320

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: 320

The Nydam oak boat at Gottorf Castle, Schleswig, (Germany)

Year 320 (CCCXX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantinus and Constantinus (or, less frequently, year 1073 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 320 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Events

By place

Roman Empire

• Crispus, eldest son of Constantine I, leads a victorious campaign against the Franks, assuring twenty years of peace along the Rhine frontier. He established his residence in Augusta Treverorum (modern Trier), capital of Germania.
• Licinius reneged on the religious freedom promised by the Edict of Milan, and begins a new persecution of Christians in the Eastern Roman Empire. He confiscates their property by destroying churches and imprisoned Christians.

Asia

• King Chandragupta I founds the Gupta dynasty in northern India.
• The Huns appear in Persia.^{[citation needed]}

By topic

Art

• Old St. Peter's Basilica, Rome, is started to be built (approximate date).

Culture and Religion

• In Nydam Mose (Denmark) the Nydam oak boat is sacrificed by the Danes. The boat is excavated in the 1830s, when a local farmer finds weapons including swords and spears.
• December 25 is introduced as the birthday of Jesus.

Science

• October 18 – Pappus of Alexandria, Greek philosopher, observes an eclipse of the sun and writes a commentary on The Great Astronomer (Almagest).

Births

• Aurelius Victor, historian and politician (approximate date)
• Constans I, Roman emperor (d. 350)
• Flavian I, Patriarch of Antioch (d. 404)
• Jin Jianwendi, emperor of the Jin Dynasty (d. 372)
• Oribasius, Greek physician (approximate date)
• Tuoba Shiyijian, prince of the Tuoba Dai (d. 376)
• Xie An, statesman of the Jin Dynasty (d. 385)

Deaths

• Lactantius, Christian writer (approximate date)
• Sima Bao, prince of the Jin Dynasty (b. 294)

References