For example, type in the word Crusade or the name Charlemagne.
[Liberty students: While this timeline will give you a greater understanding of this time period, you are not responsible for the additional information on the quiz.
The quiz will only come from information in the textbook.]
410
Rome is defeated and sacked by Alaric I, leader of the Visigoths. The last time Rome was sacked was in 387 BC. Constantinople, the new capital of the Roman Empire since 330, would not fall until 1453 (to the Muslims).
c. 415
Augustine, who lived most of his life in northern Africa, wrote The City of God in response to the defeat of Rome. In this book, Augustine created the idea of a Just War and gave this explanation: They who have waged war in obedience to the divine command . . . in this capacity have put to death wicked men; such persons have by no means violated the commandment, 'You shall not kill.'
Pelagius (c. 418) is significant because of one theological idea: he believed that humans can make the initial step toward accepting God without any assistance or draw from God. On the other hand, Augustine believed that God has to initially draw humans to him and that humans can only respond, not initiate. What does that matter? Pelagius concluded that humans have the responsibility of choosing between good and evil and are not guided by the Holy Spirit or any other aspect of God. Therefore, the purpose of Christ was to give instruction and a good example, not to provide salvation. Pelagianism was condemned as a heresy by Augustine and others, and was eventually defeated in the Council of Ephesus in 431.
420
Jerome died. He translated the Bible into Latin; it was known as the Vulgate and was the official version for European Christians until the Protestant Reformation of the 1500s.
Through involvement with the Donatists and Pelagius and hearing about the fall of Rome in 410, Augustine developed theological ideas which would greatly impact Christianity. Among his ideas: the validity of a rite of the church does not depend on the spiritual purity of the clergy but on the church in which it is performed; the concept of a just war; and the motive to respond to God must initiate from God, humans are not capable of responding to God from their own initiative--this was an early form of predestination.
431
Council of Ephesus. The third of the twenty-one major Church Councils and in response to the Nestorian Controversy. Nestorius' ideas were condemned and he was excommunicated. He believed that Christ consisted of two separate Persons, one Divine and one Human, in one body. The Church belief was that Christ was one Person, fully God and fully human that was joined, in the one body.
Why was this important? The question was, how was sin forgiven? Early church leaders realized that Christ had to be fully human and fully God together for the "God" part of Christ to take on the sin nature of humans on the cross. To look at it from Nestorius' perspective: if the humanity and divine were separate in Christ, then how could God take on the sin of humans on the cross?
455
Rome is again defeated and sacked , this time by the Vandals. They were Arian.
(They believed that the Father created the Son (Christ).)
459
Simeon Stylites died. He was the first of the Stylites, also known as "pillar saints." He lived on top of various heights of pillars, eventually living on one which was app. 60 feet tall. He stayed there until his death. He inspired others to do the same, with records indicating some continued the practice as late as the tenth century. To read more about the Stylite movement, go here.
c. 460
St. Patrick died. Although born in Britain, he was sent to Ireland as a bishop and remained there his entire life. To learn more about St. Patrick and read an excerpt from his autobiography, go here.
461
Pope Leo I, the Great, died. He is credited by some with consolidating the power of the papacy during the time of turmoil following the fall of Rome, at which he was present. He enlarged the authority of the papacy into Northern Africa, Gaul (France), and Spain.
476
The Western Roman Empire comes to an end when Odoacer, a German general, forced Romulus Augustus, the last Emperor of the Western Roman Empire, to resign. Odoacer became the king of Italy; he held Arian beliefs. The Middle Ages are considered to have begun in this year.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Europe_476.png
Europe in 476. The Western Roman Empire also included France.
496
Clovis, the Frankish (French) king, was baptized. 3000 of Clovis' soldiers were also baptized. This critical event eventually led to Christianity spreading throughout Europe under Charlemagne in the late 700's/early 800's.
Early 500s
Dionysius Exiguus (d. c. 550) introduced the method of dating years which we still use. He began with year one as the year of Jesus' birth. Later archaeologists realized that he was wrong by 4-7 years, which makes the birth of Jesus between 4-7 BC.
