135

Valentinus arrived here from Egypt and began a 3-decade teaching career. He was considered the greatest of the Gnostic teachers.

160? (165?)

Valentinus left the city around this time to return to Alexandria, Egypt.

1146

Followers of Arnold of Brescia staged an uprising which drove Pope Eugenius from the city and put Arnold in power.

1149

Pope Eugenius returned to Rome with an army to take the city back from Arnold of Brescia and his followers. Arnold and his allies were able to resist the pope's forces and remain in power another 5 years.

1154

Pope Hadrian IV enlisted the help of Frederick I Barbarossa of Germany to conquer Arnold of Brescia and his fellow heretics who had been holding power in Rome for 9 years.

1155 Arnold of Brescia was convicted of rebellion, hanged & burned at the stake, his ashes then scattered in the Tiber River.

1215

November 1215

The Fourth Lateran Council was convened by Pope Innocent III. The meeting had 3 main agenda items: (1) a redefinition of dogma; (2) the threat of the Albigensian (Cathar) heresy; and (3) the danger of unconverted Jews. After this all Jews were required to wear a badge of identification on their clothing.

1257

The Jews of the city were required to wear special badges.

1466

The city's Jews were forced to run humiliating races before jeering crowds in the Christian carnival. These races became an annual event over the next 200 years.

1581

Jacob Paleologus was convicted of heresy and executed.

1600

17 February 1600

Giordano Bruno was burned alive for heresy.