The churches of
Lazica (
Georgia) and
Armenia split. While the
Armenian Church remains independent, the Georgian church unites with the
Byzantine Empire. This
ecclesiastical union deepens political and cultural contact between the two states. As a sign of Lazica's status vis-à-vis Byzantium, Lazic princes are vested with
honorific titles of the Byzantine court, including kouropalates, or "minister of the imperial palace" (approximate date).
Gothic War: Narses arrives in
Venetia and discovers that a powerful
Gothic-
Frank army (50,000 men), under joint command of the kings
Totila and
Theudebald, has blocked the principal route to the
Po Valley. Not wishing to engage such a formidable force and confident that the Franks would avoid a direct confrontation, Narses skirts the
lagoons along the Adriatic shore, by using vessels to
leapfrog his army from point to point along the coast. In this way he arrives at the capital
Ravenna without encountering any opposition. He attacks and crushes a small
Gothic force at Ariminum (modern
Rimini).
Autumn –
Xiao Dong, great-nephew of the rebellious general
Hou Jing, succeeds
Jianwen Di as emperor of the
Liang Dynasty. Xiao Dong has no real power and Hou Jing controls the imperial government at the capital
Jiankang.
July 1 –
Battle of Taginae:
Narses crosses the
Apennines with a Byzantine army (25,000 men). He is blocked by a
Gothic force under king
Totila near
Taginae (
Central Italy). In a narrow mountain valley, Narses deploys his army in a "crescent shaped" formation.[8] He dismounts his
Lombard and
Heruli cavalry mercenaries, placing them as a
phalanx in the centre. On his left flank he sends out a mixed force of foot and
horse archers to seize a dominant height. The Goths open the battle with a determined
cavalry charge. Halted by
enfilading fire from both sides, the attackers are thrown back in confusion on the infantry behind them. The Byzantine
cataphracts (Clibanarii) sweep into the milling mass. More than 6,000 Goths, including Totila, are killed. The remnants flee, and Narses proceeds to
Rome, where he captures the city after a brief
siege.
Emperor
Justinian I dispatches a small Byzantine force (2,000 men) under
Liberius to
Hispania, according to the historian
Jordanes. He conquers
Cartagena and other cities on the southeastern coast.[9]
The
Ostrogothic Kingdom ends after 60 years of rule in
Italy. The
Goths are allowed to return to their homes in peace and (re)settle in modern-day
Austria. Some 7,000 people retreat to
Campsas (Southern
Gaul), and resist with minimal help from the
Franks against the
Byzantines until
554.
Gothic War: Frankish invasion — Two
Frankish-
Alemanni dukes, brothers Lothair and Buccelin, cross the
Alps from
Germany with a force of 75,000 men, mostly Frankish infantry. In the
Po Valley, they win an easy victory over a much smaller Byzantine force at
Parma, and are joined by remnants of the Gothic armies, bringing the total strength of the invaders to about 90,000 men. Narses, gathering his forces as quickly as possible, marches north to harass the Franks, but is not strong enough to engage them in battle. In
Samnium (
Southern Italy) the brothers divide their forces: Lothaire goes down the east coast, then returns to the north, to winter in the Po Valley. Buccelin follows the west coast into
Calabria, where he spends the winter — his army being seriously wasted by
attrition and disease.
Asia
King
Seong of Baekje attacks the kingdoms of
Goguryeo and
Silla. However, under a secret agreement, Silla troops attack the exhausted
Baekje army, and take possession of the entire
Han River valley.
October –
Battle of the Volturnus: In the spring Butilinus (Buccelin) has marched north; the Frankish army (infected by an
epidemic of
dysentery which kills their leader Leutharis (Lothair)) is reduced to about 30,000 men. The
Byzantine army, with 18,000 men (including a contingent of
Goths under
Aligern), marches south to meet them at
Casilinum (on the banks of the
River Volturno). Byzantine eunuch general
Narses sends a cavalry force under
Chanaranges to destroy the supply wagons of the
Franks. Outmanoeuvring Butilinus, he chooses a disposition similar to that at
Taginae. After a
frontal assault on the Byzantine centre, the Franks and the
Alamanni are annihilated, thus effectively ending the
Gothic War (535–554). Narses garrisons an army of 16,000 men in
Italy. The recovery of the
Italian Peninsula has cost the empire about 300,000 pounds of gold.[13]
Europe
Byzantine forces under Liberius seize
Granada (
Andalusia) and occupy the old province of
Baetica. Justinian I calls
Belisarius out of retirement, to complete the consolidation of reconquered regions of Southern
Spain.
