These are the most significant events and persons we will encounter in our study of ancient Christianity, laid out here so you can have a sense of relative chronological relationship (that is, "who came first").
Dates given for individuals indicate the years during which they were active, not their birth/death dates.
Additional events/persons may be added to this timeline in the course of the quarter, so check back regularly (changes or additions will be marked in red).
| DATE | EVENT |
| 30 | Crucifixion of Jesus |
| 64 | Deaths of Peter and Paul (?) |
| 60s-120s | Writing of the New Testament Documents |
| 70 | Destruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem |
| 107? | Martyrdom of Ignatius of Antioch |
| 110s | Pliny the Younger executes Christians |
| 120s | "Gnostic" authors first active in Alexandria and Rome |
| 132-135 | Second Jewish War |
| 130s-160s | Justin Martyr |
| 140s | Marcion |
| 150s | Martyrdom of Polycarp |
| 170s | Irenaeus of Lyon Montanus begins "New Prophecy" movement in Asia Minor Celsus writes The True Doctrine against Christianity |
| 180s-200s | Tertullian Writing of the Muratorian Canon (?) |
| c. 202 | Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas |
| early 200s | Clement of Alexandria |
| 212 | Universal grant of citizenship to all inhabitants of the Roman Empire |
| 230s-250s | Origen |
| 240s-250s | Cyprian |
| 249-251 | Decius's Persecution |
| 270s | Antony goes into the desert |
| 290s-300s | Porphyry |
| 301 | Conversion of Armenia |
| 303-313 | The "Great Persecution" (begun by Diocletian |
| 311 | Beginning of Donatist controversy in North Africa |
| 313 | Edict of Milan |
| 318 | Excommunication of Arius |
| 320s | Pachomius founds
monastery (coenobium) in Upper Egypt Constantine founds Constantinople as "New Rome" |
| 325 | Council of Nicaea |
| 337 | Death (and baptism) of Constantine |
| 340s | Persecution of Christians begins in Persian Empire |
| 330s-370s | Athanasius of
Alexandria Ephraim the Syrian |
| 360s-370s | Ulfilas converts the Goths to Arian
Christianity "Gnostic gospels" buried near Nag Hammadi |
| 361-363 | Julian the Apostate |
| 370s-390s | Ambrose of Milan Gregory of Nazianzus Emperor Theodosius I, establishes Christianity as the religion of the Roman Empire |
| 380s | Egeria goes to the holy land |
| 381 | Council of Constantinople |
| 387 | Conversion of Augustine |
| 380s-400s | John Chrysostom |
| 380s-420 | Jerome |
| 390s-410s | Pelagius |
| 410 | Sack of Rome by the Goths |
| 415 | Lynching of Hypatia in Alexandria Discovery of Saint Stephen |
| 420s-450s | Symeon Stylites |
| 430 | Council of Ephesus |
| 430s | Deposition of Nestorius |
| 451 | Council of Chalcedon |