Emperor
Justinian I offers to make peace with
Vitiges, but
Belisarius refuses to transmit the message. The
Ostrogoths then offer to support Belisarius as emperor of the West.
Belisarius consolidates
Italy and begins mopping-up operations, capturing the Gothic
fortifications. The cities
Ticinum and
Verona north of
River Po remain in Gothic hands.
King
Khosrau I, jealous of Justinian's victories in the West, receives an
embassy from the Ostrogoths at
Ctesiphon, urging him to act before the
Byzantines become too powerful.
Khosrau I captures Antioch after a fierce
siege; he systematically plunders the city to the extent that
marble statues and
mosaics are transported to
Persia.[2]
Cassiodorus, former
Roman statesman, establishes a
monastery at his
estate in Italy. The Vivarium "monastery school" is for highly
educated and sophisticated men, who copy
sacred and secular
manuscripts, intending for this to be their sole occupation (approximate date).
Autumn –
Totila is elected king by the
Ostrogothic nobles after the death of his uncle
Ildibad. He wins the support of the
lower classes by liberating
slaves and distributing land to the peasants.
Lazic War – Justinian I sends a Byzantine army (30,000 men) to
Armenia. The
Persians, severely outnumbered, are forced to retreat, but at
Dvin the
Byzantines are defeated by a force of 4,000 men in an
ambush, and are completely routed.[13]
Battle of Mucellium: Totila marches down into
Tuscany and defeats the Byzantines at
Florence, in the valley of
Mugello. He treats his prisoners well, and many are induced to join his
banner.
Spring –
Siege of Naples (542–543): The
Byzantine garrison (1,000 men) in
Naples surrenders to the
Ostrogoths, pressed by
famine and demoralized by the failure of two relief efforts. The defenders are well treated by King
Totila, and the garrison is allowed safe departure, but the
city walls are partly razed.[16]
Africa
The fortress city of
Old Dongola (modern
Sudan) along the River
Nile becomes the capital of the
Kingdom of Makuria. Several
churches are built, including the "Old Church" (approximate date).
King
Khosrau I unsuccessfully attacks the Byzantine fortress city of
Dara. The
siege of Edessa is repulsed, and the
Persians are forced into a stalemate.
Battle of
Cillium: A medium-sized Byzantine army under
Solomon is defeated by the
Moors on the border of
Numidia. Solomon and his bodyguard are forced to retreat and are later killed.[19][20][21]
Asia
February –
Lý Bí is declared emperor and establishes the empire Van Xuân (modern
Vietnam). His armies repel attacks from the kingdom of
Champa.
October – The
Liang dynasty retaliates against Van Xuân, and sends an imperial army (120,000 men) under
Chen Baxian to re-occupy the region.
Winter – Pope Vigilius arrives in
Constantinople, to meet with Emperor
Justinian I. The future
Pope Pelagius is sent by Totila to negotiate with Justinian.
Lazic War: King
Gubazes II revolts against the
Persians, and requests aid from Justinian I. He sends a Byzantine expeditionary force (8,000 men) to
Lazica (modern
Georgia).
Gubazes II besieges the fortress of
Petra, located on the
Black Sea. The Persian army under
Mermeroes defeats a small Byzantine force guarding the mountain passes, and relieves Petra.
Mermeroes stations a
garrison of 3,000 men in the stronghold of Petra, and marches to
Armenia. The
Persians, lacking sufficient supplies, secure the supply routes and plunder Lazica.
Totila conquers the city of
Perugia (
Central Italy) and stations a
Gothic garrison. He takes bishop
Herculanus prisoner, and orders him to be completely
flayed. The Ostrogoth soldier asked to perform this gruesome execution shows pity, and
decapitates Herculanus before the
skin on every part of his body is removed.[27]
March 21, death of twin brother of St Scholastica,
Saint Benedict, famous for building the Monastery of Mt Cassino and for his Benedictine Monastic Rule, Patron Saint of Europe, dies
^Baillie, M.G.L. (2007). Tree-Rings Indicate Global Environmental Downturns that could have been Caused by Comet Debris, Chap. 5 in Bobrowsky, Peter T. and Hans Rickman (eds.), Comet/Asteroid Impacts and Human Society: An Interdisciplinary Approach, Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
ISBN3-540-32709-6, pp. 105–122.
^Isidore of Seville, Historia de regibus Gothorum, Vandalorum et Suevorum, chapter 44. Translation by Guido Donini and Gordon B. Ford, Isidore of Seville's History of the Goths, Vandals, and Suevi, second revised edition (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1970), p.21
Emperor
Justinian I offers to make peace with
Vitiges, but
Belisarius refuses to transmit the message. The
Ostrogoths then offer to support Belisarius as emperor of the West.
