320
Year 320 was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.
At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantinus and Constantinus. The denomination 320 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.
Events
By place
Roman Empire
- Crispus, eldest son of Constantine I, leads a victorious campaign against the Franks, assuring twenty years of peace along the Rhine frontier. He establishes his residence in Augusta Treverorum, capital of Germania.
- Licinius reneges on the religious freedom promised by the Edict of Milan, and begins a new persecution of Christians in the Eastern Roman Empire. He imprisons Christians, confiscates their properties and destroys churches.
Asia
- King Chandragupta I founds the Gupta dynasty in northern India.
- Zhang Shi, Zhang Duke of Xiping and governor of Liang Province, is assassinated by Yan She and Zhao Ang and replaced by Zhang Mao, commonly accepted first ruler of the Chinese state Former Liang.
By topic
Art
- Construction begins on the Old St. Peter's Basilica, Rome.
Culture and Religion
- In Nydam Mose, the Nydam oak boat is sacrificed by the Danes.
Science
- October 18 - Pappus of Alexandria, Greek philosopher, observes an eclipse of the sun and writes a commentary on The Great Astronomer.
Births
- Aurelius Victor, Roman historian and politician
- Constans I, Roman emperor
- Flavian I, Patriarch of Antioch
- Jin Jianwendi, emperor of the Jin Dynasty
- Oribasius, Greek physician
- Tuoba Shiyiqian, prince of the Tuoba Dai
- Xie An, statesman of the Jin Dynasty
Deaths
- January 2 - Narcissus, Argeus, and Marcellinus, Roman Catholic martyrs and saints
- January 29 - Valerius of Trèves, Roman Catholic priest and saint
- February 6 - Dorothea of Alexandria, Roman Catholic virgin, martyr and saint
- March 9 - 40 Martyrs of Sebaste
- March 10 - Cyrion and Candidus, Armenian Orthodox priest and saints
- July 11 - Januarius and Pelagia, Roman Catholic priests, martyrs and saints
- November 29 - Saint Illuminata, Roman Catholic religious sister and saint
- December 9 - Proculus of Verona, Roman Catholic priest and saint
Date unknown
- Lactantius, Christian writer
- Sima Bao, prince of the Jin Dynasty
- Zhang Shi, Duke of Xiping