The Strand Study Bible

THE NEW TESTAMENT AND WORLD HISTORY

Rev Rev

22:1-5 22:6-21

The new river during the Millennium

The last message of the Bible

13. Nerva 14. Trajan

(AD 96-98) (AD 98-117)

Trajan extended the Roman Empire to its greatest magnitude. During his days it was against the law to be a Christian, and many suffered martyrdom. Hadrian, cousin of Trajan, built a twenty-foot high wall to protect the Roman Empire’s frontier in Britain.

15. Hadrian

(AD 117-138)

IV. Rome’s Post Empire Period (AD 138-476) By AD 364 the Roman Empire was in such disarray that it divided into East and West, just as the prophet Daniel predicted that it would (Dan 2:41-43). It eventually fell from within. According to the history books, there were 40 Caesars known to have ruled during this period: 1. Antoninus Pius He persecuted Christians. (AD 138-161) 2. Marcus Aurelius He too persecuted Christians. Under Marcus Aurelius, Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, and Justin Martyr were martyred. (AD 161-180) 3. Commodus He was the son of Marcus Aurelius. (AD 180-192) 4. Pertinax He was assassinated. (AD 193) 5. Didius Julian He was assassinated. (AD 193) 6. Septimus Severus Many Christians were martyred under his reign. (AD 193-211) 7. Caracalla He was Severus’ eldest son. He tolerated Christians. (AD 211-217) 8. Macrinus He tolerated Christians. (AD 217-218) 9. Elagabalus He tolerated Christians. (AD 218-222) 10. Alexander Severus He tolerated Christians. (AD 222-235) 11. Maximinus He put to death many prominent Christians. Origen barely escaped. (AD 235-238) 12. Gordian III He favored Christians. (AD 238-244) 13. Philip the Arabian He too favored Christians. (AD 244-249) 14. Decius He cruelly disposed of multitudes of Christians. (AD 249-251) 15. Gallus (AD 251-253) 16. Valerian He persecuted Christians. He was captured by Shapur I of Persia. (AD 253-259) 17. Gallienus He was the son of Valerian. (AD 259-268) 18. Claudius II (AD 268-270) 19. Aurelianus (AD 270-275) 20. Tacitus He was assassinated. (AD 275-276) 21. Probus He was assassinated. (AD 276-282) 22. Carus He was assassinated. (AD 282-283) 23. Diocletian (AD 284-305)

Diocletian, ruler of the eastern part of the Roman Empire, from Nicomedia in Bithynia, was joint emperor from 286-305 BC with Maximian, who ruled from Rome. Next to Augustus (31 BC – AD 14), Diocletian was the most remarkable imperial organizer the Roman Empire had ever known. He was also the greatest persecutor of the Church. He, along with Galerius (305-311 BC), had launched the most severe persecution of all time against Christianity. The Great Persecution, which started in 303 BC, ended in 311 BC under Constantine I (306-337 BC) . Maximian, ruler of the western part of the Roman Empire from Rome, was joint emperor from 286-305 BC with Diocletian, who ruled from Nicomedia in Bithynia. Maximian, though a capable general, was a “less-than-impressive” emperor. Carausius, fleet commander of Maximian’s at Gesoriacum, set himself up as an independent Augustus and transferred his fleet across the Channel to Britain. Maximian, who concurred with Diocletian, attacked the breakaway emperor but was unsuccessful, and had to give in to the coo, for the time being. Then, at their instigation, Constantius I Chlorus, the future western Caesar (AD 305-306), attacked Carausius’ allies among the Franks. At this point, Allectus, his finance minister, murdered Carausius and declared himself emperor of Britain. Allectus was later defeated in AD 297 by Constantius I Chlorus.

24. Maximian

(AD 286-308)

25. Carausius

(AD 286-293)

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