20s
| Millennium |
|---|
| 1st millennium |
| Centuries |
| Decades |
| Years |
| Categories |
The 20s decade ran from January 1, AD 20, to December 31, AD 29.
In Europe, the 20s saw revolts by the Aedui, Thracian tribesmen, and the Frisians against the Roman Empire. In North Africa, Tacfarinas, a Numidian Berber deserter, led the Musulamii tribe and a loose and changing coalition of other Berber tribes in revolt, before being defeated in AD 24. In China, the Xin dynasty collapsed and the Eastern Han dynasty was established. In Korea, Daemusin of Goguryeo annexed Dongbuyeo and killed its king Daeso.
In science, the 20s saw the manufacture of pens and metal writing tools in Rome. Major disasters of this decade include a fire in Rome, and the collapse of a poorly built amphitheatre in Fidenae, which killed 20,000 of the 50,000 spectators. In 27, Christianity was born as a Jewish sect in Jerusalem. Geographica, an encyclopedia of geographical knowledge created by Strabo, was finished no later than AD 23.
Manning (2008) tentatively estimates the world population in AD 20 as 246 million.
Demographics
Due to lack of reliable demographic data, estimates of the world population in the 1st century vary wildly, with estimates for AD 1 varying from 150[1] to 300[2] million. Demographers typically do not attempt to estimate most specific years in antiquity, instead giving approximate numbers for round years such as AD 1 or AD 200. However, attempts at reconstructing the world population in more specific years have been made, with Manning (2008) tentatively estimating the world population in AD 20 as 246 million.[3]
Events
AD 20
By place
Roman Empire
- Galba, the future emperor, is a Roman praetor.
- Emperor Tiberius is forced to order an investigation and a public trial in the Roman Senate, for the murder of Germanicus. Fearing he will be found guilty, Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso commits suicide.[4]
By topic
AD 21
By place
Roman Empire
- The Aedui revolt under Julius Florus and Julius Sacrovir; the revolt is suppressed by Gaius Silius.[5]
- Emperor Tiberius is a Roman Consul for the fourth time.
- The Romans create a buffer state in the territory of the Quadi, in southern Slovakia.
- Barracks are constructed for the Praetorian Guard, on the Quirinal (located on the Seven Hills of Rome).
Korea
- King Daeso of Dongbuyeo is killed in battle against the armies of Goguryeo, led by its third ruler, King Daemusin.
By topic
Art and Science
AD 22
By place
Roman Empire
- Drusus Julius Caesar receives the tribunicia potestas (tribunician power).[6]
AD 23
By place
Roman Empire
- Greek geographer Strabo publishes Geographica, a work covering the world known to the Romans and Greeks at the time of Emperor Augustus – it is the only such book to survive from the ancient world.[7]
- Emperor Tiberius' son Drusus Julius Caesar dies.[8] From that point forward, he seems to lose interest in the Empire and occupies himself with the pursuit of pleasure.
- Lucius Aelius Sejanus begins to dominate the Roman Senate and Tiberius, after the death of Drusus.[9]
China
- Liu Xuan, a descendant of the Han dynasty royal family and leader of insurgents against the Xin dynasty, proclaims himself emperor against Wang Mang.[10]
- July – After being under siege for two months, about 19,000 insurgents under Liu Xiu defeat 450,000 of Wang Mang's troops in the Battle of Kunyang, ushering in the fall of Wang Mang's Xin dynasty and restoration of the Han dynasty.[11]
- October 6 – Emperor Liu Xuan's forces kill Wang Mang at the end of a three-day siege.
AD 24
By place
Roman Empire
- June 30 – The termus of Servius Cornelius Cethegus and Lucius Visellius Varro as Roman consuls expire.[12] During their terms, two laws pertaining to slavery had been passed, the lex Visellia de iure Quiritium Latinorum qui inter vigiles militaverant granting freed slaves Roman citizenship after six years service, and the Lex Visellia de poenis libertinorum qui ingenuorum honores usurpabant which penalized non-citizens who falsely claimed to be ingenui or freeborn Romans.[13]
- July 1 – Midway through the Roman year 777 A.U.C., Gaius Calpurnius Aviola and Publius Lentulus Scipio begin the new consular year as the new consuls.
