was the case, Rome ultimately decided to make a peace treaty with Macedonia. The Treaty of Phoenice was signed in 205 B.C., and five years later the 2nd Macedonian War had begun.

Second Macedonian War with Rome

Macedonian_Wars_with_Rome — nd Macedonian War,200 BC

The conflict started when the Egyptian Pharaoh Ptolemy Philopator had died around 204 B.C. When he passed away his son Ptolemy was just a young six-year-old boy when he became the king. The child did not have the ability to rule his empire, and it was controlled by incompetent or incapable ministers who could not effectively govern Egypt. As a result, King Antiochus III of the Seleucid Empire decided to take some of Egypt’s possessions in the Middle East. And the Mediterranean and King Philip wanted to gain some territories in Greece and Asia Minor that were allied with or under the control of Egypt.

King Philip V’s actions caused so much turmoil in the Greek world that Rome was called in to aid various Greek and Asia Minor city states against him. Rome feared King Philip V gaining power and they also feared Antiochius III becoming too strong. So they decided to go to war and with Philip once again. Also, they had not forgotten the past feelings that resulted from the first Macedonian conflict. Rome wanted the captured Greek states to see them as liberators and to defeat Macedonia once and for all.

A series of battles occurred between Rome and the Macedonia until 197 B.C. when Roman legions defeated the Macedonian phalanx at the Battle of Cynoscephalae. Peace was finally declared in 196 BC. Rome gained a strong holding in the Greece with this defeat and Macedonia never again rose to power. Macedonia had lost all of its former possessions and had to accept Roman dominance.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Macedonian_War http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/wars_second_macedonian.html http://www.unrv.com/empire/second-macedonian-war.php http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/wars_first_macedonian.html http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:200bc2ndMacedonianwar.png

Posted on February 6, 2013July 18, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Hannibal Crosses the Alps

Hannibal began his military career under the direction of his father Hamilcar Barca, who was a famous Carthaginian military commander. Hamilcar led the armies of Carthage into Iberia or modern day Spain. During his early years, young Hannibal had served under his father’s command right along with his two older brothers Hasdrubal and Mago. When Hannibal was a young man, his father made him swear that he would never become an ally of Rome. This event would prove to be a defining moment in Hannibal’s life because it is helped to motivate him to fight against the Romans without reservation when he became a leading general in Carthage. Hannibal lived during the end of the third and beginning of the second century BC that is where he appears on the Amazing Bible Timeline with World History (Spain. During his early years, young Hannibal had served under his father’s command right along with his two older brothers Hasdrubal and Mago. When Hannibal was a young man, his father made him swear that he would never become an ally of Rome. This event would prove to be a defining moment in Hannibal’s life because it is helped to motivate him to fight against the Romans without reservation when he became a leading general in Carthage. Hannibal lived during the end of the third and beginning of the second century BC that is where he appears on the Amazing Bible Timeline with World History (free timeline online here)

Hannibal becomes General

Hamilcar had died during a battle for Iberia and after his death his son Hasdrubal had become the next leader. After his brother Hasdrubal had been assassinated in 221 B.C., Hannibal became the chief military commander of Carthage. Rome had become aware of the fighting ability of Hannibal while he was in Iberia and began to fear his power. They tried to force him into an alliance, but he didn’t comply. Rome then declared an Iberian city called Saguntum under its protection, but Hannibal thought this was a breach of a former treaty that was made with Hasdrubal. He then laid siege to Saguntum, and it fell eight months later. Rome demanded justice from Carthage for this act, but the government of Carthage didn’t agree.

Hannibal then decided to attack the Romans and let them know who really had the power. Shortly before Hasdrubal had died, he had already decided to invade Italy and Rome. He was going to use the help of Celtic tribes in northern Italy to carry out this plan. Hannibal already knew about this plan, but it was put on hold after Hasdrubal’s death. Once these events had taken place, Hannibal decided to carry them out. Rome eventually found out about what was happening, but it was too late. This plan was set in motion, and Carthage was heading straight toward the Italian heartland.

