120s

A view ofHadrian's Wall,which began construction in 122.

The120swas a decade that ran from January 1, AD 120, to December 31, AD 129.

During this decade, theRoman Empirewas ruled by EmperorHadrian(r. 117–138). In the prior decade, he had succeeded EmperorTrajan,who had expanded the empire to its greatest extent. Hadrian, in contrast, adopted a more defensive foreign policy, focusing on consolidating the empire's borders and improving its infrastructure, such asHadrian's Wallin Britain. There was almost a renewed war with Parthia, but the threat was averted when Hadrian succeeded in negotiating a peace in 123 (according to theHistoria Augusta,disputed).Furthermore, Hadrian enacted, through the juristSalvius Julianus,the first attempt to codify Roman law. This was thePerpetual Edict,according to which the legal actions ofpraetorsbecame fixed statutes and, as such, could no longer be subjected to personal interpretation or change by any magistrate other than the Emperor.

The ChineseEastern Han dynastysaw the death of regentDeng Suiin 121, after whichEmperor Antook on the reins of the imperial administration. In 121, there were againQiangandXianbeirebellions, which would continue to plague Emperor An for the rest of his reign. The only border where there were Han accomplishments during Emperor An's reign was on the northwestern front—the Xiyu (modernXinjiangand former Sovietcentral Asia)—whereBan Chao's sonBan Yong(Ban dũng) was able to reestablish Han dominance over a number of kingdoms. Emperor An was succeeded byMarquess of Beixiangin 125, who reigned for a short time before being succeeded byEmperor Shun of Hanthat same year. At the start of Emperor Shun's reign, the people were hopeful that he would reform the political situation from the pervasive corruption under the Yans. However, the teenage emperor proved to be a kind but weak ruler. While he trusted certain honest officials, he also trusted many corrupt eunuchs, who quickly grabbed power.

Events

120

By place

Roman Empire

• EmperorHadrianvisitsBritain.
• Foss Dykeis constructed in Britain.
• A Kushan ambassadorial contingent visits with Hadrian.
• Suetoniusbecomes Hadrian's secretaryab epistolis.
• Approximate date
  • Legio IX Hispanalast known to be in existence.
  • TheMarket Gate of Miletusis built atMiletos(moved in modern times toStaatliche Museen zu Berlin,Preußischer Kulturbesitz,Antikensammlung).

Asia

• Change of era name fromYuanchu(7th year) toYongningof the Chinese EasternHan dynasty.
• TheScythiansdominate westernIndia:Punjab,Sind,the north ofGujaratand a portion of central India.

121

By place

Roman Empire

• Roman settlement in present-dayWiesbaden,Germany, is first mentioned.
• EmperorHadrianfixes the border betweenRoman BritainandCaledonia,on a line running from theRiver Tyneto theSolway Firth.
• Construction of theTemple of Venus and Romabegins inRome.

Asia

• Era name changes fromYongning(2nd year) toJianguangin the Chinese EasternHan dynasty.^{(Needs clarification or deletion)}

122

By place

Roman Empire

• EmperorHadrianorders that a 73-mile (117-kilometer) wall be built to mark the northernRoman Empirewhile personally visiting the area.Hadrian's Wall,as it comes to be known, is intended to keep theCaledonians,Pictsand other tribes at bay.
• Vindolanda,a Romanauxiliaryfort (castrum) in northernEngland,isgarrisonedbycohort VIIIBatavorum.
• September 13– The building of Hadrian's Wall begins.
• Hadrian gives up the territories conquered inScotland.

Asia

• Change of era name fromJianguang(2nd year) toYanguangof the Chinese EasternHan dynasty.

123

By place

Roman Empire

• EmperorHadrianaverts a war withParthiaby a personal meeting withOsroes I(according to theHistoria Augusta,disputed).
• Housesteads Fortis constructed onHadrian's Wallnorth ofBardon Mill.
• Hadrian's VillaatTivoliis built.
• TheTemple of Al-Latin Palmyra is dedicated somewhere between this year and 164 AD.

