300s (decade)

The 300s decade ran from January 1, 300, to December 31, 309.

300

This section is transcluded from AD 300. (edit | history)

By place

Roman Empire

• Emperor Diocletian begins construction of a palace that will become the city of Split (approximate date). Diocletian, who plans on abdicating, intends to use this palace as his place of retirement.
• Caesar Constantius I wins a victory over the Franks (approximate date).

Asia

• The lion becomes extinct from Armenia (approximate date).
• The Yayoi period ends in Ancient Japan (approximate date).^[1]
• Wootz steel is developed in India (approximate date).
• The Kama Sutra, an Indian handbook on the art of sexual love, is probably produced around this time by the sage Vatsyayana.
• Micheon becomes ruler of the Korean kingdom of Goguryeo.^[2]

Africa

• The elephant becomes extinct in North Africa (approximate date).
• The Atlas wild ass becomes extinct (approximate date).

Mesoamerica

• The Formative/Preclassic period in Mesoamerica comes to an end approximately around this year.
• The Mayan civilization reaches its most prolific period, the classic period, in what is now Guatemala, Belize and parts of southern Mexico adjacent to the former two. During most of this period, Tikal dominates the Mayan world.

By topic

Art and Science

• The magnetic compass for navigation is invented in China (approximate date).
• The Panchatantra, a Sanskrit collection of fables and fairy tales, is written in India.
• The Tetrarchs are probably made in Egypt. After 330 they are moved to Constantinople and in 1204 they are installed at the corner of the facade of the St Mark's Basilica, Venice (approximate date).
• Diocletian's Palace, Split, Croatia, is built. Its model is nowadays kept at the Museo della Civilta Romana, Rome.

Religion

• Peter of Alexandria becomes Patriarch of Alexandria.
• Possible date of the Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209 and Codex Sinaiticus, manuscripts of the Bible written in Greek.
• Tiridates III makes his kingdom of Armenia the first state to adopt Christianity as its official religion.
• Approximate date of the Synod of Elvira in Elvira, Spain, which prohibits interaction with Jews, pagans, and heretics.

East Asia

In Yamato (Japan), the Kofun period dominated during this decade. It was an animistic culture which existed prior the introduction of Buddhism. A legend of the 4th century Prince Yamato Takeru alludes to the borders of the Yamato and battlegrounds in the area. A frontier was obviously somewhere close to the later Izumo province (the eastern part of today's Shimane Prefecture). Another frontier, in Kyūshū, was apparently somewhere north of today's Kumamoto prefecture. The legend specifically states that there was an eastern land in Honshū "whose people disobeyed the imperial court", against whom Yamato Takeru was sent to fight. That rivalling country may have been located rather close to the Yamato nucleus area itself, or relatively far away. The today Kai province is mentioned as one of the locations where prince Yamato Takeru sojourned in his said military expedition.

Northern frontier of this age was also explained in Kojiki as the legend of Shido Shōgun's (四道将軍: Shōguns to four ways) expedition. Out of four shōguns, Ōbiko set northward to Koshi and his son Take Nunakawawake set to eastern states. The father moved east from northern Koshi while the son moved north on his way, and they finally met at Aizu (current western Fukushima). Although the legend itself is not likely to be a historical fact, Aizu is rather close to southern Tōhoku, where the north end of keyhole kofun culture as of late 4th century is located.

Significant people

Births

Transcluding articles: 300, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308, and 309

300

• Aemilia Hilaria, Gallo-Roman physician (approximate date)
• Flavius Hermogenes, Roman prefect and politician (d. 361)
• Frumentius, Syrian missionary and bishop (approximate date)
• Hilary of Poitiers, Gallo-Roman bishop (approximate date)
• Li Shou, Chinese emperor of the Cheng Han Dynasty (d. 343)
• Macarius of Egypt, Coptic Christian monk and hermit (d. 391)
• Min of Jin, Chinese emperor of the Jin Dynasty (d. 318)
• Zeno of Verona, Christian bishop and martyr (approximate date)

301

• Xie Ai, Chinese general of the Former Liang state (d. 354)

302

• Sun Sheng (or Anguo), Chinese historian (d. 373)

303

• Magnentius, Roman usurper (d. 353)^[20]
• Wang Xizhi, Chinese calligrapher (d. 361)
• Xun Guan, Chinese warrior and general ^[21]

305

• Yu Yi (or Zhigong), Chinese calligrapher and general (d. 345)

306

• Ephrem the Syrian, Syriac theologian and hymnodist (d. 373)

307

• Zhang Jun, Chinese prince of the Jin Dynasty (d. 346)

308

• Xie Shang (or Renzu), Chinese general (d. 357)

309

• Shapur II (the Great), king of the Sassanid Empire (d. 379)

Deaths

Transcluding articles: 300, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308, and 309

