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Persia, A Branch of Aryan Where Mentioned in the Bible

Persia is listed on the Biblical Timeline around 1454 BC and at a later point ruled by King Cyrus, as mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah. The king ruled the land with much wisdom, and he served the people as a great king should. In Ezra 1:1-3, it was stated that Cyrus ordered god’s people to build a temple for the Lord. Indeed, he was among the greatest rulers in the history of Persia. It is also worth noting that of all the other empires that reigned over the Israelites, it was the Persians who allowed the return of the citizens of Judah‘s southern kingdom to their native land. This occurred 70 years after they lived in exile under the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar.

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The Glory of Persia

During the pinnacle of Persia, the empire extended to Greece, India, the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Caspian Sea. The people of Persia also came originally from Media, and they decided to settle in Persia, specifically on the eastern portion of the Persian Gulf.

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‘During the pinnacle of Persia, the empire extended to Greece, India, the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Caspian Sea.’

The Persians were noted to be Aryans; there were two lines that came forth from Teispes, who was the early leader of Persia. Teispes gained control of Elam during the downfall of the Assyrian Empire, and he had lines in Persia and Anzan. The king of Anzan at that time was Cyrus II, and he united the people after conquering Babylonia, Lydia and Media. On the other hand, Cambyses, the son of Cyrus II, controlled Egypt. During that period, Egypt was under the rule of Darius, who was the son of Hyptaspes. Darius and his several successors considered Persepolis as the ceremonial capital, which is one of Persia’s ancient cities.

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Persia helped shape Bible history

Te Aryans

Based on a Biblical perspective, the people of Persia helped shape Bible history. For instance, these people were a part of the chain of several empires that became a part of history such as the Egyptians during the period of Exodus. The Assyrians who defeated the Lost Ten Tribes, the Babylonians who gained control of Judah’s southern kingdom, and the Persians who allowed the return of Israelites to Jerusalem.

During the 5th century BC, Darius I formed the Aryan race upon declaring himself as a Persian. In fact, Herodotus mentioned that the Iranian race was often noted in history as Aryans. Based on history, the Aryans migrated from Iran and traveled to other parts of the world due to climatic events such as the end of the Ice Age period. Once rainfall decreased, and the lake eventually dried up, the inhabitants who had an Aryan culture and language decided to settle in Iran.

Furthermore, the term Iran was derived from the word Aryan, which pertained to the land of Aryans. Thus was the story of the migration of the Aryans, and the possibility that these people originally came from a remote land. Upon arriving in Iran, they gave it a name and considered to make it as their new homeland. However, in historical accounts, Central Asia has often been labelled as the land of the Touran, Khwarazm, Turkistan, Sakas and Khiveh. None of these words, though, were linked to the word Aryan.

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Lydia and Mycenae, Ancient Greece:

It was believed that by about 2000 BC, Achaeans or tribes of Indo-European Greeks set foot in Greece. Here, they gained control of the early inhabitants of the land and formed citadels at various sites including Mycenae, Athens and Pylos. The Achaeans were also referred to as Mycenaeans, and they have incorporated and developed the Minoan cultures. Although this group of people were warlike by nature, they excelled in trading.

Further Studies about the Mycenaeans of Ancient Greece

In a study by Heinrich Schliemann, the Mycenaean kings gained much wealth during their rule. As evident in the different archaeological finds including precious items made of ivory, silver and gold. Moreover, the royal palace located at Mycenae had impressive and vast storerooms, lavish audience rooms and elegant walls with fresco designs. There were also tombs that were made of cut stone, which also appeared as intricate and impressive as the other structures in the area. As the Mycenaean civilization progressed, colonies began to spread in the eastern Mediterranean. By 1450 BC where Lydians can be found on the Bible Timeline Chart, Knossos was also conquered when the labyrinthian Palace was destroyed by fire. However, this very same palace was reconstructed by the Mycenaeans, and Aegean civilization was transferred to mainland Greece.