- The Roman war against Numidia and Mauretania ends with the annexation of the two African kingdoms.
- The revolt of Tacfarinas revolt in Africa is repressed.
- The Senate expels actors from Rome.
Asia
- In the Kingdom of Silla, which compromises most of the eastern Korean peninsula, Yuri of the House of Park becomes the new monarch (the chachaung). King Yuri takes the throne at the capital, Seorabeo (now Gyeongju in South Korea) upon the death of his father, King Namhae.
Korea
Africa
AD 25
By place
Roman Empire
- Emperor Tiberius settles a dispute between Messenia and Sparta over the Ager Dentheliales on Mount Taygetus, awarding the land to Messenia.[15][16]
- Lucius Aelius Sejanus unsuccessfully attempts to marry Livilla.
China
- August 5 – The Han dynasty is restored in China as Liu Xiu proclaims himself Emperor Guangwu of Han, starting the Jianwu era (until AD 56).
- November 27 – Luoyang becomes the capital of the Houhan or Eastern Han dynasty.[17]
AD 26
By place
Roman Empire
- Pontius Pilate is appointed as prefect of Judea.
- Jesus's crucifixion, one out of three possible years.
- Emperor Tiberius retires to Capri, leaving the Praetorian Guard under Lucius Aelius Sejanus in charge of the Roman Empire and the city of Rome.
- Romans crush an uprising of Thracian tribesmen.[18]
AD 27
By place
Roman Empire
- A fire breaks out in Rome.[19]
- A poorly built amphitheatre in Fidenae collapses, killing 20,000 of the 50,000 spectators.[20]
- Using the dates and ranges listed in the Gospel of Luke, this year can be established as when John the Baptist begins preaching in the Jordan. It is also likely that Jesus was baptised by John in the final months of this year before his temptation and the first of three Passovers listed in the Gospel of John.
- An Arc of Triumph is erected in Rimini, in honor of the former Emperor Augustus.
By topic
Religion
- Possible date of the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist (another possibility is AD 29).
AD 28
By place
Germania
- Roman legions in Germania are transported by fleet to the fortress of Flevum on the Rhine, to operate against the rebellious Frisians.[21]
- The Frisians negotiate a treaty with the Roman Empire at the River Rhine, avoiding conquest.
Korea
- King Daru of Baekje succeeds to the throne of Baekje in the Korean peninsula.[22]
Judea
- According to the Gospel of Luke (Luke 3:1-2), the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus begin at the earliest in this year, and more likely in AD 29.[23]
AD 29
By place
Roman Empire
- Agrippina the Elder is exiled to the island of Pandataria, and her sons (except Caligula) are imprisoned by Lucius Aelius Sejanus.
- Aulus Plautius, later military leader of the invasion of Britain under Emperor Claudius, becomes suffect consul alongside Lucius Nonius Asprenas.
By topic
Religion
- According to the Gospel of Luke (Luke 3:1-2), the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus probably began in this year.[23] Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist.