532
Boniface II died and John II became Pope the next year. He was the first pope to change his name, Mercurius being his birth name and being the name of a pagan god.
537
Hagia Sophia consecrated in present-day Istanbul. Known as "Holy Wisdom" (Greek "Hagia Sophia"; Latin "Sancta Sophia"), this church was the finest example of Byzantine architecture and was the seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople for almost 1000 years. Constantinople was conquered by Muslims in 1453 and it was converted to a mosque. In 1935 it became a museum and in 2020 was changed back to a mosque.
Benedict of Nursia died. He is known as the "Father of Western Monasticism." During his lifetime he established twelve monasteries with twelve monks apiece. He also wrote a Rule (c. 540), which contains regulations for maintaining a monastery and the monastic life; this Rule became exceedingly popular. To read one of Benedict's chapters, the one on living a holy life, go here.
570
Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was born in Mecca in present-day Saudi Arabia.
590
Pope Pelagius II died and Gregory I became Pope. He became the second pope known as "the Great." The first was Leo I who died in 461.
During his pontificate, Rome regained stability.
He also created the music which would bear his name, Gregorian chants.
[Personal note, Protestant scholars are divided over whether Leo I was the first pope or if it was Gregory I. I believe it was Gregory. Therefore, I don't believe the Catholic Church began until around 600.]
Gregory did not desire the papacy, to learn more about his life, click here.
596
Pope Gregory I sends Augustine (of Canterbury) to England to reestablish Christianity. To learn more about Augustine's mission, and why he settled in Canterbury, click here.
638
Caliph Omar (Muhammad died in 632, and Omar was the leader of Islam in 638) entered Jerusalem and the city became Muslim. It would remain Muslim until 1099 when the Crusaders invaded and captured it.
More info: To learn about the history of Jerusalem from the first time it is mentioned in history to the present, go here.
691
The Dome of the Rock was completed in Jerusalem. This building houses the rock which is the third most holy site for many Muslims. It is located on the spot where the Jewish Temple stood. This site is a point of contention between Muslims and Jews today; the Jews want to rebuild the Temple on this spot, but the Dome of the Rock stands in their way. [The dome was originally built of gold, but that deteriorated over time and was replaced with lesser valuable metals. The current golden dome (it is gold leaf on top of the aluminum and bronze dome underneath) was refurbished in 1993.]
The Dome of the Rock has the gold dome, whereas the Wailing or Western Wall is located below that with the people standing at its base.
732
Charles Martel defeated the Muslims at the Battle of Tours (France) . This stopped the advance of the Muslims into western Europe. The importance of this cannot be overstated: The Muslims had landed in France decades before and decided to attack Europe and convert it to Islam. Martel stopped that advance. If he had not stopped the invading Muslim army, Europe (and the USA) might be Muslim today.
Within 125 years (roughly from 622 to 750), Islam went from controlling one town in present-day Saudia Arabia (Medina) to conquering and controlling everything in color (not gray) in the map above. Charles Martel stopped the Muslims from moving further into France, thus stopping the Islam expansion into Europe. Today, most of these areas are still majority Muslim.
756
Pepin the Short gave Pope Stephen II authority over Rome and the surrounding areas. This was the beginning of the Papal States. The popes personally controlled this territory until 1870, including raising taxes and leading battles against other lands.
768
Charlemagne became King of the Franks.
787
The Carolingian Renaissance began when Charlemagne ordered that all monasteries include teaching and study. It resulted in an increase in knowledge, education, copying of manuscripts, cultural awareness, art, architecture, and biblical studies.
800
Christmas day: Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor. This was probably a surprise to Charlemagne and a power play by the pope in which the papacy gained much political influence (until 1870); to find out more click here.
In the people's minds, this illustrated that the pope was more powerful than the emperor. This tension between spiritual and temporal power in Europe continued until the Reformation of the 1500s.
Nevertheless, Charlemagne greatly increased the scope of the popes' influence since all his conquered territories were Catholic and therefore these people were subject to the pope. This territory included present-day northern Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, western Germany, Luxemburg, Switzerland, western Austria, and northern Italy (which included Rome).
