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 readings, a line is required. History, on the other hand, requires time and space, while being a humanitarian science. For the scientist-historian, the measures of calculus 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 the reference point in determining all other factors. As a consequence of this, the chronological construction of events becomes the first and most important task in the work of the historian. He lines up the events known and studied by him in a clear line. Such a “time line” has its own direction, just as coordinate axes have their own direction in mathematics. And what the arrow on the timeline means, history, as a science, will now demonstrate itself.
Hourly or chronological sequence
If history consisted of a simple listing of events, even then a mechanism for ordering and rules for storing this data would be needed. But historical science has a much more important mission - to investigate, interpret, and determine the connection between various events. After all, everything in history has its own specific causes and entails certain consequences. And here the most significant criterion of our science is the ability to draw the right conclusions for both the present and the future.
When science was in its infancy, chronology was related to mathematics, and also, oddly enough, to astronomy. But closer to the 18th century, chronology, ironically, falls into the category of the humanities, but in essence remains an exact science. Thus, the concept of "timeline", being essentially a mathematical concept, falls into historical science, requiring at the same time good knowledge of mathematics from scientists.
What does the arrow on the timeline mean?
Since time never stops, i.e. runs or flows (as one prefers), it cannot be over, it always continues to infinity (at least we do not know this end and cannot know). As in mathematics, the time line in history is a coordinate axis, where infinity is indicated by an arrow. But there is another difficulty, which is one of the stumbling blocks: how to initially count the years in history? The line of time has not only no end, but also no beginning. Yes, and where to look for it? In creationworld, from the beginning of the reign of a monarch or the founding of a city, from the moment of the first written sources, holy books, or even from a cataclysm or other event? Or is it possible to choose any conditional moment to start the countdown?
From what point does the chronology begin?
In different eras, different peoples chose their own way of determining the beginning of the chronology. European civilization chose the birth of Jesus Christ as the beginning. And although, according to this, the whole world in every corner knows what day, month and year it is, there are peoples who remember and keep 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 eras.
What is an era?
Any reckoning is conducted from the starting point - the era (which means in Latin - the original number). Each nation in antiquity created for itself its own time reference system, based on the most important and most memorable event for itself. Such eras could last from a few 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 began in the development of society and man. It markedthe beginning of European civilization. But no matter what system we consider now, and at this point of the beginning of the reckoning, an absolute zero is obtained on the time line, here the line begins its countdown in its plus value. And it is conducted from zero to infinity along the arrow presented to us as a time line. Before our era, there were “dark times”, an ancient era, a time of pagans, ignorance and fear. And the line with an arrow leads away from the starting point of the reckoning in the opposite direction, counting from zero to infinity.
And what is "our era"?
It is curious 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 of Rome by his monk Dionysius. It sounded like "from the Year of the Lord." Today we say more simply: our era. Some historians date the beginning of the process of calculating the date of the birth of Christ, as well as determining the day of the celebration of Easter, as early as the 3rd century.
What is the timeline in history?
Someone will find this question incorrect, because the line always remains a straight line. But, oddly enough, the theory of time linearity is not the only one in the views of scientists. There are a number of time models. As the twentieth 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 repeats itself” 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 also theories where there is no progress of history at all.
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 own vision of the "time line". This applies to both ancient mythological views, religious beliefs, and modern Christian and scientific worldviews, as well as many philosophical theories of our time that affect the understanding of time.
But at the same time, philosophical views alienate ordinary citizens from the everyday understanding of our life. They are interesting and useful for scientists, but become a dangerous toy in the hands of a person looking for simple happiness. Such hobbies can provoke misinterpretation and use, and hence false conclusions and applications. Such theories need to be studied thoroughly and thoughtfully. And for happiness, it is enough to understand that the line of time is straight and even.
