ON INTRODUCED ANIMALS AND PLANTS. 101 



Emperor, took place. His name has been found on coins issued in 

 Egypt. 



In " A. D. 283," the accession of Carinus, the fortieth Roman Em- 

 peror, took place. His name has been found on coins issued in Egypt : 

 as also the name of his colleague, Numerianus. 



In " A. D. 284," the accession of Diocletian, the forty-first Roman 

 Emperor, took place. The great syenite column, so conspicuous at 

 Alexandria, according to a Greek inscription on its base, was erected 

 during the reign of Diocletian. 



In "A. D. 299" (Clinton), the separate Egyptian coinage ceased: 

 from this time, the coins issued at Alexandria bear Latin inscriptions, 

 and are similar in every respect to those of the rest of the Empire. 



In " A. D. 303," Diocletian issued his celebrated edict against the 

 Christians : supposed, to have been in part extorted from him through 

 the intrigues of Galerius. 



In " A. D. 305," the abdication of Diocletian and the accession of 

 Constantius, took place. 



In "A. D. 306," the accession of Constantine, the forty -third Roman 

 Emperor, took place. During his reign, all religions were tolerated, 

 and the persecutions of the Christians finally ceased. The founding 

 of the oldest existing monasteries of Egypt, is attributed by the Coptic 

 monks to the Empress Helena, the mother of Constantine. 



The progress of Christianity appears to have been more rapid in 

 Egypt than in any other country : and after the Conversion, the 

 rearing of temples by princes ceased. In the Thebaid, however, are 

 remains of churches, abundantly proving that architectural taste was 

 not extinct; evidence also, that the Early Christians did not destroy 

 antiquities ; and abandoned Christian villages, which show more re- 

 finement in the style of living than prevails in the same district at the 

 present day. 



In "A. D. 325" (Alsted), the first General Ecclesiastical Council 

 was held. The meeting was convened at Nice, in Asia Minor : and 

 nearly one hundred Egyptian and Lybian bishops are said to have 

 been present. 



In "A. D. 330" (Idatius, quoted by Plate, in Smith's Biog. Diet.), 

 Constantine removed the seat of government from Rome to Byzantium 

 or Constantinople. To which city, he also transported an obelisk from 

 Egypt. 



