The anno Diocletiani era or the Diocletian era or the Era of Martyrs is a method of numbering years used by Alexandrian Christians during the fourth and fifth centuries. Western Christians were aware of it but did not use it. It was named for the Roman Emperor Diocletian who instigated the last major persecution against Christians in the Empire. As Diocletian began his reign during the Alexandrian year beginning on August 29, 284, year one began on that date. The era was used to number the year in Easter tables produced by the Church of Alexandria. When Dionysius Exiguus continued those tables for additional 95 years, he replaced the anno Diocletiani era with his anno Domini era because he did not wish to continue the memory of a tyrant who persecuted Christians. The anno Domini era became dominant in the Latin West but was not used in the Greek East until modern times. Antiquity and modernity stand cheek-by-jowl in Egypts chief Mediterranean seaport Located on the Mediterranean Sea coast, Alexandria Αλεξάνδρεια (in Arabic, الإسكندرية, transliterated al-ʼIskandariyyah) is the chief seaport in Egypt, and that countrys second largest city, and the capital of the Al Iskandariyah governate. ... This article is about the religous people known as Christians. ... (3rd century - 4th century - 5th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 4th century was that century which lasted from 301 to 400. ... (4th century - 5th century - 6th century - other centuries) Events Rome sacked by Visigoths in 410. ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation) The Roman Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Ancient Roman polity in the centuries following its reorganization under the leadership of Octavian (better known as Augustus), until its radical reformation in what was later to be known as the Byzantine... Emperor Diocletian Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus (245?–312?), born Diocles, was Roman Emperor as Diocletian from November 20, 284 to May 1, 305. ... August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ... For other uses, see number 284. ... Easter is the most important religious holiday of the Christian liturgical year, observed in March, April, or May to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, which Christians believe occurred after his death by crucifixion in AD 30-33 (see Good Friday). ... Dionysius Exiguus (Dennis the Little, meaning humble) (c. ... Anno Domini Nostri Iesu Christi (In the Year of Our Lord Jesus Christ), commonly shortened to Anno Domini (In the Year of the Lord), abbreviated as AD or A.D., is the designation used to number years in the Christian Era, conventionally used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ...

The anno Diocletiani era was not the only one used by early Christians. Most Roman Christians designated their years by naming the two consuls who held office that year. The AUC year was rarely used. Some Eastern Christians had used an era that began at the birth of Jesus in the second and third centuries. It was soon replaced by eras that began at Creation, called anno Mundi eras, which became the dominant method of numbering years in the East until modern times. Annianus of Alexandria, a monk who flourished at the beginning of the fifth century, placed the epoch of his world era on 25 March 5492 BC by counting back eleven 532-year paschal cycles from anno Diocletiani 77, itself four 19-year lunar cycles after anno Diocletiani 1. Regarded as a civil rather than a religious era, it began on the first day of the Alexandrian year, 29 August 5493 BC. This Alexandrian era was the preferred era used by Byzantine Christians such as Maximus the Confessor until the Byzantine era, having an epoch of September 1, 5509 BC, became dominant in the tenth century. Both eras used a version of dating Creation based on the Septuagint. Christians in Spain used the aera Hispanica from the fifth century well into the Middle Ages. For modern diplomatic consuls, see Consulate general. ... Ab urbe condita (AUC or a. ... // Events Roman Empire governed by the Five Good Emperors (96–180) – Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius. ... (2nd century - 3rd century - 4th century - other centuries) Events The Sassanid dynasty of Persia launches a war to reconquer lost lands in the Roman east. ... For the first-century bishop, see Anianus of Alexandria. ... The word epoch can mean either an interval of time, or a particular point in time used as a reference point. ... March 25 is the 84th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (85th in leap years). ... (7th millennium BC – 6th millennium BC – 5th millennium BC – other millennia) // Events c. ... August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ... (7th millennium BC – 6th millennium BC – 5th millennium BC – other millennia) // Events c. ... ... Maximus the Confessor (580 - 682) was a Christian monk. ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... (7th millennium BC – 6th millennium BC – 5th millennium BC – other millennia) // Events c. ... ( 9th century - 10th century - 11th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 10th century was that century which lasted from 901 to 1000. ... Cultures throughout history have believed the world formed or was formed at some time in the past, so methods of dating Creation have involved analysing scriptures and physical data. ... The Septuagint (LXX) is the name commonly given in the West to the Koine Greek Alexandrine text of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh/Old Testament) produced some time between the third to first century BC. The Septuagint Bible includes additional books of the old Jewish canon beyond those contained in the... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...

See also

• Calendar era
• Computus

A calendar era is the year numbering system used by a calendar. ... Computus (Latin for computation) is the calculation of the date of Easter in the Christian calendar. ...

External links

• Dates and Dating from the Catholic Encyclopedia