In addition, Charlemagne institute a wave of learning in his empire which became known as the Carolingian Renaissance. This movement was possible because of the stability which Charlemagne produced in most of Europe. It resulted in an increase in knowledge, education, copying of manuscripts, cultural awareness, art, architecture, and biblical studies.
Up to this point, popes had struggled with two authority issues: authority over the patriarch in Constantinople (the Eastern half of Christianity) and authority over political leaders. The issue with Eastern Christianity will ebb and flow until 1054 when the two halves separate for good. The issue with political leaders intensifies with the crowning of Charlemagne by the pope (in which he shows his authority of the political realm since the greater person crowns the lesser person). The papacy will continue to exert more and more authority until the Unam Sanctum of 1302, which declared that the pope was the supreme spiritual head of the Church on the earth, with the insinuation that popes were to be obeyed without question.
814
Charlemagne died.
846
Muslims sack the area outside the Roman gates. In this year Muslims worked their way up the western coast of Italy and landed close to Rome. They did not take over Rome but sacked the churches outside of the city gates. This included St. Peter's Basilica. They did not stay to complete the conquest.
897
Pope Stephen VI shows the beginning of the low point in the papacy. **Notice the short reign of most popes in this century in the link below. Also notice the popes who were elected at a young age or were killed while in office. Stephen VI was elected in 896 and had Formosus (who was pope plus one ahead of him) exhumed and placed on trial as a corpse. It was subsequently thrown into the Tiber. Stephen was eventually imprisoned and then strangled to death.
897: The reign of the next pope, Romanus, was only four months long: August to December. He may have been deposed and became a monk in order to end his pontificate.
897: The reign of the next pope, Theodore II, was only one month long; he was elected as pope and died in the month of December. He had the body of Formosus reburied.
898-900: Reign of Pope John IX. He attempted to restore unity but the next century proved that hopeless.
900-903: Reign of Pope Benedict IV.
903: Reign of Pope Leo V: pope for 30 days. He was murdered, possibly strangled by Christopher, a man who also claimed to be pope, or on orders of Sergius III, who became pope.
904-911: Reign of Pope Sergius III.
911-913: Reign of Pope Anastasius III; pope for 2 years.
913-914: Reign of Pope Lando; pope for 1 year.
914-928: Reign of Pope John X. He was one of the first popes to lead an army into battle, in 916. He was eventually placed in prison due to a political situation involving a noble family and died in prison.
928: Reign of Pope Leo VI; pope for less than 1 year.
929-931: Reign of Pope Stephen VII; pope for 3 years.
931-935: Reign of Pope John XI. He became pope when he was around 20 years old. Pope for 5 years.
936-939: Reign of Pope Leo VII; pope for 4 years.
939-942: Reign of Pope Stephen VIII; pope for 4 years.
942-946: Reign of Pope Marinus II; pope for 4 years.
946-955: Reign of Pope Agapetus II. His pontificate last longer than many other popes in this time period; he is considered a rare "good" pope during this century, as opposed to others who did not last long because of the intrigues of their offices.
955-964: Reign of Pope John XII. He became pope at 18 years of age. During his pontificate he committed adultery so often that his palace was called a "whorehouse." He was accused of killing a subdeacon. The Emporer Otto I deposed John XII, but before he could find him, John died.
964: Reign of Pope Benedict V; pope for 1 year. The Emperor Otto I did not approve of his papacy, so he was demoted to a deacon and died in 966.
964-965: Reign of Leo VIII; pope for 1 year.
965-972: Reign of Pope John XIII. During his pontificate, he became so disliked that he was banished from Rome from 965-966.
973-974: Reign of Pope Benedict VI; pope for 1 year. He was strangled to death.
974-983: Reign of Pope Benedict VII. His pontificate is considered to be a successful one with no intrigue.
983-984: Reign of Pope John XIV; pope for 1 year. He was either starved to death or poisoned while in prison.
