Bible Timeline – Page 13 – Amazing Bible Timeline with World History

Posted on April 4, 2014October 4, 2017 by Amy — Leave a comment

Marcus Aurelius and the Marcommannic Wars

Around 180 A.D., Emperor Marcus Aurelius ruled Rome, which is where he appears in the Bible Timeline. It was during this time that the empire was experiencing some of its greatest incursions from foreign invaders. Barbarian tribes from eastern and central Europe had always proved to be problematic for Rome. Even though Rome had managed to keep the Germanic tribes on the borderlands between ancient Germany and France in check, they could not wipe them out. After losing the battle of Teutoburg Forest around 9 A.D., the Romans never again tried to push into German territory. However, since that time the Germans were constantly pushing against the outer edges of the empire.

Emperor Marcus Aurelius had ruled Rome for nearly 20 years and during his reign a group of Germanic barbarians known as the Marcomanni had posed a significant threat to Rome. The Marcomanni had first encountered the Romans almost a century earlier when Augustus was aggressively expanding Roman lands. To avoid Roman domination, the Marcommani had settled into Bohemia where they established a powerful kingdom. Emperor August viewed them as a threat and soundly defeated them later in battle. The defeated Marcomanni remained under Roman dominion for almost 200 years before they decided to revolt against their rulers.

Over the years, the Marcomanni had built up its number of warriors and the territory had aligned itself with three other groups known as the Quasi, Vandals, and the Samaritans to form a confederation. Then around 166 A.D. they began to hit the northern and western parts of the Roman Empire. Emperor Aurelius had battled against his old enemies, and he was able to halt their advances, but he did so by suffering great losses.

The Marcomannic War had come during a bad period within the Roman Empire. Many Roman provinces were being ravaged by the outbreak of disease, and this plague caused the deaths of millions of people. Rome now had a limited supply of fighting forces and had to deal with containing this plague while trying to keep back its enemies. The soldiers were able to hold back initial Germanic invasions, but they eventually lost a major battle at Aquileia. Marcus Aurelius had countered the Germanic tribes by defeating them in a series of battles that lasted from 171 A.D. to 174 A.D. These series of battles were also used to take back Aquileia from the barbarians.

Marcus Aurelius died in 180 A.D. and was succeeded by Emperor Commodus, who was no longer interested in continuing this war. He had fought alongside Aurelius as co-emperor of Rome. Ultimately, he signed a peace treaty with the Marcomanni and the Quadi and went back to Rome to live a life of luxury and ease. Commodus told the people that Rome was victorious when they returned.

Most Romans at the time were not fully aware of the implications of this battle, but some soldiers and statesmen probably recognized what they meant. Rome was struggling to contain its barbaric enemies, and it was also reaching its limits with expansion. Ultimately, the Marcomannic Wars were a precursor to the coming barbaric invasions that would one day destroy Rome.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Aurelius
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcomannic_Wars
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcomanni
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:L%27Image_et_le_Pouvoir_-_Buste_cuirass%C3%A9_de_Marc_Aur%C3%A8le_ag%C3%A9_-_3.jpg

Posted on March 3, 2013March 1, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — 6 Comments

Extermination of the Jews Not Just A German Idea

The Jewish people have been harassed, exterminated and put into slavery since 600 B.C. One of the great exterminations happened in 135 AD during the rule of the Roman Empire which is where it appears on the Bible Timeline.

Here are the events leading up to that. The Jewish people were sent into exile around 600 B.C. when the Babylonians had conquered Judea and forced a great deal of its citizens to relocate to various parts of their empire. The Babylonians were conquered by the Persians, and the Jewish people served under them as well. God used the Persians to allow the Jewish people to return home and to rebuild their temple.

Jews,Extermination_of_in_135_AD — Star of David

These events took place during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. When the Persian Empire fell to the Greeks, the Seleucid Empire dominated Judea. After the Seleucid’s were driven out of the land by the Maccabees, who established a dynasty that remained free for about 100 years. However, this all ended around 40 B.C. with the death of the last Hasmonean king of Judea. Herod the Great was backed by Rome and because of this Judea was considered a vassal state of the Roman Empire.

