July 19: EOW fears of the 5th Century

A solar eclipse occurred in Europe on this date in 418 CE. Combined with a number of troubling events in the early fifth century, the event fueled general end-times speculation.

• Eight years prior, Rome had finally fallen to the Visigoths - and the city's next conqueror, the Vandal Genseric, would be identified as the Beast 666 by Victorinus of Pettau.
• In Spain and the near east, mystics claimed to be reincarnations of Elijah and John the Baptist (the "two witnesses" of Revelation [see July 14]).
• An earthquake in Palestine around the time was also interpreted as the shaking of the Earth after the breaking of the sixth seal in Revelation.
• No less an authority than Saint Augustine reported on apocalyptic predictions that were circulating for the year 500.
• Atilla the Hun's raids through Europe occurred in this period as well, drawing comparison to the armies of "Gog and Magog".

The once-widespread notion has been debunked that Europe was gripped by apocalyptic terror as the year 1000 approached. However, the year 500 does seem to have inspired a fair amount of hysteria.