What happened in the 3rd century

AD 201–300

34 events　World 7, Japan 1, Europe 10, Asia 11, Middle East 3, Latin America 1, Africa 1

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Highlights of the 3rd century

World7

  • AD 220The Three Kingdoms period.
  • AD 230Sassanid dynasty of Persia launches a war to reconquer lost lands in the Roman east.
  • The Coptic period begins.
  • Two statuettes, Jonah Swallowed and Jonah Cast Up, of a group from the eastern Mediterranean, probably Asia Minor, are made. Now kept at The Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio.
  • Early 3rd century: Burial in catacombs becomes commonplace.
  • AD 258Valerian's massacre of Christians.
  • AD 260Roman Emperor Valerian I is taken captive by Shapur I of Persia.

Japan1

  • AD 300Kofun era, the first part of the Kofun period in Japan.

Europe10

  • AD 211Caracalla, Roman Emperor.
  • AD 212Constitutio Antoniniana grants citizenship to all free Roman men.
  • AD 212Baths of Caracalla.
  • AD 222Alexander Severus, Roman Emperor. receiving the ring of kingship by the Zoroastrian supreme god Ahura Mazda.]]
  • AD 235Crisis of the Third Century shook the Roman Empire.
  • The Goths move from Gothiscandza to Ukraine, giving birth to the Chernyakhov culture.
  • Menorahs and Ark of the Covenant, wall painting in a Jewish catacomb, Villa Torlonia, Rome, are made.
  • Late 3rd century – early 4th century: Good Shepherd, Orants and Story of Jonah, painted ceiling of the Catacombs of Marcellinus and Peter in Rome, is made.
  • AD 284Diocletian, Roman Emperor.
  • AD 293Emperor Diocletian forms the Tetrarchy in Rome.

Asia11

  • AD 208the Chinese naval Battle of Red Cliffs occurs.
  • AD 220The Han dynasty comes to an end with establishment of the Three Kingdoms in ancient China.
  • AD 234Zhuge Liang dies of illness at the standoff of Wuzhang Plains.
  • AD 244Battle of Xingshi in China.
  • The Kingdom of Funan reaches its zenith.
  • Siddhartha in the Palace, detail of a relief from Nagarjunakonda, Andhra Pradesh, India, is made. Now kept at National Museum, New Delhi.
  • Sarnath becomes a center of Buddhist arts in India.
  • AD 263Cao Wei conquers the Shu Han Kingdom.
  • AD 266The Jin dynasty is founded after the overthrow of the Cao Wei dynasty by Sima Yan.
  • AD 280The Jin dynasty reunites China under one empire after the conquest of Eastern Wu.
  • AD 291The War of the Eight Princes, a civil war by the Sima Clan in China.

Middle East3

  • AD 224Ardashir I of the Sassanid dynasty conquers the Parthian empire at the Battle of Hormozdgan.
  • AD 241The Kingdom of Hatra dissolved after the Fall of Hatra to Persia
  • AD 242Mani preaches Manichaeism at the Sasanian court.

Latin America1

  • Diffusion of maize as a food crop from Mexico into North America begins.

Africa1

  • The Magerius Mosaic is made. Now kept at the Sousse Archaeological Museum, Tunisia.