Claudius defeats the Goths with great slaughter. Zenobia invades Egypt. [Illustration] THE FOURTH CENTURY OF EMPIRE: AURELIAN TO THEODOSIUS (270-395 A.D.) 270. =Aurelian=, called _Restitutor Orbis_, becomes emperor. He defeats the Goths and makes peace with them. Alamanni invade Umbria and are defeated by Aurelian in three engagements. 273. Palmyra and its queen Zenobia taken by Aurelian. Egypt revolts and is subdued. 274. =Tetricus=, who had maintained himself as emperor in Gaul, Britain, and Spain, defeated at Châlons. 275. =Tacitus=, emperor. 276. =Probus= and =Florian=, emperors. They clear Gaul of its German invaders and pursue them across the Rhine. 282. =Carus=, emperor. Sarmatians defeated. Persian expedition. 284. =Diocletian=, emperor. He makes Nicomedia in Bithynia his capital. 285. =Maximian=, joint emperor for administration of the West. 293. =Constantius Chlorus= and =Galerius= named cæsars. 296. Constantius recovers Britain. Revolt of Egypt suppressed by Diocletian. Battle of Carrhæ. Galerius defeated by the Persians. 297. =Galerius= defeats the Persians and makes a treaty securing Mesopotamia to the Romans. 298. Constantius defeats the Alamanni at Langres. 303. Christian persecution. 305. Abdication of Diocletian and Maximian. =Constantius= and =Galerius=, emperors. 306. =Constantine the Great= succeeds his father Constantius in the rule of Spain, Gaul, and Britain. =Maxentius= emperor at Rome. =Maximian= resumes the purple. =Licinius= made emperor. 310. Maximian executed by Constantine. 312. Defeat and death of Maxentius. 313. Edict of Milan issued by Licinius and Constantine, inaugurating religious toleration. 314. War between Licinius and Constantine. 323. Battles of Hadrianopolis and Chalcedon. Defeat of Licinius. 324. Licinius executed. Constantine sole ruler. 325. First general council at Nicæa. 330. Byzantium, or Constantinople, becomes the capital of the empire. 337. =Constantine II=, =Constans=, and =Constantius II= divide the empire. 340. Battle of Aquileia between Constantine II and Constans. Death of Constantine II. His dominions fall to Constans. 350. Death of Constans. Revolt of Magnentius. 353. Constantius II sole emperor. 357. Battle of Argentoratum (Strasburg); Julian defeats the Alamanni. 361. =Julian, “the Apostate,”= emperor. 362. Edict granting general toleration. 363. Persian War. Julian is victorious at Ctesiphon, and in other battles, but is at last obliged to retreat and is killed. =Jovian= emperor. He makes peace with the Persians, resigning five districts beyond the Tigris. He places Christianity on an equality with other religions. 364. =Valentinianus I= and =Valens=, emperors. 367. =Gratianus= emperor for the West. 374. War with the Quadi. 375. =Valentinian II= reigns conjointly with Gratian on the death of Valentinian I. 376. Huns and Alans attack the eastern Goths. Valens permits the Goths to settle in Thrace. 378. Goths threaten Constantinople. Battle of Hadrianopolis.