• Age of Dusk (180-476 C.E.): also known as Age of the Fall or Age of Apostasy, this is the period of the long and unstoppable decline of the Roman Empire. The Roman state begins to show signs of weakness, as large-scale Germanic and sometimes Altaic migrations take place, targeting Roman territories. The Empire also begins to crumble under the weight of its own administration and immense territories, with civil wars becoming increasingly common, and large parts of the Empire start to rule themselves independently. Mithraism and other foreign religions gain importance in the empire as traditional faiths and morality is slowly renounced. The Catholic Church itself begins to split into tens of different denominations and churches, hindering the spread of Christianity, as preachers of different doctrines compete for more followers. Relationship with the Parthian and later Sassanid emperors deteriorate, and the Roman state slowly loses control over the magic schools. Important events include:

**192 C.E.: following the death of Emperor Commodus, the Roman general and governor of Hispania Septimus Severus is proclaimed Emperor by his legions in Valentia. Meanwhile in Rome, the Senate elects Clodius Albinus as new Emperor, but Alexandros III, Commodus's son, backed by the Praetorian Guard, claims to be the rightful Emperor and menaces to siege Rome to gain the throne. The matter is settled by the creation of a Third Triumvirate between the three, and the subsequent division of the Empire: Hispania and Africa are assigned to Severus, Italia, Gallia and Britannia to Clodius, and the Orient to Alexandros. The Montanist heresy spreads in Anatolia.

**200 C.E.: while in Rome, Alexandros plots with Severus to kill Clodius and rule as sole Emperor. Clodius discovers this and flees to Britain, proclaiming himself the true and only Emperor, thus starting the First Crisis of the Third Century. A 10 years war rages across Gallia, Italia and Britannia; eventually the Sarmatian general Lucius Artorius, under Alexandros's command, manages to defeat Clodius for good in a great battle against Londinium, and is proclaimed governor of Britannia; in exchange for his help during the war, Severus and his successors are allowed to keep Hispania and rule it as an independent state as the rest of the empire is reunified under Alexandros III.

**224 C.E.: the Sassanid Empire is founded by Ardashir I, replacing the Parthian Empire. Around this time, Mani's preachings lead to the birth of Manichaeism, which will gain followers across the Eastern Roman Empire and Central Asia.

**267 C.E.: after a period of relative peace, the Empire is torn by the Second Crisis of the Third Century against Zenobia, self-proclaimed Empress of Palmyrene. After an 8 years war, she is finally defeated by Emperor Aurelian and forced to renounce all her power outside Palmyra proper.

**293 C.E.: Maximus Artorius II rebels in Britannia, wishing to proclaim himself emperor. He is defeated three years later by Emperor Diocletian and his co-Emperor Constantius Chlorus, thus ending the Third Crisis of the Third Century.

**313 C.E.: with the Edict of Milan, Emperor Constantine the I legalizes Christianity and all other cults, thus ending persecutions against Christians; the Emperor also moves the capital from Rome to the recently built metropolis of Constantinople. Around this time, the Arian and Monophysite schools of Christianity begin to gain influence, and the Council of Nicaea is called by the Emperor and the Pope in the semi-successful attempt to stop them in 335.

**315 C.E.: Constantine II of Britannia, governor of Dumnonia, revolts against his father Constantine the I over his choice to not name him as his successor, and to choose the general Maxentius the II in his place. The war lasts several decades, causing the death of Maxentius first (330) and Constantine himself later (337). In 351 C.E., he finally manages to take Rome by storm and be proclaimed Emperor by a subservient Senate; however, Alexandros VIII, who was proclaimed Emperor by the eastern legions, reconquers Rome and kills Constantine a year afterwards, reuniting the Empire again. The war against Constantine III, son of Constantine II, continues until 365.

**365 C.E.: after the end of the British War, a Tetrarchy is formed by Alexandros VIII, eastern Emperor, Valentinian I, Alexandros's former co-Emperor and general and now western Emperor, Julian, new co-emperor in the East, and Valens, Valentinian's brother and co-emperor in the West, who soon dies and is replaced by Theodosius.

**380 C.E.: tensions rise between the Eastern and the Western Roman Empires: while Valentinian and Theodosius, both Christians, encourage and support the Catholic church (even proclaiming it a state religion in 380), Julian enforces violent persecutions of Christians and give the state's support to heretical movements and sects. When Alexandros VIII dies, Julian does not appoint a successor but instead rules as sole Emperor in the East. Outraged by this decision and deeming him too powerful, Valentinian and Theodosius invade the eastern Empire with the help of Sassanid emperor Shapur II. After 15 years of war across all the Mediterranean, Julian finally emerges victorious, and reunites the Empire for the last time in its history. Christians are still persecuted violently, especially in the East. Pelagianism and Semipelagianism gain popularity in Britannia and Gallia.

**384 C.E.: death of Julian and subdivision of the Empire between two of his sons. Barbarian invasions, kept under control by Julian, quickly spiral out of control, and Germanic peoples are invading the Western Empire en masse. Some are repelled, but most are resettled as foederati inside the Empire's border. Roman Britannia begins to be abandoned by the Empire's legions. A massive Visigothic host invades Severan Spain, settling vast parts of it. Hunnic raids begin across the Empire. The cities in northern Italy are turned into military colonies in the attempt to defend the Empire's heartland.

**409 C.E.: the Visigoths under Alaric enter Italia and sack Rome. Following this, the Goths settle Italy and Aquitaine. Meanwhile, a large group of barbarians including Vandals, Alans and Suebians crosses the Rhine and moves towards Hispania, which is ulteriorly settled. A group of Vandals continues to Africa and estabilishes a kingdom around Carthage. The Burgundians move south as well, settling on the banks of the Rhône. First Anglo-Saxon travels to Britannia. The Huns are defeated by Roman general Flavius Aetius, who is appointed co-Emperor of the West. Arianism gains many converts among the Germanic peoples and becomes more and more influent. Monophysitism gains followers in Aegyptus and Makuria.

**450 C.E.: Attila the Hun terrorizes Europe as his hordes ravage land after land. He is finally stopped by Flavius Aetius at Chalons, and assassinated by his wife while he was preparing another invasion. His empire is squandered by his sons afterwards. Around this time, the Treachery of the Long Knives takes place: the Romano-Briton king Vortigern is assassinated by Saxon warlord Hengist and his men, marking the beginning of large-scale Anglo-Saxon settling of Britannia. Panormus in Sicily is turned into a military colony to defend the island against the African Vandals. Manicheaism is introduced in southern Germany and Pannonia.

**476 C.E.: Romulus Augustulus is forced to abdicate by barbarian warlord Odoacer. The Imperial insigna are sent to Constantinople, and the Western Roman Empire ends. Anarchy reigns in the Empire's former territories as the various barbarian tribes and petty kingdoms fight over conquered lands. The Eastern Roman Empire survives the catastrophe, but is still weakened by internal divisions and rivalries with the Persians. In Italia, the former Roman cities reorganize as small kingdoms in order to survive the invasions. Adoptionist Christianity begins to gain popularity among the Spanish Goths. In the Orient, the followers of the Nestorian heresy create a Patriarchate of the East with the support of the Sassanid state, and spread their teachings to Persia, India and Central Asia independently from the main church.

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