260s

The 260s decade ran from January 1, 260, to December 31, 269.

260

This section is transcluded from AD 260. (edit | history)

By place

Roman Empire

• Battle of Edessa: With a large army, said to number 70,000 men, Valerian attempts to drive the Persians back from Edessa. The Roman army is surrounded and most of its troops are killed or captured. Valerian is taken prisoner for the remainder of his life.
• King Shapur I captures Valerian.^[1]
• King Shapur I sends Valerian to Bishapur and uses the captured Roman army for engineering plans. They construct the Band-e Kaisar ("Bridge of Valerian").
• Gallienus becomes the sole emperor of Rome; during his reign the Pannonian governor Ingenuus revolts on the Danube.
• Gallienus evacuates the fortifications (limes) in the Agri Decumates (Germania Superior), covering the Black Forest area in the face of invading Alamanni.
• Gallienus establishes himself at Mediolanum (modern Milan); he reorganizes the army, supported by elite cavalry, and dispatches troops to the Rhine frontier.
• Postumus, Roman usurper, forms the Gallic Empire and protects the Rhine against an invasion of Germanic tribes.
• Saloninus, son of Gallienus, is proclaimed Augustus by his troops. Postumus besieges Cologne, where Silvanus is praetorian prefect and Roman ruler of Gaul.
• Postumus executes Saloninus and his adviser Silvanus after breaching the walls of Cologne. He is recognized as emperor and establishes his capital at Trier.
• Postumus wins over all the Roman provinces west of the Alps, including Gaul, Britain and Hispania.
• The Roman fort of Wiesbaden (Germany) is captured by the Alamanni.
• The Franks take control over the Scheldt estuary (approximate date).

Persia

• Persian king Shapur I destroys Caesarea Mazaca in Asia Minor.

China

• Emperor Cao Mao of Former Wei state attempts to lead a coup against the powerful regent Sima Zhao, but he himself is killed before it comes to a confrontation.
• June 2 – Cao Mao is killed in a coup d'état against Sima Zhao. The 14-year-old Cao Huan becomes ruler of Former Wei, but the Sima clan controls the state.

By topic

Art and Science

• Earliest known date of chess (approximate date).

Religion

• Pope Dionysius convenes a synod at Rome to demand an explanation from bishop Dionysius of Alexandria, who has been charged with separating the members of the Trinity as three distinct deities.
• Paul of Samosata becomes Patriarch of Antioch.

Significant people

Births

Transcluding articles: 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 268, and 269

260

• Eusebius of Caesarea, Greek bishop and historian (approximate date)

261

• Lu Ji (or Shiheng), Chinese general and politician (d. 303)^[11]

265

• Eusebius of Caesarea, Greek historian (approximate date)

266

• Galeria Valeria, Roman empress and wife of Galerius (d. 315)
• Wang Dun (or Chuzhong), Chinese general and warlord (d. 324)
• Zu Ti (or Shizhi), Chinese general and adviser (d. 321)

267

• Pei Wei (or Yimin), Chinese philosopher and politician (d. 300)

269

• Chi Jian (or Daohui), Chinese general (d. 339)
• Murong Hui, Chinese general and politician (d. 333)

Deaths

Transcluding articles: 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 268, and 269

260

• June 2 – Cao Mao, Chinese emperor of the Cao Wei state (b. 241)
• July 2 – Cao Jie, Chinese empress of the Han Dynasty (b. 197)
• Chen Tai (or Xuanbo), Chinese general and politician
• Regalianus (or Regalian), Roman general and usurper
• Saloninus, Roman emperor and son of Gallienus (b.242)
• Shapur Meshanshah, Sasanian prince and governor
• Sun Liang, Chinese emperor of the Eastern Wu state (b. 243)
• Valerianus I, Roman consul and emperor (approximate date)
• Wang Guan (or Weitai), Chinese official and politician
• Wang Jing (or Yanwei), Chinese official and politician

261

• June 9 – Wang Ji (or Boyu), Chinese general (b. 190)
• Lucius Mussius Aemilianus, Roman usurper
• Macrianus Major, Roman general and usurper
• Macrianus Minor, Roman consul and usurper
• Quietus, Roman consul and usurper
• Valens Thessalonicus, Roman usurper
• Yang Xi (or Wenran), Chinese politician

