What happened in the 4th century

AD 301–400

34 events　World 5, Europe 11, Asia 14, Middle East 2, Africa 2

Highlights of the 4th century

AD 301Middle EastArmenia first to adopt Christianity as state religion.
AD 325AfricaThe Kingdom of Aksum adopts Christianity.
AD 365WorldAn earthquake with a magnitude of at least eight strikes the Eastern Mediterranean. The following tsunami causes widespread destruction in Crete, Greece, Libya, Egypt, Cyprus, and Sicily.
AD 378EuropeBattle of Adrianople: Roman army is defeated by the Visigoth cavalry. Emperor Valens is killed.
AD 381WorldFirst Council of Constantinople reaffirms the Christian doctrine of the Trinity by adding to the creed of Nicaea.
AD 383AsiaBattle of Fei River in China.

AD 337Constantine the Great is baptized a Christian on his death bed.
Codex Sinaiticus and the Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209, are the earliest Christian bibles.
Book of Steps, Syriac religious discourses.
AD 365An earthquake with a magnitude of at least eight strikes the Eastern Mediterranean. The following tsunami causes widespread destruction in Crete, Greece, Libya, Egypt, Cyprus, and Sicily.
AD 381First Council of Constantinople reaffirms the Christian doctrine of the Trinity by adding to the creed of Nicaea.

AD 306Constantine the Great, ends persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire (see also Constantinian shift) and Constantinople becomes new seat of government (New Rome).
AD 325Constantine the Great calls the First Council of Nicaea to pacify Christianity in the grip of the Arian controversy.
Late 4th century: Atrium added in the Old St. Peter's Basilica, Rome.
Early 4th century – Former audience hall now known as the Basilica, Trier, Germany, is built.
Mid-4th century – Dish, from Mildenhall, England, is made. It is now kept at the British Museum, London.
Late 4th century: Cubiculum of Leonis, Catacomb of Commodilla, near Rome, is made.
AD 376Visigoths appear on the Danube and are allowed entry into the Roman Empire in their flight from the Huns.
AD 378Battle of Adrianople: Roman army is defeated by the Visigoth cavalry. Emperor Valens is killed.
AD 378Theodosius I, Roman emperor, bans pagan worship, Christianity is made the official religion of the Empire.
AD 378Siyaj K'ak' conquers Waka on (January 8), Tikal (January 16) and Uaxactun., Romania]]
AD 395Roman emperor Theodosius I dies, causing the Roman Empire to split permanently.

AD 304The Sixteen Kingdoms in China begins.
AD 320Butuan Boat One, the oldest known Balangay, a multi-purpose ship native to the Philippines is built.
AD 335Samudragupta expands the Gupta Empire.
AD 350The Kutai Martadipura kingdom in eastern Borneo produced the earliest known stone inscriptions in Indonesia known as the Mulavarman inscription written in the Sanskrit language using Pallava scripture.
Early 4th century – The Gupta Empire is established.
Mid-4th century – Wang Xizhi makes a portion of a letter from the Feng Ju album. Six Dynasties period. It is now kept at National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
The Stirrup was invented in China, no later than 322.
Kama Sutra, dated between c. 400 BC to c. 300 AD.
Iron pillar of Delhi, India is the world's first Iron Pillar.
Trigonometric functions: The trigonometric functions sine and versine originated in Indian astronomy.
AD 380Chandragupta II reigns over the golden age of the Gupta Empire.
AD 383Battle of Fei River in China.
AD 395The Battle of Canhe Slope occurs.
AD 399The Chinese Buddhist monk Faxian sails through the Indian Ocean and travels throughout Sri Lanka and India bring and gather Buddhist scriptures.

AD 301Armenia first to adopt Christianity as state religion.
AD 350At some time during this period, the Huns began to attack the Sassanid Empire.