The 290s decade ran from January 1, 290, to December 31, 299.

Events

290

By place

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Roman Empire
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  • Emperor Diocletian campaigns with success against Arabic enemies.
  • Following his victory over Emperor Maximian's fleet, the usurper Carausius invades the European mainland and re-establishes his military and administrative presence in northern Gaul.
Asia
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291

By place

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Roman Empire
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  • Winter: The emperors Diocletian and Maximian convene in Milan.
  • An uneasy peace is established between the emperors Diocletian and Maximian on the one hand, and the rival emperor Carausius on the other.
  • Perhaps in cooperation with the forces of Maximian, Carausius campaigns successfully against Germanic raids in Gaul and Britain. Also during his reign, Carausius begins building the forts of the Saxon Shore.
Northern Europe
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  • The Alemanni, having been expelled from part of their territory by the Burgundians, seek to regain their lost lands. These peoples had unsuccessfully invaded Gaul in tandem in 285/6, and the Alemanni had likely been weakened by the Roman counter-invasions of 287 and 288.
  • A force of Goths defeat the Burgundians.
  • The Tervingian Goths and Taifali fight the Vandals and Gepids.
Africa
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Persian Empire
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China
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292

By place

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Roman Empire
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Asia
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Mesoamerica
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293

By place

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Roman Empire
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  • March 1 – Emperors Diocletian and Maximian appoint Constantius I and Galerius as Caesars. This is considered the beginning of the Tetrarchy, known as the Quattuor Principes Mundi ("Four Rulers of the World"). (Some sources and scholars date Galerius' elevation to May 21.)
  • Constantius retakes some of the Gallic territories from the usurper Carausius. He conquers the crucial port of Bononia (modern Boulogne).
  • Towards the end of the year, Carausius is murdered by his finance minister Allectus, who proclaims himself the new emperor of Britain.
  • In this or the following year, Constantius defeats the Franks in Batavia (Netherlands).
  • Galerius begins a series of two campaigns in Upper Egypt against the rebel cities of Coptos and Boresis as well as the Blemmyes and Meroitic Nubians.
  • Over the course of his reign, but especially from the time of the Tetrarchy's creation, Diocletian divides the large provinces of the early empire into smaller administrative units, and he groups these new smaller provinces into dioceses. He also accelerates the third-century trend whereby the administration and military of the provinces are increasingly divided between governors and generals (duces) respectively, whereas formerly governors had also been in charge of the legions. This expansion of imperial personnel increases Diocletian's control over the empire and weakens the power of individual officials and officers. Moreover, Diocletian expands the retinues of the individual emperors to have more ministers and secretaries, thus establishing what will become known as the late Roman Consistorium.
Persia
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  • King Bahram II of the Persian Empire dies after a 17-year reign; his son Bahram III ascends to the throne. After four months, Bahram III's great-uncle Narseh, the king of Persarmenia, marches on the Persian capital Ctesiphon with the support of a faction of the nobility and the eastern Satraps. Bahram is overthrown and Narseh is declared the new King of Kings.
China
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By topic

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Religion
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294

By place

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Asia
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295

By place

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Roman Empire
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China
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By topic

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Religion
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296

By place

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Roman Empire
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  • In this or the previous year, Caesar Constantius I assembles two invasion fleets with the intent of overthrowing the usurper Allectus, who is based in Britain. The first is under the command of Asclepiodotus, Maximian's long-serving Praetorian Prefect. Asclepiodotus sails from the mouth of the Seine, and lands near the Isle of Wight, where his forces defeat Allectus in Hampshire. Allectus is killed in the fighting. Constantius leaves Boulogne with his fleet, and occupies London, where he slaughters some of Allectus' Frankish mercenaries. With this victory, the Romano-British regime first established by Carausius is overthrown, and Britain is re-incorporated into the rest of the empire.
  • Having supervised the Rhine frontier during Constantius' invasion of Britain, Maximian then marches into Spain, where he fights Frankish pirates. He then crosses into North Africa to contend with the rebellion of the Quinquegentiani.
  • The Persian king Narseh invades Roman-held Upper Mesopotamia and Arsacid western Armenia, the latter territory being under the leadership of the pro-Roman king Tiridates III. With only a small army, Caesar Galerius fights three holding actions against Narseh's army in Mesopotamia. Somewhere in the open plains between Carrhae and Callinicum, Galerius' army suffers a defeat against the Persian army, which is both more numerous and contains superior numbers of high-quality cavalry. Nevertheless, Galerius succeeds in blunting the Persian offensive.

By topic

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Religion
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297

By place

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Roman Empire
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  • Emperor Diocletian introduces a new tax system and other economic reforms.[4]
  • Diocletian watches over the Syrian provinces while Caesar Galerius makes preparations for a campaign against the Persian king Narseh. He recruits veterans from Illyria and Moesia, recruits new soldiers, and strengthens his army with Gothic mercenaries and the Armenian units of Tiridates III.
  • August: Domitius Domitianus launches a usurpation against Diocletian in Egypt. He is perhaps aided by popular discontent with Diocletian's taxation reform.
  • Autumn: Diocletian besieges the rebels in Alexandria.
  • December: Domitianus dies, but his corrector Aurelius Achilleus takes over as the leader of the rebellion.
  • Battle of Satala: Galerius launches a surprise attack against Narseh's camp in western Armenia. The Romans sack the camp and capture Narseh's wives, sisters and daughters, including his Queen of Queens Arsane. Narseh is wounded and escapes to his empire.

298

By place

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Roman Empire
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Korea
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299

By place

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Roman Empire
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China
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  • Empress Jia Nanfeng frames Crown Prince Yu for treason and has him deposed.

Significant people

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Births

290

291

292

294

295

296

297

298

299

Deaths

290

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299

References

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  1. ^ "List of Rulers of Korea". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  2. ^ Tucker, Spencer C. (2009). A Global Chronology of Conflict. ABC-CLIO. p. 153. ISBN 9781851096725.
  3. ^ a b Xiong, Victor Cunrui (2009). Historical Dictionary of Medieval China. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 515. ISBN 9780810860537.
  4. ^ Merrony, Mark (6 July 2017). The Plight of Rome in the Fifth Century AD. Taylor & Francis. p. 94. ISBN 978-1-351-70279-9.
  5. ^ a b c d "List of Rulers of Korea". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  6. ^ Giaquinta, Mariano; Modica, Giuseppe (2012). Mathematical Analysis: Functions of One Variable. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 315. ISBN 978-1-4612-0007-9.
  7. ^ Lee, Lily Xiao Hong; Stefanowska, A. D.; Wiles, Sue (26 March 2015). Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: Antiquity Through Sui, 1600 B.C.E. - 618 C.E. Routledge. p. 391. ISBN 978-1-317-47591-0.
  8. ^ McMahon, Keith (6 June 2013). Women Shall Not Rule: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Han to Liao. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 125. ISBN 978-1-4422-2290-8.