Editing 2nd century

{{Short description|One hundred years, from 101 to 200}}
{{more citations needed|date=July 2019}}
{{Centurybox|2}}
{{Multiple image
| image_style = border:none;
| perrow = 3/3/3
| image1 = Hadrian's_wall_at_Greenhead_Lough.jpg
| image4 = Harvestermountainlord.jpg
| image7 = Antioch_in_Syria_engraving_by_William_Miller_after_H_Warren.jpg
| image2 = Knesset_Menorah_P5200010_Bar_Kochvah.JPG
| image5 = Antoninus_Wall_near_Bar_Hill.jpg
| image8 = Column_of_Marcus_Aurelius_-_detail4.jpg
| image3 = Roman_Empire_125.png
| image9 = Year_of_the_Five_Emperors.png
| image10 = Grand_Anicut,_Kallanai_(11876067114).jpg
| total_width=340}}

[[File:World in 100 CE.PNG|thumb|350x350px|Map of the world in 100 AD.]]
[[File:World in 200 CE.PNG|thumb|350x350px|Map of the world in 200 AD, at the end of the second century.]]

The '''2nd century''' is the period from AD 101 (represented by the [[Roman numerals]] CI) through AD 200 (CC) in accordance with the [[Julian calendar]]. It is considered part of the [[Classical era]], epoch, or [[History by period|historical period]].

Early in the century, the [[Roman Empire]] attained its greatest expansion under the emperor [[Trajan]], but after his death became primarily defensive for the rest of its history. Much prosperity took place throughout the empire at this time, ruled as it was by the "[[Nerva–Antonine dynasty#Five Good Emperors|Five Good Emperors]]", a succession of well-received and able rulers. This period also saw the removal of the [[Jew]]s from [[Jerusalem]] during the reign of [[Hadrian]] after [[Bar Kokhba's revolt]].

The last quarter of the century saw the end of the period of peace and prosperity known as the [[Pax Romana]] at the death of the emperor [[Marcus Aurelius]], last of the "[[Nerva–Antonine dynasty#Five Good Emperors|Five Good Emperors]]", and the ascension of [[Commodus]]. After Commodus was murdered in 192, a turbulent period known as the [[Year of the Five Emperors]] ensued. After the quick successive removals of [[Pertinax]] and [[Didius Julianus]] from power, this period had the general-turned-emperor [[Septimius Severus]], who was the founder of the [[Severan dynasty]], pitted against rival claimants in the form of [[Pescennius Niger]]. Severus' forces defeated the rival claimants at the [[Battle of Issus (194)|Battle of Issus]] in 194, and [[Clodius Albinus]], whom he defeated at the [[Battle of Lugdunum]] in 197, granting Severus sole authority over the empire.{{sfn|Sidebottom|2005|p=326}}

Although the [[Han dynasty]] of [[China]] was firmly cemented into power and extended its imperial influence into [[Central Asia]] during the first half of the century, by the second half [[Ten Attendants|there was widespread corruption]] and [[Yellow Turban Rebellion|open rebellion]]. This led to its decline, and in September 189, the Han general [[Dong Zhuo]], after being summoned to the capital by [[He Jin]] to help quell the corrupt and powerful [[Ten Attendants|eunuch faction]] by serving as an intimidator to both them and the [[Empress He (Han dynasty)|Empress Dowager]], marched his army into [[Luoyang]] in light of He Jin's assassination and the subsequent slaughter of the eunuchs, taking over the capital and effectively becoming the ''de facto'' head of the government.

Warlords and government officials quickly took against him [[Campaign against Dong Zhuo|in a campaign]] that, while failing to put him down, compelled Dong Zhuo to shift the seat of imperial power further west to [[Chang'an]]. As Dong Zhuo was killed in 192, the chaos in the wake of the collapse of centralized authority only continued, with various warlords attempting to vie for supremacy in order to establish or hold onto their authority within the decaying empire. Meanwhile, Dong Zhuo's former followers [[Li Jue (Han dynasty)|Li Jue]] and [[Guo Si]] were left to squabble amongst themselves, while [[Emperor Xian of Han|Emperor Xian]] himself fled and returned to the ravaged city of Luoyang. In 196, he was given refuge by the warlord [[Cao Cao]], who relocated him to the new capital city of [[Xuchang|Xu]], from where he could control the emperor. Cao Cao would further exert his authority by defeating the powerful warlord [[Yuan Shao]] at the decisive [[Battle of Guandu]] in 200.

