October 16 –
Wu Zetian ascends to the
throne of the
Tang dynasty, and proclaims herself ruler of the
Chinese Empire as "Holy and Divine Emperor". She becomes the first and only female "emperor" in 5,000 years of
Chinese history. Wu Zetian changes the dynasty's name to the
Zhou dynasty, and begins to murder throne
pretendants and ministers who try to oppose her. During her reign she elevates the status of
Buddhism above
Taoism.
King
Ine of Wessex establishes his
West Saxon "Law of Codes", to regain authority in his kingdom.[5] He consolidates Wessex's territory in the western peninsula (approximate date).
Empress
Jitō abdicates the
throne in favor of the 14-year-old
Monmu (grandson of late emperor
Tenmu). During her 11-year reign she has established the foundations of
law in Japan.
Autumn–winter – The Byzantine general
Heraclius, brother of Tiberios III, crosses the mountain passes of the
Taurus Mountains into
Cilicia with an army. He launches a campaign in
Syria, defeats an Arab force from
Antioch, and raids as far as
Samosata (modern
Turkey).[11][12]
Outbreak of
bubonic plague in Constantinople, Syria and Mesopotamia:
Theophanes the Confessor reports that the plague lasted four months and describes a large number of deaths in Constantinople. Emperor
Leontios orders the destruction of a market in the
Neorion cargo port of Constantinople, where animals are sold and which is considered to be the source of infected animals brought from Syria. The Arab army is forced to suspend its military operations. According to Syrian sources, the plague in Syria lasted another two years.
Berber forces led by Queen
Kahina ("The Diviner") are crushed by Arab invaders at
Aures (
Algeria). She has rallied the
Berbers since the collapse of Byzantine power (see
647).
Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology (third revised ed.). Cambridge University Press.
ISBN0-521-56350-X.
October 16 –
Wu Zetian ascends to the
throne of the
Tang dynasty, and proclaims herself ruler of the
Chinese Empire as "Holy and Divine Emperor". She becomes the first and only female "emperor" in 5,000 years of
Chinese history. Wu Zetian changes the dynasty's name to the
Zhou dynasty, and begins to murder throne
pretendants and ministers who try to oppose her. During her reign she elevates the status of
Buddhism above
Taoism.
King
Ine of Wessex establishes his
West Saxon "Law of Codes", to regain authority in his kingdom.[5] He consolidates Wessex's territory in the western peninsula (approximate date).
Empress
Jitō abdicates the
throne in favor of the 14-year-old
Monmu (grandson of late emperor
Tenmu). During her 11-year reign she has established the foundations of
law in Japan.
Autumn–winter – The Byzantine general
Heraclius, brother of Tiberios III, crosses the mountain passes of the
Taurus Mountains into
Cilicia with an army. He launches a campaign in
Syria, defeats an Arab force from
Antioch, and raids as far as
Samosata (modern
Turkey).[11][12]
Outbreak of
bubonic plague in Constantinople, Syria and Mesopotamia:
Theophanes the Confessor reports that the plague lasted four months and describes a large number of deaths in Constantinople. Emperor
Leontios orders the destruction of a market in the
Neorion cargo port of Constantinople, where animals are sold and which is considered to be the source of infected animals brought from Syria. The Arab army is forced to suspend its military operations. According to Syrian sources, the plague in Syria lasted another two years.
Berber forces led by Queen
Kahina ("The Diviner") are crushed by Arab invaders at
Aures (
Algeria). She has rallied the
Berbers since the collapse of Byzantine power (see
647).
Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology (third revised ed.). Cambridge University Press.
ISBN0-521-56350-X.