276

By place

Roman Empire

• Emperor Tacitus doubles the silver content of the aurelianianus and halves its tariffing to 2.5 d.c. carry the value marks X.I.
• Marcus Annius Florianus defeats the Goths and Alans who have invaded Asia Minor. Tacitus dies of illness or is murdered at Tyana in Cappadocia.
• Florianus becomes Roman Emperor; he breaks off his campaign against the Heruli and marches from the Bosporus with support from the Roman legions in Britain, Gaul, Spain and Italy to fight an indecisive battle with Marcus Aurelius Probus in Cilicia.
• Florianus holds power for some weeks, but is assassinated by his own troops near Tarsus. Probus, age 44, is proclaimed new Emperor of Rome.
• Probus appoints Marcus Aurelius Carus to Prefect of the Praetorian Guard; he returns the aurelianianus to the standard and official tariffing of Aurelian.

  Persia

• King Bahram I of Persia dies after a 3-year reign in which the Zoroastrian priests at Ctesiphon put pressure on him to persecute Buddhists, Christians, and Manichaeans. He is succeeded by his son Bahram II.

  Sri Lanka

• Reign of Mahasena in Ceylon. Orthodox and unpopular, he tries to introduce Mahayana Buddhism to the country.