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Lydia (Λυδία)

Early History of Lydia

The Neo-Hittite kingdom handled the developments made on Lydia. After the empire of the Hittites reached its end in 12 BC. During the rule of the Hittites, Lydia was referred to as Arzaea, and it was dominated by people who spoke in the Luqian language. However, there was a Greek source that claimed the Lydian kingdom’s original name was Maionia. Also, Homer’s texts referred to Lydia’s inhabitants as Maiones. He also described the capital as Hyde instead of Sardis, although it was possible that Hyde was the district’s name where Sardis was situated.

Herodotus claimed that Lydians became the new name for the occupants of the land, based on the king’s name that was Lydus. As presented in the Book of Jeremiah, Lydians was the Hebrew term for the land, and it was believed to have begun from Lud, who was the son of Shem. It is also worth noting that in the Biblical period, warriors in Lydia were known as skilled archers.

The people of Lydia were involved in trading, and they were excellent in commercial tasks. They even had customs that resembled what the Greeks had, as they were among the first groups of people who succeeded in establishing and managing retail shops. They also invented metallic coins, which were used in trades and sparked the commercial revolution that had a huge impact on Greek civilization.

By the 7th century, the kingdom of Lydia had reached its peak under the rule of Alyattes, who also decided to broaden his rule in Ionia. There were even greater developments in the kingdom largely because of the rule of Croesus, who was the son of Alyattes. However, the Lydian monarchy soon reached its end because of the Persians under the rule of Cyrus.

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Syria, Ancient History of

Situated in the Middle East and bordered by several countries including Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, Syria was among the oldest inhabited places in the world. Based on the Bible Timeline it can be dated back to 1954 BC. The Dederiyeh Cave, which is located in Syria, contains a wide range of archeological finds including ceramics, tools and human skeletons that prove the existence of humans in this place.

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Key Facts about Ancient Syria

Based on historians, Syria was a thriving trade region, largely because of its several ports located on the Mediterranean. It was also ruled by many Mesopotamian empires that supported its growth and development as a nation. The regions including Syria were once known by the name Eber Nari, which means “across the river.” It was the Mesopotamians who gave this name to the regions, and this included a few other areas including modern-day Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. Together, these nations were called “The Levant.”

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‘Reliefs from Tel Halaf dating to the Aramean kingdom of Bit Bahiani.’

In the Books of Nehemiah and Ezra, Eber Nari was often mentioned. There were also accounts of the region in the texts of the Persian and Assyrian kings. As for the modern name of the region of Syria, it was noted by some scholars that this originated from Herodotus, as he had a habit of pertaining to the entirely of Mesopotamia as simple Assyria.

Thus, when the Assyrian Empire reached its end in 612 BC, its western regions were referred to as Assyria. However, it was popularly known as Syria when the Seleucid Empire took over. There were assumptions, though, that the name originated from the Hebrew language as the inhabitants were called Siryons. The people were called this way because of the metal armor worn by the soldiers, which was called “Siryon.”

Early Developments in the Regions of Syria

There were early settlers in the area including Tell Brak. After some excavations made in this region, there were arguments by scholars that early civilization started in the north. However, it was also possible that progress has been simultaneous in both of the areas in Mesopotamia. It was only after Max Mallowan’s excavations at Tell Brak that it confirmed them in this part of the region.

Mari and Ebla were the two most significant cities in Syria during early civilizations. These two cities were known to dress in Sumerian fashion, and they worshiped deities by the Sumerians. Also, there were cuneiform tablet collections that were written in the Sumerian and Akkadian languages. These tablets included information about the day to day life and economy of the early civilization in the region, as well as some personal letters.

As for the excavations conducted in Ebla, it was discovered that the palace was burned once including Nineveh‘s famous library. Fortunately, the fire helped bake the clay tablets, which also preserved these. Hence, these tablets provided an understanding of the life and civilizations in Mesopotamia including Ancient Syria.