- Jesus executed by crucifixion, according to Roman Catholic tradition[24] and Tertullian's chronology.[25]
Significant people
Births
AD 22
- Valeria Messalina, third wife of Emperor Claudius (d. 48 AD)[26]
AD 23
- Pliny the Elder, Roman scientist and writer[27] (d. 79 AD)
AD 25
- Gaius Julius Civilis, Batavian military leader
- Quintus Volusius Saturninus, Roman consul
AD 27
- Herod Agrippa II, king of Judea
- Petronius, Roman writer and suffect consul (d. AD 66)
- Wang Chong, Chinese astronomer and philosopher (d. AD 100)
AD 28
- June 15 – Ming of Han, Chinese emperor (d. AD 75)
- Julia Berenice, Jewish client queen of Judea
- Silius Italicus, Roman consul and epic poet
Deaths
AD 20
- Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso, Roman statesman and governor of Syria (b. 44 BC)
- Vipsania Agrippina, wife of Gaius Asinius Gallus and former wife of Tiberius (b. 36 BC)
- Amanitore, Nubian Queen Regnant of the Kushitic Kingdom of Meroë[28]
AD 21
- Arminius, Germanic military leader (b. 18/17 BC)[29]
- Clutorius Priscus, Roman poet (b. c. 20 BC)
- Daeso of Dongbuyeo, Korean king (b. 60 BC)
- Marcus Valerius Messalla Barbatus, Roman consul (b. 11 BC)
- Publius Sulpicius Quirinius, Roman governor (b. c. 51 BC)
- Wang (or Xiaomu), Chinese empress of the Xin Dynasty
AD 22
- Daeso, emperor of Dongbuyeo (b. 60 BC)
- Gaius Ateius Capito, Roman jurist and suffect consul (b. c. 30 BC)[30]
- Junia Tertia, wife of Gaius Cassius Longinus (b. c. 75 BC)[31]
AD 23
- September 14 – Drusus Julius Caesar, son of Emperor Tiberius[32] (b. 14 BC)
- October 6 – Wang Mang, Chinese emperor of the Xin dynasty (b. c. 45 BC)[33]
- Juba II, king of Mauretania[34] (b. c. 50 BC)
- Liu Xin, Chinese astronomer, mathematician and politician[35] (b. c. 50 BC)
- Liu Yan, Chinese general and politician
- Servius Cornelius Lentulus Maluginensis, Roman statesman
- Wang, Chinese empress of the Xin dynasty (b. 8 BC)
AD 24
- Gaius Silius, Roman general and consul
- Lucius Calpurnius Piso, Roman consul
- Namhae, king of Silla[14]
- Strabo, Greek geographer and historian
- Tacfarinas, Numidian military leader
- Wang Lang, Chinese emperor
AD 25
- Aulus Cremutius Cordus, Roman historian and writer
- Gengshi, Chinese emperor of the Han dynasty
- Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus, Roman consul (b. 54 BC)
- Lucius Antonius, grandson of Mark Antony (b. 20 BC)
- Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, Roman consul (b. 49 BC)
- Ruzi Ying, Chinese emperor of the Western Han (b. AD 5)
AD 26
- Claudia Pulchra, cousin and close friend to Agrippina the Elder (b. 14 BC)
- Marcus Asinius Agrippa, Roman consul
- Quintus Haterius, Roman politician
- Sun Deng, Chinese puppet emperor
AD 27
- Publius Quinctilius Varus the Younger, Roman nobleman (b. AD 4)
AD 28
- Onjo of Baekje, Korean king [22]
AD 29
- Gaius Fufius Geminus, Roman plebeian tribune and consul
- Julia the Younger, granddaughter of Augustus (b. 19 BC)
- Livia, wife of Augustus and mother of Tiberius (b. 58 BC)
- Jesus (b. 5 BC)
References
- ^ Haub (1995): "By 1 A.D., the world may have held about 300 million people. One estimate of the population of the Roman Empire, from Spain to Asia Minor, in 14 A.D. is 45 million. However, other historians set the figure twice as high, suggesting how imprecise population estimates of early historical periods can be."
- ^ Manning, Scott (2008-01-12). "Year-by-Year World Population Estimates: 10,000 B.C. to 2007 A.D." Historian on the Warpath. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
- ^ Robert K. Sherk, ed. (1984). Rome and the Greek East to the death of Augustus. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-24995-3. OCLC 9197359.
- ^ Jasiński, Jakub; Bak, Marcin. "Rebellion of Florus and Sacrovir in Gaul (21 CE) « IMPERIUM ROMANUM". Retrieved 18 September 2022.
- ^ Williams, Rose (2013). Caesar's Blood: Greek Tragedy in Roman Life. Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers. p. 72. ISBN 978-1-61041-102-8.
- ^ Roller, Duane W. (1998). The building program of Herod the Great. University of California Press. p. 65. ISBN 978-0-520-20934-3.
