415 Explained

Year 415 (CDXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Honorius and Theodosius (or, less frequently, year 1168 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 415 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

• Constantius, Roman general (magister militum), drives the Visigoths out of Gaul. He captures the usurper Priscus Attalus, and sends him under military escort to Ravenna.
• The Visigoths invade the Iberian Peninsula and begin to conquer territory taken previously by the Vandals. King Ataulf and his pregnant wife Galla Placidia leave Gallia Narbonensis; they relocate at Barcelona. Their infant son, Theodosius, dies in infancy, eliminating an opportunity for a Roman-Visigothic line. Ataulf is assassinated in the palace while taking a bath. Sigeric succeeds him, but after a reign of seven days he is also murdered.
• Autumn  - Wallia, brother of Ataulf, becomes king of the Visigoths. He accepts a peace treaty with emperor Honorius, in return for a supply of 600,000 measures of grain. After the negotiations he sends Placidia to Rome with hostages.

Asia

• March 18  - The Daysan River floods Edessa (Mesopotamia).

By topic

Religion

• Hypatia of Alexandria, Neoplatonist philosopher, is murdered by a Christian mob of Nitrian monks at the church (former temple conceived by Cleopatra VII) called Caesareum.
• Having driven out the Jews, Alexandria's new patriarch, Cyril, has instigated the mob after taking offense at Hypatia's scientific rationalism (approximate date).
• John Cassian, Christian theologian, settles at a monastery in Marseille (Gaul); he organizes monastic communities after an eastern model.^[1]
• The Eustathian schism in Antioch is healed (approximate date).

Births

• Euric, king of the Visigoths (d. 484)
• Tonantius Ferreolus, prefect of Gaul (approximate date)

Deaths

• Athaulf, king of the Visigoths
• Chandragupta II, emperor of the Gupta Empire (India)
• Hypatia of Alexandria, female Neoplatonist philosopher
• Sigeric, king of the Visigoths
• Thermantia, Roman empress
• Tufa Rutan, prince of the Southern Liang (b. 365)

Notes and References

1. Dunn. Geoffrey. Cassian in Syria?: The Evidence of Innocent I. Vigiliae Christianae. 69. 1. 2015. 3—17. 10.1163/15700720-12341224. 0042-6032. 2263/44105. free.