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Syria, Biblical Nation

Today’s Syria is much smaller than the Syria of Ancient times ‘Greater Syria’. It was an expanse just on the East side of the Mediterranean. Surrounded by the Arabian Desert and the Taurus Mountain range as such it was loved and hated at the same time as an intersection for both trade and war.  In conjunction Greater, Syria had many different peoples and beliefs. All through history it has been the focus of diverse languages academically and confrontationally from the Middle East to the West. Syria can be found on the Bible Timeline around 1954 BC.

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The name was originated from the Greeks and Romans and most likely linked to the Babylonian ‘suri’. Arabs first spoke of Syria and an undetermined area around it as ‘Sham’ meaning ‘northern region,’ ‘the north’, ‘Syria’, or ‘Damascus’. The first known city in the area was Ebla (by today’s Idib, northern Syria). It established itself by trading along the Mesopotamian regions (Sumer, Assyria, Akkad along with the Hurrian and Hattian civilizations to the northwest of Asia Minor). There are also gifts from Pharaohs discovered from dig sites to suggest contact with Egypt as well. Along with that is on of the first dated writings from Syria as a trading arrangement with Vizier Ibrium from Elba and a mysterious nation Abarsal in 2300 BC. Today’s link to the Eblaite language is East Semitic also related to the Akkadian dialect.

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‘Ancient city of Palmyra.’

Syria was taken over by the Persians sometime around 500 BC, then by the Greeks in 333 BC, the Romans in 64 AD. There they built a castle in Palmyra where it still has remains. Muslim Arabs took over Damascus in 635 AD, and the start of 1095, Syria was the focus of the Crusades, but the Christians were beaten back. The Turkish Ottoman Empire invaded in 1516 and reigned for four hundred years till 1920 with the close of World War I as the French took over Syria and Lebanon.

There is much more history involved with Syria here a brief list of events:

BC –

  • 3000 Semites inhabited Syria
  • 2400 Mesopotamian city in Nagar grew very strong
  • 2100 Amorites traveled out of Arabian Peninsula and built several small regions
  • 1500 Arameans influenced the Syrian dialect
  • 1200 Syria was conquered by the Persians
  • 332 Alexander the Great took over
  • 300 – 64 the capital of Syria was Antioch
  • 274 – 271 Ptolemy’s beat Antiochus I, Seleucid king that was attempting to enlarge hold on Syria and Anatolia
  •  64 Pompey beat Seleucid Antiochus XIII and made Syria Roman governed

 

AD-

  • 117 Hadrian ruled
  • 262-266 Syria was once again under Roman rule
  • 266 King Odenathus Roman monarch was killed; Zenobia Septimia, his wife, took over
  • 270 Zenobia of Syria announced herself as the Queen of the East, fought nearby Roman cities and took over Egypt
  • 636 Battle of Yamuk, Islamic troops, beat Byzantine army and took Syria
  • 661 Umayyad Caliphate reign was started with Muawiva ibn Abi Sufyan
  • 1098 & 1110 First Crusaders invaded Mara in Syria then Saida
  • 1174-1183 Nureddin monarch of Syria passed away, Ayyubids took over and created structure and expansion
  • 1202 Huge earthquake 30,000 deaths
  • 1250 Egyptian Mamlukes conquered the majority of Syria
  • 1300 Syria fought off the last of the Crusaders
  • 1492 Jews traveled to Syria after being chased out of Spain
  • 1496 Battle of Mari Dabik, Turks defeated Syria and started Ottoman Empire
  • 1831 Egypt took over Syria and Joran
  • 1840 Britain and Austria pushed Egypt out
  • 1860 more than 25,000 Christians were martyred in Damascus – France deployed 5,000 men to Syria to end killings
  • 1869 Suez Canal was built and took a lot of Syria’s trade advantage

For more of Syrian’s Timeline click here: http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/syria/sytimeln.htm

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Abraham in the Land of Abimelech

The mighty King of Gerar, who was named Abimelech, had an important role in the life of Abraham. Their interaction is shown on the Bible Timeline Poster around 1854 BC. It all started when Abraham and Sarah set foot upon the king’s land. Abimelech was kind enough to give Abraham rights to graze his cattle to any place in the land that he wanted. Unfortunately, there was a dispute that existed between the two, which mainly started when Abraham decided to dig a well only to be seized by one of the king’s servants.