910
The Benedictine Abbey at Cluny was founded. Berno was placed in charge of the Abbey and he gave the Benedictine monks a more strict form. This was an attempt to reform Benedictine monasticism. One innovation was to develop offshoots of the main Abbey yet each was connected to the Abbey; previously Benedictine monasteries had been independent. The Cluny reform grew quickly in the latter half of this century and into the next century as new monasteries were founded and existing monasteries joined the movement. By the early 1100s, Cluny was a major center of Christianity in Europe, second only to Rome , and had 314 monasteries.
St. Bernard opens a hospice (place for travelers) in the Alps. Today, part of a road built dating to the Roman Empire is located nearby. Eventually the St. Bernard dog would be used to rescue travelers who became lost in the snow. Read more here.
985-996
Reign of Pope John XV. His pontificate is considered to be a successful one with no intrigue.
996-999
Reign of Pope Gregory V. His pontificate is considered to be a successful one with no intrigue.
999
By the end of the century, the papacy began to regain its moral footing. The Cluny Reform continued to grow in size and influence.
1009
Hakem, the Caliph (Muslim leader) of Egypt, decided to have the Holy Sepulchre (birth place/cave of Jesus) decimated and Christian pilgrims persecuted. This later helped bring about the Crusades.
1030s
Pilgrimages to Jerusalem increase. This could have been prompted by the belief that Jesus would come back in the year 1033.
The first recorded pilgrimage to the Holy Lands was by Constantine's mother in the 320s. She directed the building of two churches, in Bethlehem over the supposed birthplace of Jesus (which was believed to be in a cave and the church is known as the Church of the Nativity) and the other near Jerusalem. (Other churches already existed in the area.) (The Church of the Nativity was damaged in 529 and rebuilt in 530.) Pilgrimages were so popular by the 500s that Pope Gregory I had a special hospice built especially for pilgrims to the Holy Land. As part of Charlemagne's European expansion, he ensured the safe passage of pilgrims to the Holy Land (called a “protectorate”). He had churches and monasteries built there. The frequency of pilgrimages increased until the year 1009, when Hakem, the Muslim religious leader (caliph) of Egypt ordered the destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (where Jesus was buried) and other Christian buildings. In 1027 the Frankish protectorate ended with the rise of the Byzantine (Christian Orthodox) emperors (which meant that they now protected the Holy Land). Pilgrims continued to come to the Holy Land.
1054
The Great Schism: Pope Leo IX (or his emissaries in Constantinople) and the Patriarch of Constantinople excommunicated each other. In effect this means that each leader excommunicated the followers of the other; so the Pope excommunicated the Eastern Orthodox Christians and the Patriarch excommunicated the Catholic Christians. [The Roman Catholic representatives laid the bull (or official document) of excommunication on the altar in the Hagia Sophia.] To learn more about the split, go here.
This was not a sudden decision by either man or either faith. For centuries eastern and western Christians had disagreed with each other over theological matters. This disruption will last until 1965 when Pope Paul VI and the Patriarch Athenagoras will meet at the Second Vatican Council. The excommunications were withdrawn at that point. Some of the issues which divided the two sides included the addition of the "filioque" clause to the Nicene Creed, the extent of the pope's authority, and the importance of the Patriarch within Christianity.
1065
Pilgrimmages to Jerusalem continue to be popular. Over 12,000 Christian pilgrims travel to the Holy Land. This is setting the stage for the rise of the Crusades
1070
The Seljuk Turks (who were Muslims) conquered Jerusalem. Arab Muslims had controlled Jerusalem. The Seljuk Turks were less tolerant of the European Christians who came as pilgrims than the Arab Muslims had been.
1071
The Byzantine Emperor appealed to the pope for help in defeating the Seljuk Turks and retaking Palestine (which would have included Jerusalem). It is interesting that the emperor appealed to the pope. This shows the authority and influence the papacy had accrued by this time.
1074
Pope Gregory VII attempted to enlist the aid of European rulers in defeating the Seljuk Turks and capturing the Holy Land. He was unsuccessful.
