312
 |
| Millennium: | 1st millennium |
|---|---|
| Centuries: | |
| Decades: | |
| Years: |
| 312 by topic |
|---|
| Leaders |
| Categories |
| Gregorian calendar | 312 CCCXII |
| Ab urbe condita | 1065 |
| Assyrian calendar | 5062 |
| Balinese saka calendar | 233–234 |
| Bengali calendar | −281 |
| Berber calendar | 1262 |
| Buddhist calendar | 856 |
| Burmese calendar | −326 |
| Byzantine calendar | 5820–5821 |
| Chinese calendar | 辛未年 (Metal Goat) 3009 or 2802 — to — 壬申年 (Water Monkey) 3010 or 2803 |
| Coptic calendar | 28–29 |
| Discordian calendar | 1478 |
| Ethiopian calendar | 304–305 |
| Hebrew calendar | 4072–4073 |
| Hindu calendars | |
| - Vikram Samvat | 368–369 |
| - Shaka Samvat | 233–234 |
| - Kali Yuga | 3412–3413 |
| Holocene calendar | 10312 |
| Iranian calendar | 310 BP – 309 BP |
| Islamic calendar | 320 BH – 319 BH |
| Javanese calendar | 192–193 |
| Julian calendar | 312 CCCXII |
| Korean calendar | 2645 |
| Minguo calendar | 1600 before ROC 民前1600年 |
| Nanakshahi calendar | −1156 |
| Seleucid era | 623/624 AG |
| Thai solar calendar | 854–855 |
| Tibetan calendar | 阴金羊年 (female Iron-Goat) 438 or 57 or −715 — to — 阳水猴年 (male Water-Monkey) 439 or 58 or −714 |
Year 312 (CCCXII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantinus and Licinianus (or, less frequently, year 1065 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 312 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
- Constantine the Great crosses the Cottian Alps with an army (40,000 men) and auxiliaries. He defeats Maxentius in three battles at Turin, Brescia and Verona. Maxentius's most senior commander Ruricius Pompeianus is killed during the fighting.
- October 28 – Battle of the Milvian Bridge: Constantine I defeats usurper Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge, becoming the only Roman emperor in the West. During the battle, he reportedly has a vision of a cross (labarum) with the phrase "in hoc signo vinces" ("In this sign you shall conquer").
- October 29 – Constantine I enters Rome; he stages a grand adventus in the city, and is met with popular jubilation. Maxentius' body is fished out of the Tiber and decapitated.
- Constantine I forges an alliance with co-emperor Licinius, and offers him his half-sister, Constantia, in marriage. The Praetorian Guard and Imperial Horse Guard (equites singulares Augusti) are disbanded.
- Construction begins on the Arch of Constantine in Rome. On a sculptural relief Constantine I addresses the people in the Roman Forum (approximate date).
By topic
Religion
- Constantine I adopts the words "in hoc signo vinces" as a motto, and has the letters X and P (the first letters of the Greek word Christ) emblazoned on the shields of his soldiers.
- The Council of Carthage supports Donatism, which espouses a rigorous application and interpretation of the sacraments. These doctrines will be condemned by the Council of Arles (314).
- Constantine I promotes a policy of state sponsorship of Christianity, perhaps even becoming a Christian himself (see Constantine the Great and Christianity).
Births
- Dao'an, Buddhist monk of the Jin dynasty (d. 385)
- Huan Wen, general of the Jin dynasty (d. 373)
Deaths
- October 28 – Maxentius, Roman emperor
- Guo Xiang, Chinese scholar of Xuanxue
- Huyan, empress of the Xiongnu state (Han Zhao)
- Ruricius Pompeianus, Roman praetorian prefect