However, Abimelech was clearly unaware of this dispute. The king only heard of Abraham’s complaint, and this led to an agreement that was first presented by Abraham. This situation was resolved by giving Abraham full rights of ownership to the well, and this also entitled him to proceed to his business activities in the land.

The Life of Abraham in the Land of Abimelech

For a number of times, Abraham was often forced to give up most things that he originally owned. In fact, he was commanded by God to leave his homeland in pursuit of the promised land that Abraham was not completely aware of. Although he had doubts and fears about departing, he allowed himself to put his trust on God as he left his native land.

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Yet, the situation that occurred with the well showed that Abraham was dedicated to securing what he believed was his own property. This only proved how Abraham was indeed a committed, responsible and hard working person who only wanted to live life in a fair manner. He also believed in the importance of making good use of legal protections for any property that he had.

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During his stay in Canaan, Abraham lived by shepherding.

During his stay in Canaan, Abraham lived by shepherding. Thus, a good access to water is key for this business to thrive. Instead of allowing his livelihood and family to suffer, he fought for his rights and was able to succeed by doing so. This is a sign of Abraham’s love and concern for others instead of merely focusing on what he wanted for himself.

The Lesson We Learn from Abraham

Just like Abraham, it is only right that anyone who is involved in responsibilities where they need to protect others should think beyond their own needs. It is true that us humans are tasked to be the stewards of God’s creations, which means we should do our best to be responsible for everything under our care. With this in mind, every decision should not only remain on who is right, but it is important to take into account how each decision could affect other people’s welfare.

Although, in this story, Abimelech had every reason to be upset with Abraham, he even rewarded him in the end. For instance, he brought Abraham male and female slaves, as well as some cattle. Sarah was also returned to Abraham, and he was able to live a more comfortable life in this land. Indeed, the life of Abraham turned out for the best all because of his wisdom and ability to make the right decisions for the common good.

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Abraham in the Land of Canaanites

Abraham was faced with several temptations throughout his life, yet he was able to fight all of these to prove his immense love for God. One of his greatest challenges was when he was ordered to leave his homeland. This is listed on the Bible Timeline Chart around 1954 BC.  It was a test of Abraham’s faith in God, although he had some fears about departing from his own land. In fact, he presented to God his worries, particularly the concept of leaving his father. However, God reassured Abraham and told him not to have any thoughts about what other people might think of him.

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Abraham in the Land of Canaanites

So, Abraham obeyed God’s orders and left Haran. He travelled to a distant place called Canaan, and he had faith that throughout his journey, God’s blessings remained with him. The thought that God once told him that he will be the father of a great nation stayed on his mind, and this gave him a sense of comfort each time he started to have doubts about his decision of leaving his native land.

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‘The Vision of the Lord Directing Abram to Count the Stars’

God promised Abraham that he will be blessed and that he will soon become a great man whom people will look upon. Among all of these promises by God, he held on to the thought that he indeed would be a blessing to all. In fact, it did happen that anyone who came across Abraham was surely blessed. It was his presence that brought wonderful blessings to the people he met, just as God has promised to him.

While Abraham was full of questions upon knowing that he was to leave his homeland, he tried to push aside his worries and anxieties. God had not told him initially where he was to go, and Abraham only went onward to trust the Lord and his plans. All God said was he would reveal himself to that land where Abraham was supposed to travel, and eventually, it appeared that this place was Canaan – the promised land.

