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193| c. 400 BC–AD c. 250 | Central America [everyday life] | The Late Formative (or pre-Classic) period of Mayan culture takes place in Mexico. By 400 BC, large structures have been built at several sites in the tropical lowland jungle. In the highlands, people begin to put up large clay platforms, some the basis for temples and others for elite houses, flanking open plazas. | | c. 200 BC–AD c. 200 | South America [religion] | During this period the Nazca Lines are drawn in the desert along the south coast of Peru. These are enormous stylized outlines of animals, including a monkey, whale, spider, and hummingbird, and sets of parallel lines, some as long as 20 km/12 mi. They are believed to be a development of Chavín de Huantar art; they may have had religious significance, or they may have been connected with astronomy. | | c. 100–c. 200 | Central America [town planning] | Great building projects are carried out in the pre-Toltec city of Teotihuacán in the Mexican Basin. A great central avenue is laid out, now known as the Street of the Dead. The Temple of the Sun is also completed, dominating the Street of the Dead; at 65 m/216 ft, it is the highest pyramid in Mexico. Another slightly smaller pyramid, to the Moon, is also constructed. Twenty further temples line the avenue. | | 193 | Roman Empire [political events] | Helvius Pertinax, the Roman general, returns to Rome at the start of the year and is chosen emperor. However, he earns the displeasure of the soldiers for instituting much-needed economies and reforms and is murdered by members of the Praetorian Guard. The Praetorian Guard puts the throne up to the highest bidder. The rich Didius Julianus wins but survives only two months. The people of Rome, angered at the death of Pertinax, appeal to the legions in Britain, Syria, and Pannonia. | | 193 | Roman Empire [political events] | The Roman commander Septimius Severus arrives in Rome, by which time the Praetorian Guard has put the emperor Didius Julianus to death and the Senate has deified the former emperor Helvius Pertinax. Septimius Severus is declared Roman emperor. One of his first acts is to reorganize and subdue the Praetorian Guard. The Guard is demobilized and replaced with 15,000 legionary soldiers, to give Severus control in Italy while he deals with his rivals. Military service is made compulsory, but forbidden to citizens of Italy, thus giving more power to the provincial legionaries. A large number of the Senate are executed for having declared for Clodius Albinus, the Roman governor in Britain, instead of Severus. Once more, all power is taken from the Senate. The imperial throne becomes virtually a hereditary military monarchy. A Phoenician by birth, Severus has been well educated and has practised law as well as soldiering. Ulpian, a rising jurist, and the emperor's chief adviser, obligingly argues in defence of absolute power. |
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