276 facts for kids

Emperor Probus

The year 276 was a leap year, which means it had an extra day (February 29th). It started on a Saturday in the Julian calendar, which was the calendar used by the Romans.

Events

Important Happenings Around the World

Roman Empire

• Emperor Tacitus made a big change to Roman currency. He doubled the amount of silver in the coins, trying to make them more valuable.
• A general named Marcus Annius Florianus won battles against the Goths and Alans. These groups had invaded a region called Asia Minor (which is part of modern-day Turkey).
• Soon after these battles, Emperor Tacitus died. Some say he got sick, while others believe he was murdered in a place called Tyana.
• After Tacitus died, Florianus became the new Emperor of Rome. He stopped fighting the Heruli people and marched his army from the Bosporus (a famous strait).
• Florianus had a lot of support from Roman armies in places like Britain, Gaul (modern-day France), Spain, and Italy.
• However, Florianus faced another powerful general named Marcus Aurelius Probus. They fought a battle in Cilicia (another region in Asia Minor), but neither side won clearly.
• Florianus only ruled for a few weeks. His own soldiers killed him near Tarsus in modern-day Turkey.
• After Florianus's death, Marcus Aurelius Probus became the new Emperor of Rome. He was 44 years old.
• Emperor Probus chose Marcus Aurelius Carus to be the Praetorian prefect. This was a very important job, as the prefect was in charge of the Praetorian Guard, the emperor's personal bodyguards.

Asia

• King Bahram I of Persia (modern-day Iran) died after ruling for three years. His son, Bahram II, took over as the new king.
• In Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon), Mahasena became king. He tried to bring a new type of Buddhism, called Mahayana Buddhism, to the country.

Important Religious Events

Religion

• Mani, a wise teacher from Persia, died in a city called Gundeshapur. He was the founder of a religion known as Manichaeism.

Births

• Gregory the Elder, who later became a bishop (a church leader) in Nazianzus (around this time).
• Guo Pu, a famous writer from China (died in 324).
• Jin Yuandi, who would become an emperor of the Jin Dynasty in China (died in 323).
• Wang Dao, an important government official during the Jin Dynasty (died in 339).

Deaths

• Bahram I, the king of Persia.
• Mani, the founder of the Manichaeism religion.
• Marcus Annius Florianus, a Roman Emperor.
• Marcus Claudius Tacitus, another Roman Emperor.