Upon Reaching Canaan

When Abraham arrived in Canaan, he was still unsure that it was the land that God promised to become his own. Yet, Abraham was filled with great joy upon setting foot to this land. He even noticed that a number of people were devoted to cultivating the land and making it richer. Thus, he prayed that this land, even if only a portion of it, would soon become his own.

It was right at the moment when God told Abraham that this land was his when he began rejoicing and thanking the Lord for his blessings. Overwhelmed with happiness, Abraham decided to set an altar to show his reverence and gratitude to God. He also raised a few other altars in some places including Hebron and Ai, with the hopes that these places of worship would bring good tidings to the people of each land.

As Abraham lived in this new land, he was able to live in harmony with himself and the people around him. He continued to become a blessing to others, and God continued to reward him for his great love and trust to his commands.

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Assyrian Power Beginning 1700 BC, Rise of

Assyria was centered primarily in northern Mesopotamia, specifically on the Upper Tigris river. It can be found on the Bible Timeline Poster starting at 1704 BC. There were several instances when the Assyrians were able to rule a number of powerful empires throughout history. Thus, it has become the largest empire in the world.

The cradle of civilization in history included several empires such as Sumer, Babylonia, and Akkad. While other empires continued to rise in power, Assyria also made its contributions to the world with its success in the fields of science, technology and culture. During the peak of its progress, the empire extended from Cyprus to Persia, as well as from the Caucasus Mountains that covered present-day Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia up to Egypt and the entire Arabian Peninsula.

Under the Rule of Babylonians

During the years 1750 to 1732 BC, Assyria was dominated by the Babylonians. Hammurabi’s rule prevailed in the empire after his success in conquering Eshnunna, Larsa, and Mari. During his reign, several trade activities in Anatolia’s karum colonies came to a halt. Nevertheless, the monarchy of Assyria survived, despite the fact that three Amorite kings after Ishme-Dagan were completely dependent on the powerful Babylonian Empire.

Rise of the Adaside Dynasty

When Hammurabi died, the Babylonians slowly lost power over the Assyrians. This continued when Samsu-iluna, the successor of Hammurabi, rose in power during 1750 to 1712 BC. Then, a civil war broke off following the deposition of Asinum, who was the Amorite king of Assyria. According to Puzur-Sin, a native Akkadian, Asinum was not only a foreigner but also a lackey of Babylon. This led to the rule of Ashur-dugul (a native king) in 1732 BC, which was possibly supported by Puzur-Sin. Unfortunately, he lost control of the empire, and Ashur-apla-idi took his place.

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‘The modern discovery of Babylonia and Assyria begins with excavations in Nineveh in 1845’

After being under rule by four other kings, Babylonia appeared to have no capabilities to take control of the situation in Assyria. In 1726 BC, when King Adasi ruled the empire in Assyria, he was able to drive away the Amorites and Babylonians while stabilizing the political conditions in Assyria. Eventually, the Babylonian control over the entire Mesopotamia weakened.

Assyria continued to rise in power during the rule of Bel-bani, which was during the years 1700 to 1691 BC. He is the one responsible for further defeating the Amorites and Babylonians while enhancing the power of the kingdom. He was the very first king who ruled during the Adasides Dynasty. Moreover, his rule marked the start of another historical phase in Assyria after the conflicts caused by several rulers before him. Bel-bani remained as Assyria’s ruler for a period of 10 years.

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Greece Beginning 1500 BC

During the Minoan period at about 2nd millennium BC an organized society -that would eventually become Greece – was created, particularly in Crete. It was at this period that there was great progress in the region, primarily when communication facilitated the interaction between East Mediterranean nations and the Minoans. Soon, there was a continuing exchange of ideas that had a huge impact on the Minoan culture, as well as the spread of government, religion and cultures throughout the Greek mainland and the vast Aegean islands. It was also in the Minoan period that Crete became popular for its craftworks and jewelry. They were also known as the leading importers of raw materials, oil, food and wine. Thus, the very first mercantile navy was also developed during this era in the region.