The First Rebellion

The Jewish people did not like this and wanted to be free from foreign rule. There were some anti-Jewish factions that formed throughout the land. They were hardliners who wanted to start an uprising against the pro-Roman Herod Dynasty and other Jewish sympathizers who were loyal to the Empire. They indiscriminately attacked Rome for many years and caused them problems. Eventually, all of this civil unrest came to boiling point around 70 B.C. when a group of Jewish people slaughtered Roman forces who witnessed the blasphemy committed against their religion. This event triggered the First Jewish-Roman War. General Titus of Rome ultimately defeated the Jewish people and deported many of them into other cities throughout the empire and sold much more into slavery. 66 – 73 A.D.

The Second Jewish War

Many Jews were deported to Cyrene, Libya, which is located in Africa. The Jews who were situated there rose up in rebellion against the Romans. Jews disliked the Romans and Greeks, and they eventually started to kill them. Meanwhile, trouble was occurring in Parthia and emperor Trajan had to get the situation under control. When Trajan forces were returning from their victory in Parthia, the Jewish rebels started to attack the garrisons that were placed in their territory. Many Jewish people all throughout the Empire got word of what had happened in Cyrene and decided to follow their lead. Soon many provinces had rebellious Jews attacking and killing Greek and Roman citizens. Cyrene, Libya was one of the worst places of the rebellion, so Trajan sent his forces to kill thousands upon thousands of people to get the situation under control. 115-117 A.D.

The Third and Final Jewish-Roman War

The Romans were sick of the Jews and by 132 A.D. they had passed a law forbidding the act of circumcision. Many fanatic Jews took this as an opportunity to rebel. Many Jews of the time believed that their Messiah had finally arrived, and his name was Bar Kokhba. They also believed that the end of the world was going to take place. So they decided to attack the Romans once again because this time around they believed they would overthrow them. At first the Jews were successful but they eventually started to lose many battles. The Romans were being defeated by the zealous Jews until they decided to enforce an annihilation campaign against the Jews. This strategy worked and hundreds of thousands of Jews all over the Roman Empire were slaughtered and killed during the process. Many Jews were forced to leave Palestine and sold into slavery. By 135 A.D., the Jews were scattered throughout the world and from this time up until 1949 they never had a country to call home.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Jewish%E2%80%93Roman_War
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/303635/Second-Jewish-Revolt
http://www.livius.org/ja-jn/jewish_wars/jwar07.html
http://factsanddetails.com/world.php?itemid=1383&catid=55&subcatid=351
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_the_Roman_Empire
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Star_of_David.svg

Posted on February 25, 2013July 16, 2018 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Bible Timeline As a Gift

The darling Ashley (we don’t know her but we think she’s adorable) is not showing our Bible World History Timeline but we still like her video.

This is a great gift for Father’s Day and birthdays as well as Christmas – and for dads, husbands and good friends not just grandfathers.

The advantages of the Bible Timeline Chart over a book:

You can see it all in one view – without opening page after page
It’s compact – you don’t need a 20 foot wall to see it all
It has world history too – Find out what’s happening all over the world (China, Europe, The Americas) during any Biblical time period on up to 2000 AD
You can frame it and hang it on a wall – makes a great conversation piece.

Order the Amazing Bible World History Timeline Today- and get Interactive Maps of the Holy Land FREE! (limited time offer)

Tell me more about the Amazing Bible World History Timeline

Posted on February 18, 2013October 16, 2018 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Julius Caesar, Facts On

Consul Julius Caesar was one of the greatest rulers of Rome. During his reign, he had set the stage for transferring the Roman Republic into a worldwide empire. Caesar was born in 100 B.C. and ruled Rome for 5 years starting in 49 B.C., which is where he appears on the Bible Timeline with world history.

