History, like any other science, adheres to accuracy and requires confirmation of all its judgments. For calculus (as, for example, in mathematics) and for any samples, its own line is required. History, however, requires time and space, being at the same time a humanitarian science. For a historian, the calculus measures are space (what? Where?) And time (when?). For him, as for no one else, the countdown (namely, a clear indication of the date) is the highest priority. This is a reference point in determining all other factors. As a consequence of this, the chronological construction of events becomes the first and important task in the work of the historian. He builds well-known and studied events in a clear line. Such a “time line” has its own direction, as in mathematics the coordinate axes have their direction. And what the arrow on the time line means , history, as a science, will demonstrate now itself.
Sentinel, or chronological, sequences
If the story consisted of a simple enumeration of events, even then the ordering mechanism and the rules for storing this data would be necessary. But historical science has a much more important mission - to investigate, interpret, determine the relationship of various events. After all, everything in history has its own specific causes and entails certain consequences. And here, the most significant criterion for our science is the ability to draw the right conclusions for both the present and the future.
When science was just in its infancy, chronology was related to mathematics and, oddly enough, to astronomy. But closer to the XVIII century, chronology, ironically, falls into the category of the humanities, but in essence remains an exact science. Thus, the concept of “time line”, being in essence a mathematical concept, falls into historical science, while demanding good knowledge of mathematics from scientists.
What does the arrow on the timeline mean?
Since time never stops, that is, it runs or flows (as anyone likes it), it cannot be finished, it always continues to infinity (at least we do not know this and cannot know). As in mathematics, the time line in history is the coordinate axis, where infinity is indicated by an arrow. But there is one more difficulty, which is one of the stumbling blocks: how to initially keep track of the years in history? The timeline has not only an end, but also a beginning. And where is it to be found? In the creation of the world, from the beginning of the reign of the monarch or the foundation of the city, from the moment of the first written sources, holy books, or even from a cataclysm or other event? Or can you choose any conditional moment to start the countdown?
At what point does the reckoning begin?
In different eras, different peoples chose for themselves their own way of determining the beginning of the reckoning. European civilization, however, chose for itself the birth of Jesus Christ. And although, according to this, the whole world in any corner knows what date, month and year today, there are peoples who remember and conduct a parallel countdown according to ancient national traditions.
It is known that there were more than two hundred eras in the world that have nothing in common in their origin. The most famous of them are identified today by their name: for example, the Byzantine, Antiochian, Alexandrian era.
What is an era?
Any reckoning is conducted from the reference point - the era (which means in translation from Latin - the original number). Each people in antiquity created for itself its own time frame, based on the most important and most memorable event for itself. Such eras could last from several to a thousand years.
The Christian church naturally considered the birth of Jesus Christ to be such an initial number, focusing on the fact that a new, qualitatively different period had begun in the development of society and man. This marked the beginning of European civilization. But no matter what system we would now consider, and at this point in the beginning of the reckoning, an absolute zero is obtained on the time line , here the line begins in its positive value. And it is conducted from zero to infinity in the direction of the arrow, presented to us as a time line. BC, there were "dark times", the ancient era, the time of the Gentiles, ignorance and fear. And the line with the arrow leads away from the starting point of the chronology in the opposite direction, leading its count from zero to infinity.
And what is “our era”?
Curious is the fact that our chronology was introduced not from the beginning of our era, but much later. It is believed that the introduction of the era from the Nativity of Christ occurred only in 525, under the Pope by his monk Dionysius. It sounded like "from the Year of the Lord." Today we say simpler: our era. Some historians began the process of calculating the date of birth of Christ, as well as determining the day of the celebration of Easter, date back to the III century.
What is the time line in history?
Such a question would seem incorrect to someone, because the line always remains a straight line. But, strangely enough, the theory of linearity of time is not the only one in the views of scientists. There are a number of time models. As the 20th century proved, space can be refracted, distorted, rounded, etc. The same can be said about time. The time line can become a circle, a spiral, a parabola, etc. For example, the well-known phrase that “everything in this world is repeated” is a confirmation that time moves in a circle (cyclic time). If we add the concept of “progress” to this circle, then the circular movement turns into a spiral, that is, movement in a circle with progressive progress. But there are theories where the progress of history is generally absent.
Philosophy of history
With the development of modern science, the problem of time has become a key issue in the philosophy of history, defining a number of concepts of history. Without going into details and details, it is worth noting that any worldview forms its vision of the “time line”. This applies to both ancient mythological views, religious beliefs, and the modern Christian and scientific worldviews, as well as many philosophical theories of our time, affecting the understanding of time.
But along with this, philosophical views alienate ordinary citizens from the everyday understanding of our life. They are interesting and useful for scientists, but they become a dangerous toy in the hands of a person seeking simple happiness. Such hobbies can provoke misinterpretation and use, and hence false conclusions and applications. To study such theories must be thorough and deliberate. And for happiness it’s enough to understand that the time line is straight and even.