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When the Volcano Santorini erupted, there was mass destruction of Crete

The successful state of affairs flourished, although there was a disruption when Crete was greatly destroyed because of a natural catastrophe. The volcano of Santorini erupted during about 1500 BC, and this created much destruction to the region. When the Cretan culture collapsed, the Mycenaeans took advantage of the situation. They also positioned themselves as the primary force in the entire Aegean islands. The Mycenaeans established their cities including Athens, Lolkos, Thebes, Pylos and Tiryns as their bureaucratic centers. Greece can be found on the Bible Timeline starting 1500 BC.   During this era in the Mycenaean civilization, the Greek society was largely based on warfare ruled by the elite classes. Nevertheless, the culture continued to flourish for about 400 years. The war-chiefs created cities that remained powerful, particularly in agriculture and art. There was no equal distribution of wealth, unlike in the early Minoan societies. Instead, only the warring chiefs became richer, and they spent their wealth on invasions and battles.   The palace sites of the Minoans were under the control of the Mycenaeans beginning about 1420 BC, and they made use of the Linear A Minoan script to suit their own language. This was considered as a form of the Greek language. Overall, the Mycenaeans merely adapted the culture and art of the Minoan instead of destroying them. Although the Mycenaeans were in power during this period, there were clearly some traces of the existence of the Minoan culture as it was merely improved and adapted by the new rulers.   The rule of the Mycenaean kings continued until about 1200 BC, as it was during this period that

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Knossos

their power began to decline. Then, by the 12th century BC, they completely lost control of the region, specifically because of the invasion of the Dorian tribes coming from the northern portion of Greece.

At this time, Knossos was still regarded as the administrative center until the period of 1200 BC. The mountain site of Karfi became the last of the sites of the Minoan. This area also provided evidence of the Minoan civilization even up to the Iron Age.

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Visigoths

Known as the western part of the Germanic tribe called the Goths, the Visigoths remained mainly on the west part of the Black Sea during the 3rd century AD. It is located on the Bible Timeline Chart between 400 and 500 AD. Because they frequently settled in the west, these people were referred to as the Western Goths while the Ostrogoths were the Eastern Goths. This distinction was made by Cassiodorus, a Roman writer who provided further information about these two Gothic tribes.

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‘Capital from the Visigothic church of San Pedro de la Nave.’

Historical Background

Upon the invasions of the Huns, the Visigoths sought for help to Emperor Valens, who was then the ruler of Rome. These people needed a place where they could settle and remain safe from the Hunnic invasions. Fortunately, Valens permitted them to stay in an area situated near the Danube much to the contentment of the Visigoths.

However, things took a turn for the worst for this tribe as provincial Roman governors began to mistreat their people. This resulted to open rebellion led by the Visigoths to defend themselves from the cruel treatment of these officials. The Visigoths sacked and looted various Roman towns, and they became more and more powerful after successfully getting what they wanted.

Valens took action by setting out for a battle against the Visigoths. The Gothic Wars, which took place in 376 to 382 AD, resulted in many wins by the Roman Empire. However, the Battle of Adrianople held in 378 AD served as the decisive victory for the Visigoths. It also signaled the Roman Empire’s slow decline and even the emperor was killed in this tough battle.

The Glory of the Visigoths

Theodosius I assumed the throne to take the place of Valens, and he ruled the Western Roman Empire. His main purpose was to prevent the Visigoths from further causing trouble and chaos to the Romans’ territories. In 382 AD, a peace treaty was created to end the battle between the Romans and Visigoths. The treaty was signed by the leaders of both parties – Athanaric and Theodosius.