Gaius Julius Caesar was born to into the Julius family that was one of the oldest, wealthiest and most well-known family lines in ancient Rome. This particular family group was supposed to have descended from a god named Iulus, who is supposed to have been a son of the goddess Venus. The name Caesar is derived from caesarian which means “to cut” in Latin. Historians are not clear about Caesar’s childhood but since he was a member of a wealthy patrician clan, it is safe to assume that he was educated in his youth.

His father was also named Gaius Julius Caesar, and he was a governor of Asia. His mother was named Aurelia Cotta, and she was also a wealthy woman. Caesar had lived a good life during childhood and father died when he turned 16 years old. Caesar was also chosen to be the head priest of the temple of Jupiter.

Julius_Ceaesar,Interesting_Facts_His_Life — Julius Caesar

He had to marry a woman to keep this position, and he married his first wife named Cornelia before he reached 18 years old. A Roman leader named Sulla had become a dictator and decided to eliminate all of his political enemies. Caesar was listed as one of his nemesis because he was the nephew of one of his enemies named Marius. He was stripped of his position as high priest, he lost his inheritance and was forced to divorce his wife. He had to go into hiding until conditions were favorable for his return.

Eventually, Caesar was able to go back to Rome but he turned toward a military career since he lost his priesthood. His early days in the military consisted of typical army related duties such as besieging enemy towns and making alliances with kings. Caesar was also captured by pirates whom he later located and had executed. He was elected military tribune and quaestor by 69 B.C. Some even compared him to Alexander the Great. He had served in Spain as a military commander and when he returned from his duties he became the Pontifex Maximus or Roman high priest.

Caesar had also become involved in the legal field and had helped to persecute corrupt Roman governors. Caesar had six legions under his control, and he used these forces to subdue the barbarian tribes all throughout Europe. Caesar had also managed to become a leading politician in Rome. He was popular with the people, and when he was not fighting against Germanic tribes in the north, he was forming political alliances and dealing with enemies in Rome. He formed an alliance known as the First Triumvirate, and it consisted of Caesar, Pompey and Crassus. The First Triumvirate was a secret alliance of wealthy and politically powerful men who ruled Rome despite the Senate.

Their power ended in 53 B.C. with the death of Crassus and the alliance between Pompey and Caesar fell apart when Caesar’s daughter (who was married to Pompey) died in childbirth. Pompey was elected sole consul of Rome and married the daughter of one of Caesar’s enemies. This move clearly revealed that Pompey no longer desired to be aligned with Caesar. A civil war was about to break out in Rome. Pompey accused Caesar of treason and insubordination and told him to disband his army. Caesar did not comply with his demands. In 49 B.C. Caesar took one of his legions and marched on Rome. Pompey and the Senate, who supported him, fled Rome even though they had a standing army. Caesar left Mark Antony in charge of Rome and pursued Pompey until he defeated his forces in Greece.

Pompey had managed capture and ended up in Egypt where he was assassinated. Once he arrived in Egypt stopped the civil war between Cleopatra VII and her brother Ptolemy. He favored Cleopatra VII and had an affair with her. She gave him a son that he would not allow to become the heir of Rome.

Caesar had destroyed the last remnants of Pompey’s supporters, and he began to work on transforming the republic into an empire. He centralized a powerful government in Rome; he put down all resistance from conquered territories, and he then brought all of the provinces of Rome together under one central authority that stemmed from Rome. These three steps transformed the republic into an empire.

Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C. by people who opposed his reforms. Caesar’s life was full of adventure, intrigue, deception, murder, love, passion and politics. He is forever remembered as one of the greatest rulers of Rome and in the history of the world.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Caesar
http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/caesar.html
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/88114/Julius-Caesa

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 14, 2013October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Jerusalem and Rome 200 BC

Around 200 B.C. where it is listed on the Biblical Timeline Chart, the empire of Rome was becoming a dominant force in the ancient world. This Republic was slowly forming into a powerful empire, and it was challenging many established rulers during its time. When the Romans were coming to power, there were other prominent states that were dominating the Earth. There were primarily run by different factions of Greek rulers. The major rulers of the ancient world during this period were the Seleucid and Ptolemy Dynasties. These two empires had a lot of the ancient kingdoms and territories such as Persia, Syria and Judea under their control.