Belisarius consolidates
Italy and begins mopping-up operations, capturing the Gothic
fortifications. The cities
Ticinum and
Verona north of
River Po remain in Gothic hands.
King
Khosrau I, jealous of Justinian's victories in the West, receives an
embassy from the Ostrogoths at
Ctesiphon, urging him to act before the
Byzantines become too powerful.
Khosrau I captures Antioch after a fierce
siege; he systematically plunders the city to the extent that
marble statues and
mosaics are transported to
Persia.[2]
Cassiodorus, former
Roman statesman, establishes a
monastery at his
estate in Italy. The Vivarium "monastery school" is for highly
educated and sophisticated men, who copy
sacred and secular
manuscripts, intending for this to be their sole occupation (approximate date).
Autumn –
Totila is elected king by the
Ostrogothic nobles after the death of his uncle
Ildibad. He wins the support of the
lower classes by liberating
slaves and distributing land to the peasants.
Lazic War – Justinian I sends a Byzantine army (30,000 men) to
Armenia. The
Persians, severely outnumbered, are forced to retreat, but at
Dvin the
Byzantines are defeated by a force of 4,000 men in an
ambush, and are completely routed.[13]
Battle of Mucellium: Totila marches down into
Tuscany and defeats the Byzantines at
Florence, in the valley of
Mugello. He treats his prisoners well, and many are induced to join his
banner.
Spring –
Siege of Naples (542–543): The
Byzantine garrison (1,000 men) in
Naples surrenders to the
Ostrogoths, pressed by
famine and demoralized by the failure of two relief efforts. The defenders are well treated by King
Totila, and the garrison is allowed safe departure, but the
city walls are partly razed.[16]
Africa
The fortress city of
Old Dongola (modern
Sudan) along the River
Nile becomes the capital of the
Kingdom of Makuria. Several
churches are built, including the "Old Church" (approximate date).
King
Khosrau I unsuccessfully attacks the Byzantine fortress city of
Dara. The
siege of Edessa is repulsed, and the
Persians are forced into a stalemate.
Battle of
Cillium: A medium-sized Byzantine army under
Solomon is defeated by the
Moors on the border of
Numidia. Solomon and his bodyguard are forced to retreat and are later killed.[19][20][21]
Asia
February –
Lý Bí is declared emperor and establishes the empire Van Xuân (modern
Vietnam). His armies repel attacks from the kingdom of
Champa.
October – The
Liang dynasty retaliates against Van Xuân, and sends an imperial army (120,000 men) under
Chen Baxian to re-occupy the region.
Winter – Pope Vigilius arrives in
Constantinople, to meet with Emperor
Justinian I. The future
Pope Pelagius is sent by Totila to negotiate with Justinian.
Lazic War: King
Gubazes II revolts against the
Persians, and requests aid from Justinian I. He sends a Byzantine expeditionary force (8,000 men) to
Lazica (modern
Georgia).
Gubazes II besieges the fortress of
Petra, located on the
Black Sea. The Persian army under
Mermeroes defeats a small Byzantine force guarding the mountain passes, and relieves Petra.
Mermeroes stations a
garrison of 3,000 men in the stronghold of Petra, and marches to
Armenia. The
Persians, lacking sufficient supplies, secure the supply routes and plunder Lazica.
Totila conquers the city of
Perugia (
Central Italy) and stations a
Gothic garrison. He takes bishop
Herculanus prisoner, and orders him to be completely
flayed. The Ostrogoth soldier asked to perform this gruesome execution shows pity, and
decapitates Herculanus before the
skin on every part of his body is removed.[27]
March 21, death of twin brother of St Scholastica,
Saint Benedict, famous for building the Monastery of Mt Cassino and for his Benedictine Monastic Rule, Patron Saint of Europe, dies
^Baillie, M.G.L. (2007). Tree-Rings Indicate Global Environmental Downturns that could have been Caused by Comet Debris, Chap. 5 in Bobrowsky, Peter T. and Hans Rickman (eds.), Comet/Asteroid Impacts and Human Society: An Interdisciplinary Approach, Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
ISBN3-540-32709-6, pp. 105–122.
^Isidore of Seville, Historia de regibus Gothorum, Vandalorum et Suevorum, chapter 44. Translation by Guido Donini and Gordon B. Ford, Isidore of Seville's History of the Goths, Vandals, and Suevi, second revised edition (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1970), p.21