==Events==
[[Image:Hadrian's wall at Greenhead Lough.jpg|thumb|upright|Pieces of [[Hadrian's Wall]] remain near Greenhead and along the route, though large sections have been dismantled over the years to use the stones for various nearby construction projects.]]
[[Image:Harvestermountainlord.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[La Mojarra Stela 1]], from [[Veracruz]], Mexico, made by the [[Epi-Olmec culture]] in 156.]]
[[File:Mummy portrait of a woman, AD 120-150, Roman Egypt, wax encaustic painting on sycamore wood, Liebieghaus, Frankfurt am Main (22763142494).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Fayum mummy portraits|Funeral portrait]] of a woman, [[Faiyum]] in [[Roman Egypt]]]]
*[[AD 96]] – [[180]]: [[Nerva–Antonine dynasty#Five Good Emperors|Five Good Emperors]] of Rome: [[Nerva]], [[Trajan]], [[Hadrian]], [[Antoninus Pius]] and [[Marcus Aurelius]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Five-Good-Emperors|title=Five Good Emperors {{!}} Summary, Accomplishments, History, & Facts|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|access-date=2019-07-18}}</ref>
*[[AD 100|100]] – [[200]]: The [[Kallanai Dam|Grand Anicut]], an ancient dam, is constructed by a [[Chola dynasty|Chola]] king.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thecivilengineer.org/online-historical-database-of-civil-infrastructure/item/382-kallanai-dam-grand-anicut|title=Kallanai Dam (Grand Anicut) - TheCivilEngineer.org|last=Martin|first=Rebecca|website=www.thecivilengineer.org|language=en-gb|access-date=2019-07-18}}</ref>
*[[AD 101|101]] – [[AD 102|102]], [[AD 105|105]] – [[AD 106|106]]: The [[Trajan's Dacian Wars|Dacian Wars]]. After two conflicts, [[Dacia]] is annexed as a [[Roman province]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/trajan-column/article.html|title=Trajan's Amazing Column|website=www.nationalgeographic.com|access-date=2019-07-18}}</ref>
*[[AD 114|114]] – [[AD 116|116]]: A war with [[Parthian Empire|Parthia]] results in [[Armenia (Roman province)|Armenia]] and [[Mesopotamia (Roman province)|Mesopotamia]] being temporarily annexed into the [[Roman Empire]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Lightfoot|first=C.S.|date=1990|title=Trajan's Parthian War and the Fourth-Century Perspective|journal=The Journal of Roman Studies|volume=80|pages=115–126|jstor=300283|doi=10.2307/300283}}</ref>
*[[AD 115|115]] – [[AD 117|117]]: [[Kitos War]], adjunct to the [[Jewish–Roman wars]].
*[[AD 122|122]] – [[AD 132|132]]: [[Hadrian's Wall]] is built across what is now Northern England.
*[[AD 127|127]] – [[AD 140|140]]: The [[Kushan Empire|Kushan]] ruler [[Kanishka]] ruled present-day Pakistan and northern India.
*[[AD 132|132]] – [[AD 135|135]]: [[Bar Kokhba's revolt]] against Rome.
*[[AD 132|132]]: Chinese chronicles described the existence of diplomatic relations between [[Java]] and China.
*[[AD 140|140]] – [[180]]: [[Huvishka]], [[Kushan Empire|Kushan]] ruler.
*[[AD 142|142]] – [[154]]: The [[Antonine Wall]] is built across what is now central [[Scotland]].
*[[AD 144|144]]: [[Marcion]], rejected by Church of Rome, founds [[Marcionism]].
*[[161]] – [[166]]: [[Roman–Parthian War of 161–166]].
*[[165]] – [[180]]: The [[Antonine Plague]] in Rome.
*[[166]] – [[180]]: [[Marcomannic Wars]].
*[[166]] – [[184]]: [[Disasters of the Partisan Prohibitions]].
*[[180]] – [[192]]: Reign of [[Commodus]], [[Roman emperor]].
*[[184]] – [[205]]: The [[Yellow Turban Rebellion]] of the [[Han dynasty]] in China begins.
*[[184]] – [[189]]: The [[Liang Province Rebellion]] breakouts in northwest China.
*[[189]] – [[220]]: The [[end of the Han dynasty]].
*[[190]] – [[191]]: [[Warlord]]s across China launches a [[campaign against Dong Zhuo]].
*[[193]]: [[Year of the Five Emperors]] of Rome: [[Pertinax]], [[Didius Julianus]], [[Pescennius Niger]], [[Clodius Albinus]] and [[Septimius Severus]].
*[[193]] – [[211]]: Reign of the Roman emperor [[Septimius Severus]].
*The [[Kingdom of Aksum]] emerges.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aksum {{!}} ancient kingdom, Africa |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Aksum-ancient-kingdom-Africa |access-date=2019-07-18 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |language=en}}</ref>
*Herakleitos makes ''The Unswept Floor'', mosaic variant of a 2nd-century BC painting by [[Hellenistic art#Paintings and mosaics|Sosos]] of [[Pergamon]]. It is now kept at the [[Vatican Museums|Musei Vaticani]] in [[Rome]].
*2nd or 3rd century – Standing Buddha, from [[Gandhara]], Pakistan, is constructed during the [[Kushan period]]. It is now kept at [[Lahore Museum]], [[Lahore]].

==Inventions, discoveries, introductions==
{{see also|Timeline of historic inventions#2nd century}}
* [[AD 105|105]]: [[Cai Lun]] of China invents paper in its modern form.
*[[AD 125|125]]: [[Zhang Heng]] of China invents the world's first [[hydraulics|water-powered]] [[armillary sphere]].
*[[AD 132|132]]: Zhang Heng of China invents first [[seismometer]] to detect the [[cardinal direction]] of [[earthquake]]s.
*[[Ptolemy]] compiles a catalogue of all stars visible to the naked eye. He also compiles three of the most influential books in western history:
**the [[Almagest]], which becomes the basis for western and [[Astronomy in medieval Islam|Middle Eastern astronomy]] until the time of [[Nicolaus Copernicus]] and [[Johannes Kepler]].
**the astrological treatise [[Tetrabiblos]].
**the [[Geographia (Ptolemy)|Geographia]].
*[[Arabic numerals|Hindu number system]]: It was developed in the Indian subcontinent between the 1st and 6th centuries CE.
* Carding devices: The earliest evidence for using bow-instruments for [[carding]] comes from India.

== References ==
{{Reflist|}}{{Navboxes
|title = {{hlist|Millennia|Centuries|Decades|Years}}
|state=collapsed
|list =
{{Decades and years}}
{{Centuries}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

* {{cite journal |last1=Sidebottom |first1=Harry |authorlink1=Harry Sidebottom |title=Roman Imperialism: The Changed Outward Trajectory of the Roman Empire |journal=Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte |date=2005 |volume=54 |issue=3 |pages=315–330 |jstor=4436777 }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2nd Century}}
[[Category:2nd century| ]]
[[Category:1st millennium]]
[[Category:Centuries|02nd century]]