In 200 B.C., the Judeans was being ruled by the Ptolemy Empire. The Ptolemy and Seleucid empires were constantly at war with one another over territory. Judea wasn’t a great kingdom in terms of their power, but it was unique because of their religious beliefs that caused them a lot of problems with the outside world. Many cultures in that day were polytheistic, and they didn’t understand how one culture could be dedicated to serving only one God.

Most empires considered Judah a worthless province that was good for collecting tribute and nothing else. They knew about their history and their religions, but they were left alone for the most part as long as they paid their rulers tribute. The empires who ruled over Judah would appoint the high priest that the Jews had chosen as their governor. Many Jewish people were also taken from their homelands and resettled into parts of the ancient world.

As the Romans started to become more powerful, they started to expand their empire. Eventually, they were clashing with the Greeks in Asia Minor. The Romans already knew about the Greeks from their cultural, social and political exchanges with this territory, but they eventually started to go to war with them. The Romans were defeating coastal towns where Greeks lived in Asia Minor, and the Seleucid and Ptolemy rulers tried to stop their advances. The Romans defeated the Seleucid armies but they didn’t take over their territories right away, and the same is true for the Ptolemy’s. The most that the Romans did to their defeated foes was to make them pay tribute and to agree to whatever demands they desired.

The province of Judah wasn’t an issue for the Romans in 200 B.C. because it was still under the control of the Ptolemy’s. Rome didn’t have an interest in the territory because it didn’t matter to them at all. They also didn’t have the resources or manpower at their time to station in Judah. They were aware of the Jewish people and what they considered to be a strange form of religion that they worshiped. Rome’s problems with Judah would begin about 140 years later around 64 B.C. after they conquered the province. It was during this period in history that the Romans governed the Judeans, and they started to pay close attention to this supposedly insignificant Jewish state.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontius_Pilate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Jerusalem
http://www.preteristarchive.com/Books/1870_fall-jerusalem_roman-conquest.html
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem#mediaviewer/File:Jerusalem_Dome_of_the_rock_BW_13.JPG
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem#mediaviewer/File:Jerusalem-TowerOfDavid_004.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem#mediaviewer/File:Jaffa_Gate_Jerusalem.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem#mediaviewer/File:Dormitio_Jerusalem.jpg

Posted on January 11, 2013October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — 1 Comment

Jews Struggle For Liberty 167 to 130 BC

Starting in the 7th century B.C. the Jewish people had been placed under various foreign powers. Their subservient state would last for nearly 500 years up until the time of the Maccabee Revolt. This revolt started around 167 B.C. when a Greek Seleucid king named Antiochus III decided to disregard the Jews way of life and try to Hellenize its culture and religion.

It appears on the Bible Timeline during the second century BC. Antiochus IV was a Seleucid ruler who gained the throne in 175 BC. Shortly after he became the new king of the Seleucid Empire, he began to pass a series of anti-Jewish laws through a Jewish high priest and the governor named Jason, who bribed the king to gain this position.

Jason had a brother named Onias III who was going to remain the high priest of Judah. Jewish people believe that the high priest was selected directly from God and not from any Earthly powers. So when Jason became the high priest, this naturally caused the people of Judah to become outraged with the Seleucid Dynasty.

After Jason took over his duties as high priest and governor he had his brother Osias III murdered. Now that Jason was the high priest and governor, Antiochus III decided to use him in his quest to convert Judah into a Hellenized territory. He wanted to make the city of Jerusalem the capital of this newly formed Greek state.

