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220 - Abdication of the last Han Emperor, China is thrown into the chaotic Three Kingdoms, not ending for 60 years.
235 - Emperor Severus is murdered by disaffected soldiers, which leads directly to the Crisis of the Third Century, a fifty year period of plague, invasion, and Civil War

280 - The Jin Dynasty succeeds in re-uniting China proper
284 - Diocletian rises to the Roman Imperial throne, bringing an end to the Crisis

Over the course of the fourth century, the Jin dynasty slowly loses ground to invading barbarians and rival kingdoms in northern China, leading to the '16 Kingdoms' era. By 420 the Jin Dynasty, now limited to southern China, finally collapses into a succession of Southern Dynasties.

By the late fourth century, the Roman Empire's borders are becoming less and less secure, eventually leading to the Gothic victory at Adrianople and the establishment of the first client state on formerly Roman soil. Throughout the fifth century these client states would multiply in number until most of the Western Empire is ruled by Germans. In 476, the last Western Emperor is deposed and replaced by a German king.

In the late sixth century, through a combination of political intrigue and outright military force, the Sui dynasty manages to successfully reunite China.

In the early sixth century, Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian manages to successfully reincorporate Italia, North Africa, and part of Hispania into the Empire.

As China moves into the seventh century, increasing unrest and rebellion once more throws the Middle Kingdom into chaos.

Around the same time, nearly apocolyptic wars against Persia allow the Roman Empire to be blind-sided by the newly united Muslim Arabs, to whom they lose Syria, Palestine, and Egypt, as well as North Africa and Spain later on. Italy has already been mostly lost to encroaching Lombards and the Balkans to invading Slavs and Avars.

It seems odd that, for two empires on opposite ends of Eurasia, to share fortunes so closely. The ups and downs of the two always occur in the same half century, and usually occur within a decade or two of each other. I'd go further, because there are still some parallels all the way up to the Mongols, but it's less secure of a comparison when it's 'just' the Byzantine Empire, rather than the ERE.

There's definitely some variance, up to about half a century as I said, but it's almost uncanny how close they occur in the grand historical scheme of things. What possible reason could there be for this? Might international trade have been more important in the ancient world than has been thought? Might trade disruptions along the civilized belt of Eurasia causes things like the Roman hyperinflation that preceded (or caused) the Crisis of the Third Century? Might trade disruptions have set the scene for all the various military, political, and demographic crisises we see over the later history of Eurasia?
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