Meanwhile, Theodosius decided to strengthen this peace treaty by establishing regional Visigoth governors. He also tried to unite the Romans and the Visigoths through the Christian religion. At that time, the Visigoths believed in Arianism while the Roman Empire followed the Nicene Creed that was instituted by the Emperor Constantine the Great. Although he did not attain this goal of encouraging more Visigoths to practice the Nicene Creed, the peaceful relations between the two lasted until Theodosius died in 395 AD.

With the death of Theodosius, the Visigoths who were assigned to various political roles started to reject the Roman rule. They chose Alaric I as their new king. Alaric I wanted to establish unity between the Romans and Visigoths, which he partly accomplished. However, he was much more competent as a warrior than as an administrator. So, he failed to promote long-term peace between the Visigoths and the Romans until it led to the conquest of Rome in 410 AD. Slowly, Rome lost its control over the Visigoths, and with greater challenges from its powerful opponents, the empire soon reached its decline.

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Vandals

Coming from Jutland, which is modern-day Denmark, the Vandals were one of the strongest Germanic tribes that were a threat to the Roman Empire. After departing their homeland, they set forth to the Valley of Odra River, in the 5th century BC. By the 2nd century AD, the Vandals started settling along the coast of the Danube River. This was also the time when they began their attempts of invading Rome.

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Vandals
‘Vandalic gold foil jewelry from the 3rd or 4th century.’

Conquest of Spain and Other Nations

In 409 AD where it is located on the Bible Timeline Chart, aggressive and powerful Vandals invaded a huge portion of Spain. They also looted various cities to obtain necessary resources for survival. They arrived in Spain after crossing the Rhine River in 406 AD. However, the Vandals faced great pressure from the Romans residing in that area and the Visigoths also caused them to flee eventually from Spain and head off to the African province. While in North Africa, the Vandals elected a leader to rule over them. Gaiseric, who was a crippled man and son of a slave, was noted as their new ruler. Despite his physical condition, he was a brilliant person who was a skilled conspirator. He also possessed an extraordinary ability in politics. For half a century, Gaiseric was able to foil the plans of various Germanic kings and Roman diplomats all because of his ingenious treaties that led to the success of the Vandals.

Under the Leadership of Gaiseric

During the year 429 AD, Gaiseric successfully brought his people to the African coast after crossing the Strait of Gibraltar. Slowly, the Roman cities soon fell into the hands of the aggressive Vandals as numerous places were looted and sacked by this powerful tribe. The locals are residing at Hippo, the city invaded by the Vandals, fled to obtain refuge and support from Augustine, their bishop. However, the bishop soon died in his beloved city during the Vandal’s invasion that lasted for 14 months. It did not take long before Hippo finally surrendered and succumbed to the barbarian conquerors.

While cleaning up of the city was still being undertaken, Gaiseric decided to start another project. He aimed to construct a fleet that would propel him to his great dream of sailing to the Mediterranean Sea and discovering more lands to invade. The Vandals decided to settle in Hippo and live among the locals of the city. Meanwhile, they assigned Roman bureaucrats to handle intricate administrative tasks. The relationship between the Arian Vandals and the Romans were hardly any better. Gaiseric was also unable to check for any animosity, and violence broke out because of his successors’ prejudicial acts. Thus, the Vandals persecuted a majority of the Romans. This resulted in scores of martyrs of the Catholic Church, who died because of their refusal to denounce their faith.

Cruelty and destruction were only one of the reasons for the degeneration of the Vandals after the reign of Gaiseric. The armies became more and more disorganized as they were lured by luxuries produced by their rich land. They have also become more corrupt, and they failed to lead the people in an organized manner. Hence, the Vandals quickly succumbed to the Eastern Roman Empire’s army during the battle in 533. After their defeat, the Vandals no longer became a distinct tribe, and they joined with a diverse local population and lived a common life. They did not leave any significant legacy to the world, and they remained bitter and hungry for justice.