He then began to initiate a series of changes that attacked the Jews way of life and their religion. Jason had Hellenized Solomon’s Temple so the people would now have to worship Greek gods, and they would have to adhere to Greek culture. There was a priest who worked at Solomon’s Temple during these events, and his named was Matthias. The Jewish priests were being replaced by Hellenistic Jewish priest and the new clergy was leading the people of Judah into idolatry.

They were trying to get the people to worship the Greek gods by offering sacrifices to them. One day a Greek official told Matthias to make a sacrifice to one of the Greek gods in the temple, but Matthias had enough of this desecration, and he killed him. Once this happened it set off a chain of events that would start a Jewish revolt. Matthias had 5 sons and they all helped their father to start a revolt against the King Antiochus III. Matthias had to flee to the wilderness (open desert) to avoid arrest and when he did he called upon the people to follow him.

The people responded, and he had a small army. The Jewish rebels realized that they couldn’t take on the Greek army in open battle so they decided to use a small force that would fight with guerilla tactics. The Maccabeus army defeated various Seleucid forces that included Assyrians, Parthian, and the Samarians. Judas Maccabeus had won a huge victory against the Seleucid army and forced them to retreat from Judah at the Battle of Emmaus. The Seleucid army tried once again to defeat Judah, but they were routed each time that they came back to the area.

The Jews finally forced the Seleucids to leave permanently Judah alone in 164 B.C. Now that Judah had gained its independence from foreign rulers they cleansed their temple of the idols, and they made Judas their leader. Originally the Maccabees were known as the Hasmoneans, and they earned the name Maccabees because of their style of fighting. They attacked their enemies with powerful battle tactics that beat their enemies with lightning fast maneuvers and powerful force.

The Maccabees also stopped helped a lot of the Jewish persecution that was happening at the time in foreign lands. Judas was a high leader in Judah until 160 B.C. when he died in battle against the Assyrians. By 130 B.C., the Jews had regained their independence, and they established the Hasmonean Dynasty that was the first group of Jewish kings to rule their own land since the exile had taken place. The Hasmonean rulers controlled Judea with Simon Maccabeus being the first king. These Jewish people held their independence for about 103 before they were brought under Roman power. The Jewish holiday known as Hannukah is celebrated by the people in memory of this event.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasmonean_dynasty http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattathias http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judas_Maccabee#Renewed_fighting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Jewish_history#1st_century_CE http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiochus_III_the_Great#mediaviewer/File:Antiochos_III_coin.jpg

Posted on December 26, 2012August 20, 2015 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Darius III of Persia

King Darius III birth name was Artashata and he was born in 380 B.C. He changed his name to Darius III after he came to power. He took the throne in 336 B.C. which is where he appears on the Bible Timeline with World History. When he came to power he probably didn’t realize that he was going to be the last ruler of the mighty Persian Empire. He came to power thanks to an official name Bagoas.

Bagoas had great power within the Empire around 336 B.C. He had assassinated King Artaxerxes III and put the king’s son Artaxerxes IV Arses on the throne. He did this so that he could govern the empire through the young king. Eventually King Artaxerxes IV Arses didn’t like this arrangement so he plotted to eliminate Bagoas but Bagoas had managed to get the upper hand against him before the plot could be carried out. In 336 B.C. Bagoas was finally able to kill King Artaxerxes IV Arses and he placed his cousin King Darius III on the throne. Once King Darius III was in power Bagoas realized that he could not control King Darius III like he expected and thought to kill him but the king finally managed to eliminate this troublesome official.

Bagoas’ actions helped to quicken the fall of the Persian Empire. This self-centered official wanted to rule the empire through weak kings and while he was trying to orchestrate this feat Persia’s primary enemy was already preparing to wipe them out. The Greeks under Alexander the Great were preparing to invade Persia and the Persian’s weren’t fully prepared to deal with this situation because they were distracted by the events that were taking place inside of the Persian court. Other parts of the Persian Empire had been in a state of unrest from the previous rulers and they were starting to rebel against their Persian rulers as they always have in the past.

