534 CHRONOLOGICAL ARRANGEMENT 



questions by authority. A further innovation by Victor, was the first issuing of Christian writings 

 in the Latin language (according to Hieronymus). 



"198 A. D." (Spartian., and Clint.), arrival at Ctesiphon of Severus, warring against the 

 Parthians. 



One hundred and thirty-fifth generation. Jan. 1st, 201, onward mostly beyond youth : the Greek 

 poets, Oppianus of Apamea, and Peisander of Laranda; the philosopher Ammonius Saccas ; the 

 biographer Diogenes Laertius (Blair) ; the rhetors, Hippodromus, Antipater of Hierapolis, Hermo- 

 crates, Philiscus, Heliodorus, Antiochus of Aegae, Aspasius of Ravenna, Apsines of Gadara, and 

 Damianus of Ephesus ; the commentator Alexander of Aphrodisias ; the Christian Greek writers, 

 Apion, Sextus, Arabianus, Rhodon, Judas, Musianus, Caius, and Carpocrates the Gnostic (Alst. 



P- 379)- 



"The same year" (Euseb., and Clint.), Victor succeeded by Zephyrinus, "fourteenth" bishop 



of Rome ; and (according to Alsted) a Montanist. 



"The same year" (Cassiodor., and Clint.), at Rome, building of the "baths of Severus and the 

 Septizonium." 



" 202 A. D." (Spartian., and Clint.), from Syria by the way of Palestine, Severus and his son 

 Caracalla arriving in Egypt. Proceeding up the Nile, they "carefully inspected the Pyramids, 

 Memphis, the Labyrinth, and Memnon," maintaining throughout the worship of Serapis and pro- 

 hibiting conversions to Judaism and Christianity ; and before the close of the year, returned to 

 Rome. 



The Vocal Memnon, as already stated (see Strabo's visit), was repaired by order of Severus ; 

 and ceased uttering sounds. 



From about this reign also (according to Letronne, Leps. eg. and sin. p. 443), the porphyry 

 quarries at Gebel Dochan . . appear to have been neglected. — This porphyry is further described 

 by Lepsius p. 370 as "bluish-red." 



" Not before the Third century" (according to Zoega), Greek letters employed in writing the 

 Egyptian language: additional ones being invented for the additional sounds. — The inscriptions 

 and manuscripts in this so-called " Coptic alphabet," have with a single exception proved to be Chris- 

 tian ; and few are older than the "Seventh" century (Champ.-Fig. p. 228) : the series continuing 

 thence downward to the extinction of the Literature and Language in the " Sixteenth." 



Hyoscyamus muticus of the Egyptian and Arabian Desert. Called in Egypt " datora : ' or 

 " tatourah " or " sem el-far" or " sekaran " inebriating, and possibly the seed N A # P I of the Coptic 

 translation of Matthew xiii. 31 : — H. muticus was observed by Forskal p. 45, and Delile, growing 

 in the Desert from Cairo to Upper Egypt, the powder maliciously thrown rendering persons insane 

 for several days : is known to grow also in the Arabian Desert (Linn. mant. 45, Lam., and Persoon. 

 See Datura metel). 



"203 A. D." (Clint.), Serapion succeeded by Asclepiades, "ninth" bishop of Antioch. 

 "The same year" (inscript., and Clint.), the "arch of Severus," commemorating his victories, 

 erected in Rome. The latest Phoenician inscription known, is on this arch (Gesen.). 



" 204 A. D." (Censorin., and Clint.), at Rome, the games of Severus. Witnessed by the histo- 

 rian Herodian. 



"207 A. D." (Clint.), the Treatise "adv. Marcion" by Tertullianus of Carthage, "the first after 

 Victor of Latin" Christian writers (Hieronym. catal. 53). Apollonius, however, hardly more recent 

 than Tertullian. 



Greek inscriptions in the reign of Severus (Franz 107 to 13S), presenting the following forms 

 of the letters, E, 9, U. Also in this reign (Franz 137 to 152), the earliest Greek inscriptions with the 

 words spaced ; intervening dots being omitted. 



" 20S A. D." (Dio, and Clint.), war in Britain, and arrival there of Severus. 

 "209 A. D." (Dio, and Clint.), invasion of Caledonia (Scotland) by Severus. 



"210 A. D." (coins, Spartian., Vict., Oros., and Clint.), North of Hadrian's Wall, another wall 

 across Britain built by Severus. — Traces are extant, extending from " the Frith of Forth '' West- 

 ward (Blair). 



In this year (= B. C. 543 — "752 y. 4 m. 10 d. of the Mahavamsa xxxvi.), Sirinaga succeeded 

 by his son Tissa, called Vyewahara-tissa and now king of Ceylon. — He burned the heretical books 

 of Vytullya, a Leathin brahmin. 



"211, Feb. 4th" (Dio, and Clint.), death of Severus in Britain, at Eboracum (York). He was 

 succeeded by his son Caracalla, twenty-first Roman emperor. The separate hieroglyphic ovals of 

 Caracalla and his brother Geta, occur at Esneh. The name also of Caracalla, occurs in a Greek 

 inscription in the quarries at Philas. 



"In or about this year" (vit. Opp. and Sm. b. d., see also Sozom.), the Cynegetica brought by 

 Oppianus to Rome and dedicated to Caracalla. In this poem, Oppianus i. 490 speaks of the inhabi- 