King
Gubazes II is invited to observe the
siege of a
Persian-held fortress, and is murdered by the Byzantine
military staff after accusing them of incompetence.[19]
The
Avars arrive in the northern region of the
Caucasus, between the
Black Sea and the
Caspian Sea. They send envoys to the
Byzantines in
Lazica (modern
Georgia). Like the
Huns, the Avars are the former elite of a central Asian federation, which has been forced to flee westwards.[23]
Ming Di is made emperor, after his younger brother Xiao Min Di is arrested while trying to assume power. Xiao Min Di is deposed and executed by Yuwen Hu.
Battle of Melantias: Outside the
city walls of Constantinople, Belisarius defeats the combined "barbarians" with his veteran cavalry (bucellarii), and a few thousand hastily raised levies.
First successful human flight: a
kite carrying
Yuan Huangtou lands in the proximity of
Ye, China. Emperor
Wen Xuan Di sponsors the flight; Yuan is taken prisoner; other imprisoned kite flyers also fly, but those die and Yuan survives. Yuan is executed afterwards.[25]
Wen Di, age 37, succeeds his uncle
Chen Wu Di as emperor of the
Chen Dynasty. During his reign, he consolidates the state against the rebellious
warlords.
^Isidore of Seville, Historia de regibus Gothorum, Vandalorum et Suevorum, chapter 46. 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. 22
^Rome at War (AD 293–696), p. 59. Michael Whitby, 2002.
ISBN1-84176-359-4
^Michael Whitby (2002-11-13). Rome at War AD 293-696. Osprey Publishing Company. p. 59.
ISBN978-1-84176-359-0.
^(永定三年)使元黄头与诸囚自金凤台各乘纸鸱以飞,黄头独能至紫陌乃堕,仍付御史中丞毕义云饿杀之。 (Rendering: [In the 3rd year of Yongding, 559], Gao Yang conducted an experiment by having Yuan Huangtou and a few prisoners launch themselves from a tower in Ye, capital of the Northern Qi. Yuan Huangtou was the only one who survived from this flight, as he glided over the city-wall and fell at Zimo [western segment of Ye] safely, but he was later executed.)
Zizhi Tongjian 167.
^Wickham, Lionel R. (2011).
"Peter of Kallinikos". In Sebastian P. Brock; Aaron M. Butts;
George A. Kiraz; Lucas Van Rompay (eds.). Gorgias Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Syriac Heritage: Electronic Edition. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
Greatrex, Geoffrey; Lieu, Samuel N. C. (2002). The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars (Part II, 363–630 AD). London: Routledge.
ISBN0-415-14687-9.
The churches of
Lazica (
Georgia) and
Armenia split. While the
Armenian Church remains independent, the Georgian church unites with the
Byzantine Empire. This
ecclesiastical union deepens political and cultural contact between the two states. As a sign of Lazica's status vis-à-vis Byzantium, Lazic princes are vested with
honorific titles of the Byzantine court, including kouropalates, or "minister of the imperial palace" (approximate date).
Gothic War: Narses arrives in
Venetia and discovers that a powerful
Gothic-
Frank army (50,000 men), under joint command of the kings
Totila and
Theudebald, has blocked the principal route to the
Po Valley. Not wishing to engage such a formidable force and confident that the Franks would avoid a direct confrontation, Narses skirts the
lagoons along the Adriatic shore, by using vessels to
leapfrog his army from point to point along the coast. In this way he arrives at the capital
Ravenna without encountering any opposition. He attacks and crushes a small
Gothic force at Ariminum (modern
Rimini).
Autumn –
Xiao Dong, great-nephew of the rebellious general
Hou Jing, succeeds
Jianwen Di as emperor of the
Liang Dynasty. Xiao Dong has no real power and Hou Jing controls the imperial government at the capital
Jiankang.
July 1 –
Battle of Taginae:
Narses crosses the
Apennines with a Byzantine army (25,000 men). He is blocked by a
Gothic force under king
Totila near
Taginae (
Central Italy). In a narrow mountain valley, Narses deploys his army in a "crescent shaped" formation.[8] He dismounts his
Lombard and
Heruli cavalry mercenaries, placing them as a
phalanx in the centre. On his left flank he sends out a mixed force of foot and
horse archers to seize a dominant height. The Goths open the battle with a determined
cavalry charge. Halted by
enfilading fire from both sides, the attackers are thrown back in confusion on the infantry behind them. The Byzantine
cataphracts (Clibanarii) sweep into the milling mass. More than 6,000 Goths, including Totila, are killed. The remnants flee, and Narses proceeds to
Rome, where he captures the city after a brief
siege.
Emperor
Justinian I dispatches a small Byzantine force (2,000 men) under
Liberius to
Hispania, according to the historian
Jordanes. He conquers
Cartagena and other cities on the southeastern coast.[9]
The
Ostrogothic Kingdom ends after 60 years of rule in
Italy. The
Goths are allowed to return to their homes in peace and (re)settle in modern-day
Austria. Some 7,000 people retreat to
Campsas (Southern
Gaul), and resist with minimal help from the
Franks against the
Byzantines until
554.