300

• Jia Mi, Chinese general, official and politician
• Jia Nanfeng, Chinese empress of the Jin Dynasty (b. 257)
• Liu Ling, Chinese scholar and poet (b. 221)
• Lüzhu, Chinese dancer, singer and music teacher
• Pan Yue, Chinese poet and writer (b. 247)
• Pei Wei, Chinese philosopher and politician (b. 267)
• Shi Chong, Chinese politician and statesman (b. 249)
• Sima Yu, Chinese prince of the Jin Dynasty (b. 278)
• Sporus of Nicaea, Greek mathematician (approximate date)
• Zhang Hua, Chinese official, scholar and poet (b. 232)

301

• June 5 – Sima Lun, Chinese usurper (forced suicide)
• Sun Xiu (or Junzhong), Chinese official and politician

302

• Cao Huan, Chinese emperor of the Cao Wei state (b. 246)
• Narseh (or Narses), ruler of the Sassanid Empire
• Sima Jiong (or Jingzhi), Chinese prince and regent

303

Saint George of Lydda

• April 23 – George of Lydda, Roman soldier and martyr
• Acacius of Byzantium, Roman centurion and martyr
• Anthimus of Rome, Christian priest and martyr
• Cao Huan, Chinese emperor of Cao Wei (b. 246)
• Cessianus, Christian child martyr
• Crescentinus, Roman soldier and martyr
• Cyriacus, Roman nobleman and martyr
• Devota, Corsican woman and martyr
• Erasmus of Formiae, Christian martyr
• Expeditus, Roman centurion and martyr
• Felix and Adauctus, Christian martyrs
• Fermin, Christian bishop and martyr
• Lu Ji, Chinese general and writer (b. 261)^[22]
• Li Liu, Chinese spiritual leader (b. 248)
• Li Te (or Xuanxiu), Chinese general
• Pantaleon, Christian wonderworker and martyr
• Romanus of Caesarea, Christian martyr
• Victor Maurus ("the Moor"), Christian martyr
• Vitus (or Guido), Christian martyr

304

Pope Marcellinus

Saint Anastasia

• October 25 – Pope Marcellinus
• December 25 – Saint Anastasia (martyred)
• Date unknown
  • Saint Afra (martyred by fire)
  • Saint Agape, Chionia, and Irene (martyred)
  • Saint Agnes (martyred)
  • Saint Alban (possibly 309)
  • Bunseo of Baekje, king of Baekje (Korea)^[23]
  • Saint Florian (martyred)
  • Saint Gorgonius of Nicomedia (martyred)
  • Saint Juliana of Nicomedia (martyred)
  • Saint Lucy of Syracuse (martyred)
  • Saint Margaret (martyred)
  • Saint Pancras (martyred)
  • Saint Philomena (martyred)
  • Sima Ai, Chinese prince of the Jin dynasty (b. 277)^[24]
  • Saints Theodora and Didymus (martyred)
  • Saint Vincent of Saragossa (martyred)

305

• Januarius I of Benevento, Roman bishop and martyr
• Catherine of Alexandria, Christian martyr and virgin
• Porphyry of Tyre, Neoplatonist philosopher and writer
• Proculus of Pozzuoli (or Proclus), Christian martyr
• Sossianus Hierocles, Roman proconsul and aristocrat
• Tuoba Yituo, Chinese chieftain of the Tuoba clan
• Vincent, Orontius, and Victor, Christian martyrs
• Wang Rong (or Junchong), Chinese politician (b. 234)
• Zuo Si (or Taichong), Chinese poet and writer (b. 250)

306

Saint Theodore of Amasea

Saints Adrian and Natalia of Nicomedia

Constantius Chlorus

Saint Maginus

• February 17 – Theodore of Amasea, Roman soldier and martyr
• March 4 – Adrian and Natalia of Nicomedia, Christian martyrs
• July 25 – Constantius Chlorus, Roman emperor (b. c. 250)
• August 25 – Maginus, Christian hermit and martyr
• Demetrius of Thessaloniki, Roman soldier and martyr
• Sima Ying, Chinese prince of the Jin Dynasty (b. 279)
• Sima Yong (or Wenzai), Chinese prince and regent

307

Severus II

• January 8 – Hui of Jin, Chinese emperor of the Jin Dynasty (b. 259)
• September 16 – Severus II, Roman emperor (murdered)
• Septimius of Iesi, German bishop, martyr and saint
• Tuoba Luguan, Chinese chieftain of the Tuoba clan

308

• Adrian of Batanea (or Eubulus), Christian martyr

309

• January 16 – Marcellus I, bishop of Rome (b. 255)
• Adur Narseh, king of the Sassanid Empire
• Elias and companions, Christian martyrs
• Hormizd II, king of the Sassanid Empire

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