340

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Year 340 (CCCXL) 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 Acindynus and Valerius (or, less frequently, year 1093 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 340 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

• Constantinople, capital of Emperor Constantius II, becomes the largest city in the world, taking the lead from Rome, capital of his brother Constans I.^[1]
• Constantine II, Emperor of the central part of the Roman empire (the upper Danube, Italy and middle Africa), crosses the Alps and attacks the army of his brother Constans I, emperor of the western part of the Roman Empire (Britain, Gaul, the Rhine provinces and Iberia). They clash at Aquileia in northern Italy. Constantine is killed in a skirmish by an ambush of Constans' troops.
• Constans is left sole ruler of the Western Roman Empire, with his other brother, Constantius II, Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire.

By topic

Religion

• Pope Julius I inveighs against Arianism at the Council of Rome.
• Acacius succeeds Eusebius as bishop in the see of Caesarea.
• Wulfila spreads evangelism among the Goths for 7 years.

Births

• Aurelius Ambrose, bishop of Milan (approximate date)
• Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium (approximate date)
• Jerome, priest and Bible translator (approximate date)
• Justina, Roman empress (approximate date)
• Peter of Sebaste, bishop of Armenia (approximate date)
• Quintus Aurelius Symmachus, Roman consul and pagan (approximate date)

Deaths

• Constantine II, Roman emperor (b. 316)
• Macrina the Elder, saint and mother of Basil the Elder (approximate date)
• Yu Liang, general of the Jin Dynasty (b. 279)

References