Within the feudal system, a large parcel of land would have, for example, one castle and one large church/cathedral. It was vital for the secular and church leaders to get along in order for the system to function well, and so over time the secular leaders increasingly picked the church leaders. This was known as "investiture," the giving or selling of a church office. This is the system that Pope Gregory VII tried to change.
1075
Pope Gregory VII demoted several ecclesiastical offices made by the emperor, Henry IV (German), and demanded that the emperor appear before him in Rome.
1076
Henry IV held his own meeting with his supporters and denounced Gregory VII. Gregory subsequently excommunicated Henry IV. Some German rulers sought to elect a different emperor. Upon hearing that Gregory wanted Henry to change his mind and be reconciled, the rulers told Henry IV not to make decisions until he had received a blessing from the pope. Henry met the pope (who was traveling) at a castle in Canossa. Gregory made Henry wait three days in the snow before agreeing to meet with him. Henry asked to be reconciled. Gregory agreed on the grounds that Henry attend an upcoming council. Henry did not attend and Gregory excommunicated him again. Henry marched on Rome and entered it in 1084. Gregory fled and died in 1085 in exile.
1080
By this year, the Seljuk Turks (who were Muslims) had conquered Anatolia, which lies in present-day western Turkey. This was very close to Constantinople, and at the doorstep of Europe. This caused concern for the Emperor in Constantinople and was another reason for the Crusades.
1085
Pope Gregory VII died. Victor II became pope but only for a little more than a year.
1088
Urban II, the man who initiated the First Crusade, became pope .
1095
November 27: Pope Urban II delivered a speech during the Council of Clermont calling on a Crusade to win back the Holy Land. The speech was so powerful that the people shouted "Deus volt!" or "God wills it!" To see one version of the speech, click here. The Council included 13 archbishops, 225 bishops, 90 abbots and many noblemen and knights. Urban II then traveled throughout France preaching this Crusade.
The Crusaders gained enough territory such that they had to divide it into four regions, marked by yellow, blue, red, and white.
A special indulgence was pronounced by the pope: “Whoever, out of pure devotion and not for the purpose of gaining honor or money, shall go to Jerusalem to liberate the Church of God, let that journey be counted in lieu of all penance.” So basically enduring the hardship of the journey of the Crusades equaled all penance for all sins; this was known as a plenary indulgence.This First Crusade consisted of two parts, the first wave and the second wave. In the first wave, Peter the Hermit left with thousands of untrained men and women almost immediately but most of them died along the way or in battles. The second wave consisted of trained knights and fighting men in four armies. While they experienced many defeats,they captured Jerusalem and so much territory that they divided it up into four Crusader states.
1098
A monastery is begun at Citeaux, France. The monks desire to follow the Rule of Benedict more closely. This movement will grow quickly over the next 150 years. By 1200 more than 500 monasteries will be tied in to Citeaux. This movement will be known as the Cistercian Order. Its most famous monk will be Bernard of Clairvaux.
1099
July 15: Jerusalem fell to the Crusaders. The Crusaders killed everyone in Jerusalem, regardless of age or sex. [Author's note: this is an important event to remember because this event has been used by some Muslims to show how Christians act toward others.]
late 1000s/ early 1100s
Origination of Scholasticism. This movement to understand Christian doctrine through intellectual pursuits lasted until around 1500. This idea flows from Augustine's maxim to "understand in order to believe, believe in order to understand." The Scholastics did not try to convince people to have faith through reason, but believed that once you have faith you can use reason to develop a deeper understanding of God (as opposed to using experiences or mystical methods).
1109
Anselm of Caterbury died. He was an early proponent of Scholasticism. His most famous "proof" is the ontological argument for God . To read more about it, go here.
1112
Bernard of Clairvaux joined the Cistercian Order. Three years later he opened a monastery in Clairvaux. Eventually he became the greatest proponent of this Order. To read part of Bernard's spiritual classic, On Loving God, go here. [Author's note: this contains one of my most favorite quotes in Church History.]
1144
Sultan of Aleppo captured Edessa; this prompted the Second Crusade. Edessa was located in the northern part of the land the Crusaders had captured and was the capital of the crusader state known as the County of Edessa.