- ^ Bunson, Matthew (2002). Encyclopedia of the Roman empire (2nd ed.). Infobase Publishing. pp. 187–188. ISBN 978-0-8160-4562-4.
- ^ Adkins, Lesley; Adkins, Roy A. (2004). Handbook to life in ancient Rome (2nd ed.). Infobase Publishing. p. 23. ISBN 978-0-8160-5026-0.
- ^ Giele, Enno (2006). Imperial decision-making and communication in early China: a study of Cai Yong's Duduan. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 218. ISBN 978-3-447-05334-1.
- ^ Schram, Stuart R. (1992). Mao's road to power: revolutionary writings 1912–1949. Vol. 1. M.E. Sharpe. p. 366. ISBN 978-1-56324-457-5.
- ^ Alison E. Cooley, The Cambridge Manual of Latin Epigraphy (Cambridge: University Press, 2012), p. 459
- ^ Jacobo Rodríguez Garrido, "Imperial Legislation Concerning Junian Latins: From Tiberius to the Severan Dynasty," in Junian Latinity in the Roman Empire, Volume 1: History, Law, Literature, Edinburgh Studies in Ancient Slavery (Edinburgh University Press, 2023), p. 106.
- ^ a b "List of Rulers of Korea". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
- ^ Gawlinski, Laura (2011-12-23). The Sacred Law of Andania: A New Text with Commentary. Walter de Gruyter. p. 12. ISBN 978-3-11-026814-0.
- ^ Smith, William (1868). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. James Walton. p. 345.
- ^ Kang-i Sun Chang; Stephen Owen, eds. (2010). The Cambridge history of Chinese literature. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-11677-0. OCLC 410227423.
- ^ Tacitus, The Annals 4.46-4.51
- ^ Tacitus, The Annals 4.64
- ^ Tacitus, The Annals 4.63
- ^ Tacitus, The Annals 4.73
- ^ a b "List of Rulers of Korea". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
- ^ a b Colin Humphreys, The Mystery of the Last Supper Cambridge University Press 2011 ISBN 978-0-521-73200-0, page 65
- ^ "Chronology of the Life of Jesus Christ". Catholic Encyclopedia.
- ^ An Answer to the Jews, ch.8, which places it in the year when Lucius Rubellius Geminus and Gaius Fufius Geminus served as Consuls
- ^ Perry, Curtis (2008). Eros and Power in English Renaissance Drama: Five Plays by Marlowe, Davenant, Massinger, Ford and Shakespeare. McFarland. p. 315. ISBN 978-0-7864-3165-6.
- ^ Healy, John F. (1999). Pliny the Elder on science and technology. Oxford University Press. p. 1. ISBN 978-0-19-814687-2.
- ^ Török, László (1997). The kingdom of Kush : handbook of the Napatan-Meroitic civilization. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 90-04-10448-8. OCLC 36865663.
- ^ Tacitus, Publius. "The Annals 2.88". Retrieved 18 September 2022.
- ^ Bunson, Matthew (1995). A Dictionary of the Roman Empire. OUP USA. p. 71. ISBN 978-0-19-510233-8.
- ^ Lightman, Marjorie; Lightman, Benjamin (2008). A to Z of Ancient Greek and Roman Women. Infobase Publishing. p. 178. ISBN 978-1-4381-0794-3.
- ^ Bowman, Alan K.; Champlin, Edward; Lintott, Andrew (1996). The Augustan Empire, 43 B.C.–A.D. 69 (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 213. ISBN 978-0-521-26430-3.
- ^ Clark, Anthony E. (2008). Ban Gu's history of early China. Cambria Press. p. 110. ISBN 978-1-60497-561-1.
- ^ Rocca, Samuel (2008). Herod's Judaea: a Mediterranean state in the classical world. Mohr Siebeck. p. 58. ISBN 978-3-16-149717-9.
- ^ Yunis, Harvey (2003). Written texts and the rise of literate culture in ancient Greece. Cambridge University Press. p. 125. ISBN 978-0-521-80930-6.