2nd century

The 2nd century is the period from 101 to 200 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Common Era. It is considered part of the Classical era, epoch, or historical period.

Early in the century, the Roman Empire attained its greatest expansion under the emperor Trajan, but after his death became primarily defensive for the rest of its history. Much prosperity took place throughout the empire at this time, ruled as it were by the Five Good Emperors, a succession of just and able rulers. This period also saw the removal of the Jews from Jerusalem during the reign of Hadrian after Bar Kokhba's revolt. The last quarter of the century saw the end of the period of peace and prosperity known as the Pax Romana at the death of the emperor Marcus Aurelius, last of the "Five Good Emperors", and the accession of his ineffective and deranged son Commodus.

Although the Han Dynasty of China was firmly cemented into power and extended its imperial influence into Central Asia during the first half of the century, by the second half there was widespread corruption and open rebellion. This set in motion its ultimate decline, until it was overthrown in 220.

Events

96 – 180: Five Good Emperors of Rome: Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius.
The Kingdom of Aksum emerges.
101 – 102, 105 – 106: The Dacian Wars. After two conflicts, Dacia is annexed as a Roman province.
114 – 116: A war with Parthia results in Armenia and Mesopotamia being temporarily annexed into the Roman Empire.
115 – 117: Kitos War, adjunct to the Jewish–Roman wars.
122 – 132: Hadrian's Wall across Northern England.
127 – 163: Kanishka, Kushan Ruler.
132 – 135: Bar Kokhba's revolt against Rome.
132: Chinese chronicles described the existence of diplomatic relations between Java and China.
140 – 180: Huvishka, Kushan ruler.
142: The Antonine Wall is built across central Scotland.
144: Marcion, rejected by Church of Rome, founds Marcionism.
161 – 166: Roman–Parthian War of 161–166.
165 – 180: The Antonine Plague in Rome.
166 – 180: Marcomannic Wars.
180 – 192: Commodus, Roman Emperor.
184 – 205: The Yellow Turban Rebellion of the Han Dynasty in China begins.
184 – 189: The Liang Province Rebellion breakouts in Northwest China.
189 – 220: The End of the Han dynasty.
190 – 191: Warlords across China launches a Campaign against Dong Zhuo.
193: Roman Year of the Five Emperors.
193 – 211: Septimius Severus, Roman Emperor.
Herakleitos makes The Unswept Floor, mosaic variant of a 2nd-century BC painting by Sosos of Pergamon. It is now kept at Musei Vaticani, Museo Gregoriano Profano, ex Lateranese, Rome.
c. 2nd or 3rd century – Standing Buddha, from Gandhara (Pakistan), is made. Kushan period. It is now kept at Lahore Museum, Lahore.

Significant people

Trajan, Roman Emperor
Hadrian, Roman Emperor
Antoninus Pius, Roman Emperor
Lucius Verus, Roman Emperor
Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor, philosopher
Rabbi Akiva, Head of all the Jewish Sages
Rabbi Yehuda haNasi, redactor of the Mishnah
Cai Yong, Chinese scholar
Commodus, Roman Emperor
Dong Zhuo, Chinese general, politician and warlord
Huvishka, Kushan Ruler
Ignatius, third bishop of Antioch, author of letters
Irenaeus, second bishop of Lyon, author of Against the Heresies
Julia Domna, Empress of Rome
Justin Martyr, Christian apologist
Kanishka, Kushan ruler
Kong Rong, Chinese scholar
Lü Bu, Chinese general and warlord
Montanus, Christian heretic.
Nagarjuna, founder of Madhyamaka Buddhism
Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna.
Septimius Severus, Roman Emperor
Simon bar Kokhba, Jewish rebel leader
Sun Ce, Chinese general and warlord
Victor I, bishop of Rome.
Vologases IV, Parthian ruler
Vologases V, Parthian ruler
Wang Yun, Chinese official
Qiao Xuan, Chinese official
Yuan Shao, Chinese warlord
Yuan Shu, Chinese warlord
Zhang Daoling, Chinese Taoist hermit.
Zhang Heng, Chinese statesman, poet, inventor, astronomer, geographer, and engineer.
Zhang Jue, Chinese rebel leader
Zhang Zhongjing, one of the most famous Chinese physicians during Han Dynasty.

Literature

Achilles Tatius, Greek writer
Apuleius (Lucius Apuleius Madaurensis), Roman writer of Numidian origin
Aulus Gellius, Roman writer and grammatician
Chariton, Greek writer
Juvenal Roman poet
Longus, Greek writer
Lucian of Samosata, Greek writer and rhetorician
Pliny the Younger (Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus), Roman writer and lawyer
Xenophon of Ephesus, Greek writer

Science and Philosophy

Abascantus, Roman physician
Apollodorus of Damascus, Greek engineer and architect
Arrian, Greek-Roman historian
Cai Lun, Chinese inventor
Claudius Ptolemy, Greek astronomer, astrologer and geographer
Epictetus, Greek philosopher
Galen (Claudius Galenus), Greek physician
Hua Tuo, Chinese physician
Hyginus Gromaticus, Roman writer on land-surveying
Ma Rong, Chinese scholar and writer
Marcus Cornelius Fronto, Roman grammarian and rhetorician
Ptolemy, Greco-Egyptian astronomer, astrologer, geographer and mathematician
Plutarch, Greek philosopher, writer and historian
Suetonius (Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus), Roman historian
Tacitus (Gaius Cornelius Tacitus), Roman historian
Valentinius, Roman philosopher
Xu Shen, Chinese philogist
Zheng Xuan, Chinese commentator and scholar

Inventions, discoveries, introductions

Cai Lun of China invents paper (c. 105).
Ptolemy compiles a catalogue of all stars visible to the naked eye. He also compiles three of the most influential books in western history:
- the Almagest which becomes the basis for western and Middle Eastern astronomy until the time of Nicolaus Copernicus and Johannes Kepler.
- the astrological treatise, Tetrabiblos.
- and the Geographia.
125: Zhang Heng of China invents the world's first water-powered armillary sphere.
132: Zhang Heng of China invents first seismometer to detect the cardinal direction of earthquakes.