1146-47
Second Crusade began. This Crusade was called to recaptured land that had been lost to the Muslims, namely Edessa (see 1144 above). For the most part, it was unsuccessful. Louis VII of France and many others took up the cross (joined the Crusade) in 1146. Pope Eugenius III enlisted Bernard of Clairvaux to preach this Crusade. This is the one stain on Bernard's character.
1179
The Third Lateran Council decided that the college of cardinals would decide who replaced a deceased pope.
1187
The Muslim leader Saladin entered the kingdom of Jerusalem and annihilated a Christian Crusader army near Lake Tiberias. The king of Jerusalem was made prisoner. Saladin then marched on Jerusalem, which surrendered on September 17.
1189-1192
The Third Crusade. Led by Philip II of France, Richard I (the Lionhearted) of England, and Frederick I (Barbarossa), the Holy Roman Emperor of Germany.
Barbarossa died in 1190 while attempting to cross a river on horseback. The overall goal of this Crusade was to recapture Jerusalem.
Richard and Philip recaptured much territory in the Holy Land.
Philip left due to quarreling with Richard, conditions in France, and his poor health.
Nevertheless, Richard was not able to conquer Jerusalem. He had a large enough army to do so, but he knew that he would not be able to hold Jerusalem against the certain counter-attack. Therefore he and Saladin (the Muslim leader) agreed to a truce. Richard's men and Christian pilgrims were allowed to visit the holy places in Jerusalem instead.
[Interesting note about Richard: he was king in England for ten years, but only spent about six months of that time actually in England.]
c.1200
At this point, approximately 500 monasteries throughout Europe were tied in with the mother monastery at Citeaux, France. This Cistercian Order was a major movement for reform in the Catholic Church.
1204
The Fourth Crusade. Originally intended to recapture Jerusalem by going through Egypt, it ended up with the Crusaders diverting to and sacking Constantinople and briefly, although forceably, reuniting the Western and Eastern halves of Christianity (to 1261).
c.1205
Stephen Langton divided the New Testament into chapters. He became the Archbishop of Canterbury and was probably present at the signing of the Magna Carta. To learn more, go here.
1208
Francis of Assisi gathered his first followers. He also drew up a simple Rule for them to follow.
1210
Pope Innocent III approved the Franciscan Order. They became known as the “Order of Friars Minor.”
A priest is a man who is ordained, is usually attached to a church/cathedral in some way, and whose supervisor is a bishop.
A monk/nun is one who joins a monastic Order and who usually lives in or is attached to a community of monks or nuns (for example, a monastery or convent) and whose supervisor is an Abbot or Abbess.
A friar is like a monk except they are more likely to live away from the community (or “friary”) and are more involved in preaching or serving. Orders that have friars are known as “mendicant” Orders.
One of the main “jobs” of a priest is to offer the sacraments: baptism, Eucharist (Lord's Supper, reconciliation (going to “confession”), confirmation, marriage, and anointing of the sick (previously known as “last rites”); Holy Orders is the seventh sacrament but the average priest will not officiate at that).
Monks and friars may or may not be ordained and able to offer the sacraments, depending on the needs of their Orders.
1212
The Children's Crusade. Groups of children from Germany and France marched to the Mediterranean Sea and expected it to open before them so they could march on to the Holy Land. When it did not do so, the children loaded on ships and sailed off. Some of the ships sank and others took the children and sold them into slavery. [Author's note: Some medieval scholars doubt this took place.]
1215-1221
The Fifth Crusade. The Crusaders tried to go through Egypt, but the army was defeated.
1215
Fourth Lateran Council. The Catholic Council decreed that annual confession was manditory. Also decreed that transubstantiation was the only accepted understanding of the bread and wine at Communion.
1216
Pope Honorius III approved the Dominican Order. They became known as the Order of Friars Preachers.
1223
In this year, Francis of Assisi and some of his followers created the Second Nativity Scene (the first Nativity Scene being with Jesus). To learn more, go here.
