Milan, called Mediolanum by the Romans, is traditionally said to have been founded by the Insubres, a Celtic people who settled in the Po plain. Rome conquered the area in 222 BCE, and the city grew into a major centre in northern Italy. In 286 CE the emperor Diocletian made Maximian his colleague in the west, and Milan became the capital of the western empire. The Edict of Milan of 313, issued by Constantine and Licinius, granted tolerance to Christians, and Bishop Ambrose later made the city an important religious centre. Under the Visconti and Sforza families it prospered in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and construction of its great Gothic cathedral began in 1386. Today it is Italy's financial and fashion capital.
Before and after
- 7th century BCERise of Nyaya
- c. 601 BCEThe Lydians mint the first coins
- c. 600s BCEPhoenician sailors circumnavigate Africa, according to Herodotus
- from 600 BCE to 500 BCEArchaic Greece
- 600 BCEFounding of Milan
- 600 BCEBirth of Cyrus the Great
- from 16 March 597 BCE to 1 January 538 BCEBabylonian captivity
- c. 595 BCESolon reforms Athens
- from 589 BCE to 587 BCESiege of Jerusalem
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- c. 1,274 BCEConstruction of Abu Simbel
- from 8th century BCE to 3rd centuryClassical antiquity
- from 351 BCE to 1494Construction of Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
- 248 BCEConstruction of Terracotta Army
- 200 BCEOrigins of Nazca Lines
- from 375 CE to 568 CEMigration Period
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 6th century BCE.