280

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Colonia Agrippina (Cologne)

Western Jin Dynasty (280)

Year 280 (CCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Messalla and Gratus (or, less frequently, year 1033 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 280 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Events

By place

Roman Empire

• Proculus, Roman usurper, starts a rebellion at Lugdunum (Lyon, France) and proclaims himself emperor.
• Emperor Probus drives the Alans off to Asia Minor and suppress the revolt in Gaul, Proculus is executed.
• The Germans destroy the Roman fleet on the Rhine, Bonosus is proclaimed emperor at Colonia Agrippina (Cologne).
• Probus defeats the army under Bonosus, he sees no way out and hangs himself. His family is treated with honours.
• Julius Saturninus, governor of Syria, is in Alexandria charged with the defense of the East. He is declared emperor and withdraws to Apamea. Probus besiege the city and puts him to death.
• Roman territory is under constant threat of raids from Franks. The cities in Gaul are reinforced with defensive walls.

Europe

• The Thuringii, a Germanic tribe, appears in the Harz Mountains (Thuringia) of central Germania.

Asia

• Emperor Sima Yan occupies most of the southern Kingdom of Wu and unites the Chinese Empire under one rule, he founds the Western Jin Dynasty. Ending the periode of the Three Kingdoms, the capital becomes the old and prosperous city of Luoyang. It is a thriving centre of commerce, and ambassadors from throughout the world arrive there.
• King Bahram II of the Sassanid Empire (Persia) send envoys to seek peaceful relations with Rome.
• The Gupta Empire (India) is founded (approximate date).

By topic

Arts and sciences

• The Greek mathematician Pappus demonstrates geometrically the property of the center of gravity.

Births

• Saint George, soldier of the Roman Empire and later Christian martyr (or 275, approximate date)

Deaths

• Bonosus, Roman usurper
• Cen Hun, minister of the Kingdom of Wu
• Julius Saturninus, Roman usurper
• Kang Senghui, Buddhist monk and translator
• Maharaja Sri-Gupta of the Gupta dynasty
• Proculus, Roman usurper
• Zhang Ti, minister of the Kingdom of Wu

References