180

Events

By place

Roman Empire

• The Quadi are chased westwards, deeper into Germania. The Praetorian prefect, Tarutenius Paternus, achieves a decisive victory against the Germanic tribes.
• March 17 - Emperor Marcus Aurelius dies after a week's illness at his camp in Vindobona. He is succeeded by his son Commodus.
• The Era of the Five Good Emperors ends.
• Rome creates a 4-mile wide buffer zone by the Danube.
• Work begins in Rome on the building of the Column of Marcus Aurelius.
• 180-395 - Late Empire in Rome.
• Northern British from beyond Hadrian's Wall invade the North of modern-day England causing Emperor Commodus to allow swathes of Northern cities to establish city walls.

  Europe

• The Goths reach the banks of the Black Sea.

  Oceania

• Lake Taupo in New Zealand erupts, forming ash clouds as far as China and Europe.

  By topic

Arts and sciences

• In his Methodus Medendo, Greek physician Galen describes the connection between paralysis and the severing of the spinal cord.
• Galen's popular work on hygiene is published.

  Religion

• July 17 - Twelve Christian inhabitants of Scillium in Numidia are executed in Carthage - they had refused to swear an oath to the Emperor.
• Commodus creates an official cult of the Zoroastrian god Mithra.

  Births

• Ardashir I, founder of the Sasanian Empire
• Julia Soaemias, mother of emperor Elagabalus
• Sima Fu, official of the Cao Wei state in the Three Kingdoms period

  Deaths

• March 17 - Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor
• Aulus Gellius, Latin author and grammarian
• Gaius, Roman jurist
• Hegesippus, Christian chronicler
• Lucian
• Maximilla, early Montanist
• Melito of Sardis, bishop of Sardis
• St. Miggin
• St. Namphamo and consorts
• St. Symphorian