Asia

• InChina,Ban Yong,son ofBan Chao,reestablishes the Chinese control over theTarim Basin.
• TheChinese governmentestablishes Aide of theWestern Regionsover the Tarim Basin.

Africa

• Hadrian leads a punitive campaign againstBerberswho had been raiding Roman towns inRoman Mauretania.

By topic

Arts and sciences

• Chinese scientistZhang Hengcorrects thecalendarto bring it into line with the fourseasons.

124

By place

Roman Empire

• January 1–Gaius Bellicius TorquatusandManius Acilius Glabriobegin the year as the newconsuls,but the two are replaced in April.
• May–Aulus Larcius Macedo,the former Governor ofGalatia;and Publius Ducenius Verres take office for four month as the suffect consuls to succeed Bellicius and Glabrio, and serve until the end of August.
• September–Gaius Valerius Severusand Gaius Julius Gallus replace consuls Larcius and Ducenius and serve until the end of the year.
• EmperorHadrianbegins to rebuild theOlympeioninAthens.
• Antinousbecomes Hadrian's beloved companion on his journeys through theRoman Empire.
• During a voyage toGreece,Hadrian is initiated in the ancient rites known as theEleusinian Mysteries.

Asia

• In northernIndia,Nahapana,ruler of theScythians,is defeated and dies in battle while fighting against KingGautamiputra Satakarni.This defeat destroys the Scythian dynasty of theWestern Kshatrapas.

125

By place

Roman Empire

• ThePantheonis constructed (inRome) as it stands today, byHadrian.
• Emperor Hadrian establishes thePanhellenion.
• Hadrian distributes imperial lands to small farmers.
• Hadrian's Villa,Tivoli, Italy,starts to be built (approximate date).

Africa

• PlaguesweepsNorth Africain the wake of a locust invasion that destroys large areas ofcropland.The plague kills as many as 500,000 inNumidiaand possibly 150,000 on the coast before moving toItaly,where it takes so many lives that villages and towns are abandoned.

Asia

• Last (4th) year of theYanguangera of the ChineseHan dynasty.
• Change of emperor of the Chinese Han dynasty fromHan AnditoMarquis of Beixiang,then toHan Shundi.
• Gautamiputra Satakarni,a king of theAndhradynasty, conquers the Konkan nearBombay.He then controls centralIndiafrom coast to coast.
• Zhang Hengof Han dynasty China invents ahydraulic-poweredarmillary sphere.
• The epoch of theJavanese calendarbegins.

By topic

Arts and sciences

• TheSatires of Juvenalintimate thatbread and circuses(panem et circenses) keep the Roman people happy.

Religion

• Pope TelesphorussucceedsPope Sixtus Ias the eighthpopeaccording to Roman Catholic tradition.

126

By place

Roman Empire

• The oldPantheonis demolished by EmperorHadrian,and the construction of a new one begins (its date is uncertain, because Hadrian chooses not to inscribe the temple).

Asia

• First year of theYongjianera of the ChineseHan dynasty.

127

By place

Roman Empire

• EmperorHadrianreturns toRome,after a seven-year voyage to theRoman provinces.
• Hadrian, acting on the advice of hisproconsulofAsia,Gaius Minicius Fundanus,determines thatChristiansshall not be put to death without a trial.

India

• Kanishka Istarts to rule in theKushan Empire(approximate date).

By topic

Religion

• The philosopherCarpocratesrejects ownership ofprivate propertyas being un-Christian.

128

By place

Roman Empire

• EmperorHadrianvisits theRoman provinceofNorth Africa,in order to inspectLegio IIIAugustastationed atLambaesis.For strategic reasons, thelegionnairesare located in theAurès Mountains.
• Hadrian's Wallis completed inBritain.Built mostly ofstonein the east and with a woodenpalisadein the west. They construct at least 16forts,with about 15,000legionariesdiggingditches,quarryingrockand cutting stone, preventing idleness which led to unrest andrebellionsin the ranks.
• Roman agriculturedeclines, as imports fromEgyptand North Africa depresswheatprices, making it unprofitable tofarm,and forcing manyfarmersoff the land.
• Romanbakeriesproduce dozens ofbreadvarieties, and theRomansdistribute free bread for thepoor.
• Hadrianbegins his inspection of the provinces ofGreece,Asia MinorandEgypt.