1226
Francis of Assisi died. To read an excerpt from his "Little Flowers of St Francis," go here.
1228
The Sixth Crusade. This Crusade witnessed almost no fighting but was a diplomatic venture. Jerusalem was back in the hands of the Crusaders when Emperor (German king) Frederick II negotiated a peace treaty with the Sultan of Egypt which allowed Frederick to rule over Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem. Frederick crowned himself "King of Jerusalem."
1244
Muslims, fleeing from the invading Mongol army and traveling to Egypt, conquered Jerusalem and the surrounding lands. All the Christians were killed in Jerusalem. It remained under Muslim control until 1917 (during World War I) when it became a British protectorate.
1249-1250
The Seventh Crusade with Louis IX, king of France, attempting to attack Egypt; it failed.
1261
The Empire of Nicea retook Constantinople from the Western Crusaders. It reverted to an Orthodox Church domain as it was in the year 1204 when the Crusaders from the Fourth Crusade captured it.
1263
Egyptian Muslims captured Nazareth.
1265
Egyptian Muslims captured Antioch
1268-1271
The papacy was vacant; no one was pope.
1270
The Eighth Crusade. Louis IX, the king of France, determined to land in Tunisia in order to prepare for an attack on Egypt. Louis died on August 25. His son became the new king, but the Crusade was effectively over.
late 1200s
Marco Polo traveled with his father and uncle to China, other places in the Far East and throughout the Middle East. He published an account of his travels which helped open up lands beyond the Middle East to the Europeans. One note of interest: in his autobiography he stated that, while in India, he saw a monument to the Apostle Thomas.
1291
The last battle of the Crusades occurred between the Muslims of Egypt and the Crusaders. The Crusaders lost and were forced out of the Holy Land at Acre (in present-day northern Israel). The Muslims had 120,000 men and the Crusaders had 20,000 men.
1302
The bull [an official papal declaration] known as Unam Sanctam is issued by Pope Boniface VIII. In it the pope declares that salvation is impossible outside the Catholic Church: “Urged by faith, we are obliged to believe and to maintain that the Church is one, holy, catholic, and also apostolic. We believe in her firmly and we confess with simplicity that outside of her there is neither salvation nor the remission of sins.”
1303
Pope Boniface VIII died. Pope Benedict XI elected.
1304
Pope Benedict XI died. He was the last pope to live in Rome for the next 73 years.
1305
Pope Clement V elected . Clement was not a cardinal, which was unusual, and was not an Italian, being of French heritage. He was living in France when he was elected and he decided to remain in France as pope . This began the French dominance of the papacy which lasted until 1377.
1309
The papal court moved to Avignon (which was then not in France; it is in France today). This is the beginning of the Babylonian Captivity, the 70—year period when the papacy did not reside in Rome but in Avignon.
The popes lived in this palace in Avignon for almost 70 years during the Babylonian Captivity of the papacy.
1314
Pope Clement V died.
1316
Pope John XXII was elected. The conclave (meeting of cardinals for the purpose of electing a pope) was held in France. He remained in Avignon.
1328
John Wycliffe born (in England).
1334
Pope John XXII died. Pope Benedict XII was elected. He remained in Avignon.
1342
Pope Benedict XII died. Pope Clement VI was elected. He remained in Avignon.
1348-1350
The Black Death ravaged Europe. The Black Death caused the deaths of approximately 1/3 of the population of Europe. Clement VI granted forgiveness of sins to everyone who died of the plague.
1352
Pope Clement VI died. Pope Innocent VI was elected. He remained in Avignon.
1362
Pope Innocent VI died. Pope Urban V was elected. He initially lived in Avignon.
1367
Pope Urban V traveled to Rome. This was the first time a pope had visited Rome since 1304 , a period of 63 years.
1370
Urban V found that a number of cities in Italy were in revolt, and, prompted by the French cardinals, he returned to Avignon. He died a few months later.
1370
After Pope Urban V died. Pope Gregory XI was elected pope.
1372
John Huss born (in Bohemia, currently the Czech Republic).