Persia’s downfall began when Alexander the Great started to defeat King Darius III armies in various battles. The Persian king didn’t show up to deal with the initial battles because he didn’t think Alexander was that significant but he eventually realized that he must confront this conqueror. King Darius III realized that Alexander was winning too many victories and was going wipe him out. King Darius III fled before Alexander and his troops even though he had superior forces. The last time he fled Alexander the Great captured his family and held them hostage. King Darius III wanted them back but Alexander the Great refused to return them unless the Persian King acknowledged that he was the new ruler of the Persian Empire.

Alexander the Great managed to undermine his authority with his conquests and many of the provinces that served under Persia were now becoming more unstable. Alexander the Great was hunting all over the Persian Empire for the king but the king kept fleeing from him. Eventually, King Darius III subjects had enough of him and two governors named Bessus and Nabarzanes carried out his assassination. Soldiers from Alexander the Great’s army found King Darius III and he was already dead. Alexander the Great was saddened by his death because he wanted to capture the king alive and he didn’t think this was a noble way for a ruler to die. Alexander gave him a magnificent funeral and buried him with his forefathers. King Darius died in 330 B.C. after he spent most of his reign running from Alexander the Great. The Persian governor Bessus appointed himself the new king of Persia but he was quickly captured, tortured and killed by Alexander the Great. The Persian Empire now belonged to the Greeks and once they gained this empire many of the provinces were glad that they came. Alexander married Darius III oldest daughter, Stateira, and treated his family with great respect. Though the Achaemenid Dynasty ended with the demise of Darius III, his family still remained wealthy and important because of the kindness of Alexander the Great.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darius_III
http://www.livius.org/aj-al/alexander/alexander_t14.html
http://www.ancient.eu.com/Darius_III/
http://www.pothos.org/content/index.php?page=darius-iii
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Darius_III_of_Persia.jpg

Posted on December 22, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — 2 Comments

Artaxerxes II and III

Artaxerxes II was the son of King Darius II of Persia. He claimed the throne of Persia in 404 B.C. and he ruled until 358 B.C. which is where he appears on the Bible Timeline with World History. Once he came to power his brother Cyrus the Younger made a claim to the throne. Cyrus was a governor and general in the service of his father Darius II and when the king died Cyrus wanted to become the next ruler of Persia. Cyrus wasn’t able to fulfill that goal because he was accidently killed by one of his soldiers named Mithridates. There was great celebration given in Persia by King Artaxerxes II after this incident occurred. Mithridates attended the function and heard King Artaxerxes II boast about killing his brother. Once he heard the king he then started to tell everyone the truth about the incident. King Artaxerxes II had the young soldier executed for hurting his reputation with his subjects.

King Artaxerxes II reign was defined by the amount of wars that he fought to keep the empire intact. The most notable battle of his reign was against the Spartans who invaded his territory around 396 B.C. The king managed to repel the Spartans after fighting them over a two year time period. From 385 B.C. to 373 B.C. King Artaxerxes II tried to retake Egypt and place it back under Persian control but he wasn’t able to achieve this goal. Toward the end of his reign, various satraps or Persian governors began to revolt against his power. These revolts occurred in Phrygia, Armenia, Caria, and Maussolus. These revolts were put down in 362 B.C. King Artaxerxes II had two wives. One was named Statira and his other wife’s name was unknown. He had three sons named Darius, Artaxerxes III Ochus, and Ariaspes. His daughters were named Apama, Atossa, Amestris, and Rhodogyne. He died in 358 B.C. and was succeeded by his son Artaxerxes III.

Artaxerxes III
King Artaxerxes III was born as Ochus and he took over the Persian Empire in 358 B.C. shortly after his father died. One of his brothers was murdered and the other committed suicide and only he was left to lay claim to the throne. King Artaxerxes murdered the rest of his royal family once he took over. When his father King Artaxerxes II was alive he served as a governor and military commander in his service.