Asia

• KingGaeru of Baekjesucceeds to the throne ofBaekjein theKorean peninsula(until166).

By topic

Arts and sciences

• The fossils of largeprehistoricanimals are discovered inDalmatia.
• ThePantheoninRomeis finished.

129

By place

Roman Empire

• A defense forNumidiais constructed atLambaesisbyLegio IIIAugusta.
• EmperorHadriancontinues his voyages, now inspectingCaria,CappadociaandSyria.

By topic

Songs

• The song "Angel's Hymn" is made.

Religion

• Change ofPatriarch of Constantinople,from PatriarchDiogenestoEleutherius.

Significant people

• Hadrian,Roman Emperor (117–138)

Births

120

• February 8–Vettius Valens,Greek astrologer (d.175)
• Irenaeus,Greek bishop and apologist (approximate date)
• Lucian,Syrianrhetoricianand satirist (approximate date)
• Tatian,Syrian Christian writer and theologian (d.180)

121

• April 26–Marcus Annius Verus,later EmperorMarcus Aurelius(d.180)

123

• Annia Cornificia Faustina,sister ofMarcus Aurelius(d. 158)

124

• Apuleius,Numidian novelist, writer, public speaker (approximate date)

125

• Aulus Gellius,Roman author and grammarian (approximate date)
• Lucian,Syrian satirist and rhetorician (approximate date)
• Lucius Ferenius,DutchpotterinHeerlen(approximate date)
• Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus,Roman politician (d.193)

126

• August 1–Pertinax,Roman emperor (d.193)
• Lu Kang,Chinese politician and prefect (d.195)

127

• Zheng Xuan,Chinese politician, philosopher (d.200)

128

• Xun Shuang,Chinese politician and writer (d.190)

129

• Chen Ji,Chinese official, chancellor (d.199)
• Galen,Greek physician,anatomist(d. c.200/216)
• Liu Hong,Chinese official, astronomer (d.210)

Deaths

120

• Ban Zhao,Chinese historian and philosopher (b.AD 49)
• Dio Chrysostom,Greek historian (approximate date)
• Faustinus and Jovita,Roman Christian martyrs
• Getulius,Roman officer and Christianmartyr
• Hermes,Greek Christian martyr and saint
• Marcian of Tortona,Roman bishop (or117)
• Matthias of Jerusalem,bishop ofJerusalem
• Nicomachus,Greek mathematician (b.AD 60)
• Plutarch,Greek philosopher (approximate date)
• Sextus Pedius,Roman jurist (b.AD 50)
• Tacitus,Roman historian

121

• Cai Lun,Chinese inventor ofpaperand thepapermakingprocess (b.AD 50)
• Deng Sui,Chinese empress of theHan dynasty(b.AD 81)
• Eleutherius and Antia,Roman Christian martyrs and saints

124

• Marcus Annius Verus,father ofMarcus Aurelius
• Nahapana,ruler of theScythians(approximate date)
• Sixtus I,bishop ofRomeaccording to Roman Catholic tradition (possible date)

125

• April 30–An of Han,Chinese emperor (b.AD 94)
• December 10–Shao(orLiu Yi), Chinese emperor
• Servius Sulpicius Similis,Roman governor
• Thamel,Roman Christian priest andmartyr

126

• Domitia Longina,Roman empress (b. c.53 AD)
• Yan Ji(orAnsi), Chinese empress

127

• Juvenal,Roman poet (approximate year)
• Plutarch,Greek historian andbiographer(b.AD 46)
• Publius Metilius Nepos,Roman politician (b.AD 45)

128

• Giru of Baekje,Korean ruler

129

• June 19–Justus of Alexandria,Egyptian patriarch
• KingOsroes Iof theParthian Empire