Italicised dates are either approximate or traditional.
753 BC
The foundation of Rome.
586
The Babylonians’ sack of Jerusalem.
539
Cyrus captures Babylon.
330
Alexander the Great burns Persepolis.
29
Virgil starts work on the Aeneid.
AD 33
The crucifixion of Jesus.
70
The Romans’ sack of Jerusalem.
220
The death of Tertullian.
224
Ardashir establishes the Sasanian Empire.
226
Ardashir conquers Mesopotamia.
250
The seven sleepers of Ephesus take refuge from persecution in a cave.
260
Defeat and capture of Valerian by Shapur I.
301
The conversion of Tiridates, King of Armenia, to Christianity.
312
The conversion of Constantine to Christianity.
324
The foundation of Constantinople.
325
The Council of Nicaea.
326
Helena discovers the True Cross in Jerusalem.
363
Death of Julian on campaign in Mesopotamia; Rome cedes Nisibis to Persia.
428
Nestorius becomes Bishop of Constantinople.
430
Simeon the Elder climbs his pillar.
451
The Council of Chalcedon.
476
The deposition of the last Roman emperor of the West; Italy comes under the rule of the Ostrogoths.
484
The Hephthalites defeat Peroz.
496
The forced abdication of Kavad.
498
The return of Kavad to the Persian throne.
502
Kavad crowns Mundhir as King of Hira.
503
Kavad captures Amida.
505
The foundation of Dara.
524
The martyrdom of the Christians of Najran.
525
The defeat and death of Yusuf of Himyar; Justinian marries Theodora.
527
Justinian becomes emperor; Simeon the Younger leaves Antioch.
528
The execution of Mazdak.
529
The closure of the philosophical schools of Athens; the Samaritan revolt; Arethas is crowned King of the Ghassanids.
531
Kavad is succeeded as Shahanshah by Khusrow I.
532
Mass rioting in Constantinople almost topples Justinian; Justinian and Khusrow sign the “Eternal Peace.”
533
Justinian’s commissioners publish their Digest of Roman Law; Belisarius invades North Africa.
535
Belisarius invades Sicily.
536
Belisarius captures Rome.
537
The dedication of Hagia Sophia.
540
Khusrow sacks Antioch.
541
The plague spreads from Egypt.
554
Arethas defeats Mundhir at the Battle of Chalcis.
557
The collapse of the Hephthalite Empire.
565
The death of Justinian.
570
The birth of Muhammad.
579
The death of Khusrow I.
590
The coup and usurpation of Bahram Chobin.
591
The defeat of Bahram Chobin and accession of Khusrow II.
602
The murder of Maurice and usurpation of Phocas.
610
The overthrow of Phocas by Heraclius
610
Muhammad receives his first divine revelation.
614
The Persians burn Ephesus and storm Jerusalem.
619
The Persians capture Alexandria.
622
The emigration, or hijra, of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina.
626
The Persians and Avars lay siege to Constantinople.
627
Heraclius invades Mesopotamia.
628
The death of Khusrow II; Heraclius and Shahrbaraz sign peace treaty.
630
Heraclius returns the True Cross to Jerusalem.
632
The death of Muhammad.
634
The Arabs invade Palestine; the Battle of Gaza.
636
The Romans are defeated at the Yarmuk, and withdraw from Syria.
637
The Battle of Qadisiyya.
638
The Arabs capture Jerusalem.
639
The Arabs invade Egypt.
642
Alexandria falls to the Arabs.
644
The assassination of Umar.
650
The Arabs cross the River Oxus for the first time.
651
The murder of Yazdegird III.
656
The assassination of Uthman.
657
Ali and Mu’awiya fight an inconclusive battle on the banks of the Euphrates.
658
Ali defeats the Kharijites.
661
The assassination of Ali; Mu’awiya is hailed as “Commander of the Faithful” in Jerusalem.
674
The first Arab siege of Constantinople.
680
Yazid succeeds Mu’awiya; the Battle of Karbala; the rebellion of Ibn al-Zubayr.
683
The Umayyad sack of Medina; the burning of the Ka’ba; the death of Yazid.
684
Marwan is hailed as “Commander of the Faithful” in Syria.
685
Marwan is succeeded by Abd al-Malik; Mukhtar rebels against Ibn al-Zubayr.
686
The first mention of Muhammad on an Arab coin.
689
Work begins on the Dome of the Rock.
692
The defeat and death of Ibn al-Zubayr.
694
Al-Hajjaj appointed governor of Iraq.
702
Al-Hajjaj founds Wasit.
705
Abd al-Malik is succeeded by Walid; the final Arab conquest of Khorasan.
711
The Arabs invade Spain.
715
Walid inaugurates the great mosque of Damascus.
716–17
The second Arab siege of Constantinople.
732
The Franks defeat the Arabs outside Tours.
740
The Romans defeat the Arabs at Acroinum; Iraq is convulsed by an anti-Umayyad uprising.
747
Marwan II emerges from civil war as the new Umayyad Caliph; Abu Muslim declares open rebellion against Marwan in Khorasan.
750
The Abbasids defeat and overthrow Marwan.
755
The murder of Abu Muslim.
762
The founding of Baghdad.