262

• Ji Kang (or Shuye), Chinese Daoist philosopher and poet (b. 223)
• Marinus of Caesarea, Roman soldier and Christian martyr^[12]
• Valerian, Roman consul and emperor (approximate date)

263

• Gao Rou (or Wenhui), Chinese politician (b. 174)
• Lady Li (or Lishi), Chinese noblewoman
• Liu Chen, Chinese prince of the Shu Han state
• Ruan Ji, Chinese poet and musician (b. 210)
• Zhuge Zhan, Chinese general and politician (b. 227)

264

• Zhong Hui, Chinese philosopher^[13]
• March 3
  • Jiang Wei (or Boyue), Chinese general and regent (b. 202)
  • Zhang Yi (or Bogong), Chinese general and politician
• September 3 – Sun Xiu (Jing of Wu), Chinese emperor (b. 235)
• Deng Ai (or Shizai), Chinese general and politician (b. 197)
• Guo (or Mingyuan), Chinese empress of the Cao Wei state
• Liao Hua (or Yuanjian), Chinese general and politician
• Liu Xuan, Chinese prince of the Shu Han state (b. 224)
• Puyang Xing (or Ziyuan), Chinese official and chancellor
• Zong Yu (or Deyan), Chinese general and politician

265

• Dionysius the Great, patriarch of Alexandria^[14]
• September 6 – Sima Zhao, Chinese general and politician (b. 211)
• Ma Jun, Chinese engineer and inventor of the south-pointing chariot
• Zhu (or Jing), Chinese empress of the Eastern Wu state

266

• Wang Chen (or Chudao), Chinese general and politician
• Wang Fan, Chinese astronomer and mathematician (b. 228)

267

• Septimius Herodianus, co-king of Palmyra (assassinated)
• Septimius Odaenathus, king of Palmyra (assassinated)

268

• December 26 – Dionysius, bishop of Rome^[8]
• Aureolus, Roman usurper
• Gallienus, Roman emperor (b. 218)^[15]
• Laelianus, Roman usurper
• Marcus Aurelius Marius, Roman emperor (Gaul)
• Postumus, Roman emperor of the Gallic Empire

269

• Jingū, Japanese empress and regent (b. 169)
• Justin the Confessor, Christian priest and martyr
• Liu Yin (or Xiuran), Chinese general and administrator
• Lu Kai (or Jingfeng), Chinese general and politician (b. 198)
• Marcus Aurelius Marius, Gallic general and emperor
• Marcus Cassianius Latinius Postumus, Gallic emperor
• Ulpius Cornelius Laelianus, Gallic emperor and usurper
• Wang Xiang (or Xiuzheng), Chinese politician (b. 185)
• Xin Xianying, Chinese noblewoman and advisor (b. 191) saint valentine (b.226)

References

1. Bland, Roger (2011). "The Coinage of Vabalathus and Zenobia from Antioch and Alexandria". The Numismatic Chronicle. 171: 136. JSTOR 42667232. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
2. Needham, Joseph (1959). Science and Civilisation in China: Volume 3, Mathematics and the Sciences of the Heavens and the Earth. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. p. 30. ISBN 978-0-521-05801-8.
3. Who's Who in the Roman World By John Hazel
4. Babylonia Judaica in the Talmudic Period By A'haron Oppenheimer, Benjamin H. Isaac, Michael Lecker
5. The New Encyclopædia Britannica
6. Climate change in antiquity: Mass emigration due to water scarcity. sciencedaily.com January 25, 2021
7. Dodgeon & Lieu 2002, p.72
8. "Saint Dionysius | pope". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
9. Wise, Leonard F.; Hansen, Mark Hillary; Egan, E. W. (2005). Kings, Rulers, and Statesmen. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. p. 142. ISBN 978-1-4027-2592-0.
10. Encyclopedia Britannica. 1905. p. 754. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
11. "Lu Ji's (261–303) Essay on Literature dated 1544 and 1547". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
12. "De hellige Marinus og Asterius av Caesarea ( -~262)" [Saints Marinus and Asterius of Caesarea ( -~262)]. Den katolske kirke (in Norwegian). Retrieved November 4, 2024.
13. Chan, Alan Kam-Leung. "Zhong Hui (Chung Hui, 225–264 C.E." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
14. "St. Dionysius of Alexandria". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
15. Ermatinger, James W. (2018). The Roman Empire: A Historical Encyclopedia [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 245. ISBN 978-1-4408-3809-5.