Artaxerxes_II_and_III — Artaxerxes II tomb Persepolis Iran.

Artaxerxes III continued the campaign against the Spartans and Greeks, he fought against the Egyptians and he constantly dealt with the rebellious provinces in his empire. He managed to defeat the Egyptians and then became the Pharaoh of the 31st dynasty. Some sources claim that King Artaxerxes III was a ruthless monarch who used force and power to govern his lands. His aggressive style of rule allowed him to stop the rebellions that were occurring within the empire. Toward the end of his reign, he had managed to bring about a six-year peace to the empire. He was poisoned by an official named Bogoas in 338 B.C. Before his death, he fathered over 150 children from his many concubines.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artaxerxes_II_of_Persia
http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/people/artaxerxes-ii.html
http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/artaxerxes-ii-achaemenid-king

Posted on December 15, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Rome and Carthage Commercial Treaties

The Republic of Rome was founded around 509 B.C., and the city-state of Carthage had been in existence since the 9th century B.C. These two great ancient powers were overseas neighbors who had access to the Mediterranean Sea. They also had various city states and territories that they controlled. Rome was primarily a land-based empire that conducted most of its economic trade over established land routes. Carthage was founded by the Phoenicians who were great sailors, and they had created trade routes with various cities that stretched across the Mediterranean Sea. The Economic trade was vital to the success of both empires. Rome and Carthage needed the trade routes to import metals, spices, gold, timber and food, and they also needed them to export their products to the rest of the ancient world for a fee. Trade routes were also needed to collect tributes sent by conquered kingdoms and lands.

Main areas of influence in West Mediterranean Sea in 509 BC.

Since both empires were located in proximity to each other, they had to sign treaties to maintain peace and to define the territories where they would conduct their operations. There were four treaties between Rome and Carthage that were put into effect between the years 509 B.C. and 279 B.C., which is where this is noted on the Bible Timeline with World History.

The first treaty was created in the same year that Rome became a Republic. The Romans had been at war with many of the neighboring tribes that was located in the region of southern Italy. Since they didn’t have a standing naval force, they had relied on Greek and Etruscan sailors to provide them with supplies. This proved to be problematic for the Romans, and they sought the help of Carthage to remedy the situation. Greece had a strong presence throughout the Mediterranean world, and they set up colonies all throughout the region. The Greeks were also great sailors and their presence presented problems to the Carthaginians who competed with them over the trade routes. Rome and Carthage realized that a treaty would help both powers to help secure their trade routes and to work together with eliminating potential enemies or rivals to their economic security. This treaty began in 509 B.C. and ended in 348 B.C.

In 348 B.C., the Romans were involved in heavy fighting with other neighboring tribes and the Carthaginians were now controlling the eastern section of the Mediterranean Sea. Rome and Carthage decided to aid each other through another treaty that was very similar to the first one they signed in 509 B.C. The third treaty went into effect in 343 B.C., and it gave more power to Carthage while it limited the Roman presence in certain areas such as Sicily. The last treaty was signed in 270 B.C.

These series of treaties ultimately allowed Rome and Carthage to expand their empires and power throughout the Mediterranean area. They also allowed Rome to become a stronger and more powerful force. Rome still didn’t have a top notch naval force when compared to the Greeks or Carthaginians, but they did develop a first rate fleet that could compete with these two major maritime forces. By the time that the treaties were over Carthage and Rome had both grown large enough to where one day they would contend with each other for dominance over the Mediterranean world. Rome and Carthage eventually went to war and Rome won the conflict. Once they dominated Carthage they took over their trade routes and economic activity that allowed the Romans to become more wealthy and powerful.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaties_between_Rome_and_Carthage
http://hannibalbarca.webspace.virginmedia.com/treaties-rome-carthage.htm
http://www.roman-empire.net/republic/carthage.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:West_Mediterranean_Areas_509_BC.png