Crossing the Alps

Hannibal,Life_of_revised — Hannibal Barca crossing the Rhone River

Before he could reach Rome, he had to fight many tribes including Celtic and Gaul tribes. He also had to perform this feat by fighting in the mountainous country and through rivers. He started out in Iberia and continued his campaign until he reached the Pyrenees Mountains. He knew he had to cross the Pyrenees and then the Alps. He finally confronted the Romans at the Rhone River in Northern Italy. Hannibal had a big force of infantry, cavalry and war elephants when he started out on his quest. He took them across the Pyrenees by outmaneuvering many of the tribes in the area and then took his forces over the Alps. This was not an easy feat because the conditions were cold, harsh and unforgiving. He lost many men from this crossing and when it was done, he had about 50,000 soldiers, 6,000 cavalry and about 40 war elephants. He then took on the Romans who had a superior force that was close to 200,000 in number.

Hannibal’s Legacy

What made Hannibal’s feat of crossing the Alps, so profound was the fact that no other army before this time had dared such a fantastic feat. The Pyrenees and the Alps served as a barrier to Northern Italy and when it was breached many people in the ancient world could not believe that any army was capable of taking this action. Hannibal had defied all logic and reason, and this really unnerved a lot of people in the ancient world, especially the Romans. They were used to being the victors, and now they were being confronted by a force that was just as strong and determined as they were. Hannibal’s actions not only frightened the Romans he also caused the other people in the land to become filled with terror. According to historians and scholars, many people in the Mediterranean were involved with this conflict. While Hannibal was in Italy, he managed to defeat the Roman’s numerous times, and he caused serious discord among their allies. Hannibal was eventually defeated in 203 B.C. by Scipio Africanus but he managed to evade capture by Rome before going into self-exile. He continued to fight against his enemy while from distant lands. Hannibal was eventually betrayed to the Romans and poisoned himself before being brought to justice. He died in 182 B.C., and he is considered one of the world’s greatest military commanders to have ever lived.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal
http://www.livius.org/ha-hd/hannibal/alps.html
https://courses.washington.edu/hypertxt/cgi-bin/students.washington.edu/henfu/Hannibal%20Essay.pdf
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hannibal_traverse_le_Rh%C3%B4ne_Henri_Motte_1878.jpg

Posted on January 26, 2013October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Fabius Maximus, Roman Dictator

The Carthaginian General Hannibal was a formidable foe that put fear into the heart of the Roman Republic. He was one of the few people in all of history who realistically could have prematurely stopped Rome from becoming a powerful empire. After Hannibal had defeated a Roman Consul named Gaius Flaminius in the first Punic War the Roman Senate decided to elect Fabius Maximus to the role of dictator. This happened in 221 BC that is where it appears in the Bible and World History Timeline.

Call to Dictatorship
A Roman dictator was given all power in time of crises, and no one could challenge their power or authority. Once Fabius Maximus had taken this position, he immediately began to set out to stop Hannibal from destroying Rome. The first important thing that he did was to appease the ancient Roman gods. Religion was an important part of Fabius’ life, and once he became a dictator, he decided to honor them with a huge sacrifice that was given by all the people of Rome. He also had the people throw festivals in their honor and to pay a certain sum of money to the Roman treasury. He supposedly had won the gods over with his efforts. After performing all of these rituals, he turned his attention back to Hannibal.

Fabius Maximus was an experienced politician and warrior when he was given the position of dictator. He knew better than to take Hannibal on in a pitched battle and decided to fight a war of attrition against him. He used guerrilla warfare and delay tactics to slow down Hannibal’s advancement toward Rome. Many of the generals and commanders did not like his plans and wanted to rush immediately in to destroy Hannibal.

Conflict with Minucius
This lack of unity between Maximus and his troops motivated one of them named Minucius to attack the Romans. Fortunately for the Romans, Minucius was victorious but Maximus was outraged at his disobedience and wanted him executed. Minucius was protected by another group of Roman politicians who made him a dictator as well since he was popular with the people, and his methods seemed to work.

Minucius then publically attacked Maximus claiming that he was a coward who was afraid to confront directly Hannibal’s forces. The younger Minucius had managed to gain enough support to split the army in half. He then became more aggressive and outright assaulted the Carthaginians at the battle of Gerione. Minucius was defeated at this battle, and Fabius had to come to his rescue. Once he saved the younger general and his defeated Roman forces, he won his respect. Minucius no longer challenged his power. After this event, Fabius Maximus had stepped down from being a dictator.