1376
Wycliffe's De Civili Domino (On Civil Lordship) circulated. In it he maintained that if clergy were not in a state of grace then the civil authorities could remove them. Condemned in 1377.
1377
Pope Gregory XI condemned 19 of John Wycliffe's propositions while the pope was living in France.
1377
Pope Gregory XI traveled to Rome.
1377-8
Wycliffe's De Ecclesia (On the Church), De Veritate Sacrae Scripturae (On the Truth of the Holy Scriptures), and De Potestate Papae (On the Power of the Pope) circulated. In these three writings he states that the Bible is the sole determinant of doctrine, that no ecclesiastical authority can add anything to the biblical teachings, and that the Pope had no scriptural authority.
1378
Pope Gregory XI died in Rome. The College of Cardinals (who had traveled with Gregory) was forced by the Romans to elect a Roman pope, who took the name of Pope Urban VI. The Cardinals returned to Avignon and elected a French cardinal as pope, who took the name of Pope Clement VII. At this point the Catholic Church has two popes. This is known as the "Western Schism."
1382
The Wycliffe Bible appears (first Bible in English).
1382
Wycliffe's De Apostasia (On Apostasy) circulated. In it he denied that the religious life (monks, nuns, friars, monastic Orders) had any scriptural basis. He also circulated De Eucharistia (On the Eucharist) in which he denied the doctrine of transubstantiation (that the bread and wine of Communion become the body and blood of Jesus).
1384
John Wycliffe died. His followers continued his teachings and became known as the Lollards.
1389
The pope in Rome, Pope Urban VI. Pope Boniface IX was elected and lived in Rome.
1394
The "pope" in Avignon died, Antipope Clement VII. All popes from 1378 who lived in Avignon are refered to as "antipopes." Antipope Benedict XIII was elected (and lived in Avignon).
1400
Around this time, John Huss became aware of John Wycliffe's writings. This occurred because the marriage of Anne, sister of King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia, to Richard II of England (in 1382) caused much exchange of culture and writings between Bohemia and England.
1404
Pope Boniface IX died (who lived in Rome). Pope Innocent VII was elected (and lived in Rome).
1406
Pope Innocent VII died (who lived in Rome). Pope Gregory XII was elected (and lived in Rome).
1409
The Council of Pisa met. Its purpose was to provide a platform for the two popes (or one pope and one antipope, which is what the pope in Avignon was considered) to resign with dignity and to elect a new pope. A new pope was elected, Alexander V. But neither of the two other popes agreed to step down. Now the Catholic Church had three popes.
1410
The third pope, Pope Alexander V, died. He is regarded as an antipope. Pope John XXIII was elected to take his place.
1414-8
The Council of Constance (in Germany) met. Gregory XII (who lived in Rome) and John XXIII agreed to step down. Benedict XIII (in Avignon) did not step down. Benedict fled to his homeland of Aragon, where he was recognized as pope. The Council elected Martin V as pope. The Catholic Church was back to one pope (except for Aragon who looked to Benedict XIII as pope; once he died another pope was not elected in Aragon). The Council also condemned over 200 of John Wycliffe's propositions and had his body dug up, and burned. The Council also condemned and executed John Huss by burning him at the stake. He was a church leader and held many of Wycliffe's ideas but on the other side of Europe in Bohemia (current day Czech Republic). He told them he was willing to recant if they could prove that he was wrong by Scripture [author's note: This is reminiscent of Luther's stand at the Diet of Worms.]
1423
The french antipope Benedict XIII died (in Avignon). Antipope Clement VIII was elected pope in Avignon, but in 1429 he abdicated and recognized the Roman pope as the only pope.
1450
Gutenberg's printing press was completed by this year.
1453
Constantinople was defeated by a Muslim army.
1455
Gutenberg printed 180 copies of a Bible, named the Gutenberg Bible. [author's note: The Bibles do not have page numbers.]
1492
Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic. Read more about him and his Christian mission here.
1495
Leonardo da Vinci began painting "The Last Supper." He finished in 1498.
1496
Michelangelo began sculpting the "Pieta." He finished in 1501.