Gothic War: Frankish invasion — Two
Frankish-
Alemanni dukes, brothers Lothair and Buccelin, cross the
Alps from
Germany with a force of 75,000 men, mostly Frankish infantry. In the
Po Valley, they win an easy victory over a much smaller Byzantine force at
Parma, and are joined by remnants of the Gothic armies, bringing the total strength of the invaders to about 90,000 men. Narses, gathering his forces as quickly as possible, marches north to harass the Franks, but is not strong enough to engage them in battle. In
Samnium (
Southern Italy) the brothers divide their forces: Lothaire goes down the east coast, then returns to the north, to winter in the Po Valley. Buccelin follows the west coast into
Calabria, where he spends the winter — his army being seriously wasted by
attrition and disease.
Asia
King
Seong of Baekje attacks the kingdoms of
Goguryeo and
Silla. However, under a secret agreement, Silla troops attack the exhausted
Baekje army, and take possession of the entire
Han River valley.
October –
Battle of the Volturnus: In the spring Butilinus (Buccelin) has marched north; the Frankish army (infected by an
epidemic of
dysentery which kills their leader Leutharis (Lothair)) is reduced to about 30,000 men. The
Byzantine army, with 18,000 men (including a contingent of
Goths under
Aligern), marches south to meet them at
Casilinum (on the banks of the
River Volturno). Byzantine eunuch general
Narses sends a cavalry force under
Chanaranges to destroy the supply wagons of the
Franks. Outmanoeuvring Butilinus, he chooses a disposition similar to that at
Taginae. After a
frontal assault on the Byzantine centre, the Franks and the
Alamanni are annihilated, thus effectively ending the
Gothic War (535–554). Narses garrisons an army of 16,000 men in
Italy. The recovery of the
Italian Peninsula has cost the empire about 300,000 pounds of gold.[13]
Europe
Byzantine forces under Liberius seize
Granada (
Andalusia) and occupy the old province of
Baetica. Justinian I calls
Belisarius out of retirement, to complete the consolidation of reconquered regions of Southern
Spain.
King
Gubazes II is invited to observe the
siege of a
Persian-held fortress, and is murdered by the Byzantine
military staff after accusing them of incompetence.[19]
The
Avars arrive in the northern region of the
Caucasus, between the
Black Sea and the
Caspian Sea. They send envoys to the
Byzantines in
Lazica (modern
Georgia). Like the
Huns, the Avars are the former elite of a central Asian federation, which has been forced to flee westwards.[23]
Ming Di is made emperor, after his younger brother Xiao Min Di is arrested while trying to assume power. Xiao Min Di is deposed and executed by Yuwen Hu.
Battle of Melantias: Outside the
city walls of Constantinople, Belisarius defeats the combined "barbarians" with his veteran cavalry (bucellarii), and a few thousand hastily raised levies.
First successful human flight: a
kite carrying
Yuan Huangtou lands in the proximity of
Ye, China. Emperor
Wen Xuan Di sponsors the flight; Yuan is taken prisoner; other imprisoned kite flyers also fly, but those die and Yuan survives. Yuan is executed afterwards.[25]
Wen Di, age 37, succeeds his uncle
Chen Wu Di as emperor of the
Chen Dynasty. During his reign, he consolidates the state against the rebellious
warlords.
^Isidore of Seville, Historia de regibus Gothorum, Vandalorum et Suevorum, chapter 46. 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. 22
^Rome at War (AD 293–696), p. 59. Michael Whitby, 2002.
ISBN1-84176-359-4
^Michael Whitby (2002-11-13). Rome at War AD 293-696. Osprey Publishing Company. p. 59.
ISBN978-1-84176-359-0.
^(永定三年)使元黄头与诸囚自金凤台各乘纸鸱以飞,黄头独能至紫陌乃堕,仍付御史中丞毕义云饿杀之。 (Rendering: [In the 3rd year of Yongding, 559], Gao Yang conducted an experiment by having Yuan Huangtou and a few prisoners launch themselves from a tower in Ye, capital of the Northern Qi. Yuan Huangtou was the only one who survived from this flight, as he glided over the city-wall and fell at Zimo [western segment of Ye] safely, but he was later executed.)
Zizhi Tongjian 167.
^Wickham, Lionel R. (2011).
"Peter of Kallinikos". In Sebastian P. Brock; Aaron M. Butts;
George A. Kiraz; Lucas Van Rompay (eds.). Gorgias Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Syriac Heritage: Electronic Edition. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
Greatrex, Geoffrey; Lieu, Samuel N. C. (2002). The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars (Part II, 363–630 AD). London: Routledge.
ISBN0-415-14687-9.