Maximus Last Days as a Dictator
Shortly after his term as dictator had ended a politician named Gaius Varro became the next Consul. Varro managed to get the politicians and the people to abandon Maximus’ attrition strategy so that they could fight Hannibal in open battle. Maximus warned many Roman leaders that this would prove to be a disaster if Varro would lose against Hannibal. Apparently, Varro had raised an army that was nearly 100,000 men strong and it would have drained most of the Republic’s force that was needed to defend the city of Rome.

Varro’s army was defeated, and Maximus was proven right. The people and the Roman leaders turned to Maximus once again for leadership. He stopped people from fleeing the city and began to start mourning rituals that once again were performed to honor the gods. He also reinstated his policy for delaying Hannibal and it remained in effect up until the time that the Romans defeated Hannibal at the battle of Zama. Fabius had passed away in 203 B.C. and never saw the outcome of this battle.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabius_Maximus
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jan_Lievens_-_Quintus_Fabius_Maximus_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

Posted on January 25, 2013October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Rome Conquers Germany to Elbe and Weser

Around 50 B.C., the Roman Republic was expanding its power all throughout the world. The Romans were already pushing their influence into Asia Minor, Africa, the Middle East and deep into Europe. They had managed to capture the ancient land of Gaul in 58 B.C., and they also conquered various areas near Iberia (Spain) and regions around Italy. When the Romans arrived in Gaul, they encountered various tribal groups that were based on ancient German. Ancient Germany was formally known as Germania and the various tribal groups that resided there threatened the stability of the Roman Republic while they occupied Gaul. All of this is on the Biblical Timeline in the first century BC.

Important German Rivers.
The German tribes were a nomadic people, and they had been moving around for hundreds of years. The Rhine River runs through western Germany near the border of Gaul (modern day France). This river system was used for transportation and as a source of food for the ancient Germans. When Rome fought against the tribes from this region, they positioned their armies along the Rhine.

The Elbe is another major river system in Germany that is positioned in the northeastern part of the territory. The Elbe River is located about 350 miles from the Rhine, and the Weser River was about half that distance. The Elbe and Weser rivers were important to the ancient Germans because many tribes had settled there before moving westward to the Rhine and into other parts of Europe.

Roman Efforts to Stop Germanic Advances
As the German tribes were pushing west and southward from their territories, they began to conflict with the Romans who were spreading north and east. At first the Romans were able to keep them under control but in time they quickly became a problem. Julius Caesar had encountered the Romans in 60 B.C. and launched a series of campaigns against them that officially started Rome’s struggle with the Germans. Caesar was successful in his efforts at containing the Germans and the next Emperor. Augustus had managed to settle the Germans in a town named Ubian so that they could be used to control the inflow of Germanic tribes into different parts of Europe.

About 16 B.C. this situation changed as German leaders became bolder in their efforts to enter into foreign lands. The Germans had pushed hard into Gaul and defeated a Roman governor named Lollius. Augustus amassed a huge army with about 50,000 soldiers along the Rhine so that he could stop the Germans once and for all. Emperor Augustus put his adopted son Nero Claudius Drusus in charge of his forces along the Rhine. With the leadership of Drusus, the Romans would fight an ongoing campaign against the Germans for almost 10 years.

Drusus Defeats the Germanic Tribes along Elbe and Weser Rivers
General Drusus could not just wipe out the Germans, and he had to carry out a series of campaigns against them for many years. He had lost many soldiers during the process, but he was winning great victories that were weakening the tribes resolve to continue to keep fighting. Even though this was the case, the Germans kept pushing back hard against the Romans. Ultimately Drusus was able to fight his way through the German forces, and he conquered them starting along the Rhine and then all the way back to the Elbe. Drusus’ efforts managed to keep the Germans contained but after his untimely death, the Romans were defeated at the Battle of Teutoburg Forest. Once this major defeat had taken place, the Romans seemed to have lost the desire to continue with the conquest of Germania. Even though the Germans did not make any more major advances into Roman territories, they still continued to migrate to Europe.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nero_Claudius_Drusus#Career
http://www.teudogar.com/lex039.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Teutoburg_Forest
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Loreley_mit_tal_von_linker_rheinseite.jpg