Directory

526 CE

John I dies of starvation after a 3-year reign. Theodoric the Great selects Pope Felix IV as the 54th pope. King Theodoric the Great dies of dysentery at Ravenna; his daughter Amalasuintha takes power as regent for her 10-year-old son Athalaric. Roman–Persian Wars: King Kavad I, assisted by his Arabian vassal, Al-Mundhir III, begins a campaign in the Transcaucasus region and Upper Mesopotamia.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • Amalaric, age 24, becomes king of the Visigoths, and assumes full royal power.source
  • Amalasuintha rules the Ostrogothic Kingdom that extends throughout the Italian Peninsula, Dalmatia, Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica.source

Conflict & Security

  • Roman–Persian Wars: King Kavad I, assisted by his Arabian vassal, Al-Mundhir III, begins a campaign in the Transcaucasus region and Upper Mesopotamia.source

Religion & Belief

  • Pope John I returns to Ravenna from Constantinople. Theodoric the Great finds that he has been only partly successful in persuading the Byzantine emperor Justin I to withdraw his edict against Arian Christianity, and throws the pope into prison.source
  • Ecclesius, bishop of Ravenna, commissions two new churches, one for Ravenna and one for its port, Classis.source
  • c. 526–547 – Sanctuary apse's mosaic showing Jesus enthroned and flanked by Saint Vitalis and Ecclesius, Basilica of San Vitale (Ravenna) is made.source

Climate & Environment

  • Probably between May 20 and May 29 – 526 Antioch earthquake: A great earthquake kills approximately 250,000 people in Syria and Antioch.source

Births

  • Yuan Zhao ("the young lord"), emperor of Northern Wei (d. 528)source
  • Wang Lin, general of the Liang Dynasty and Northern Wei (d. 573)source

Deaths

  • May 18 – John I dies of starvation after a 3-year reign. Theodoric the Great selects Pope Felix IV as the 54th pope.source
  • August 30 – Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths (b. 454)source
  • August 30 – King Theodoric the Great dies of dysentery at Ravenna; his daughter Amalasuintha takes power as regent for her 10-year-old son Athalaric.source
  • October 30 – Paul of Edessa, Syriac Orthodox bishop of Edessasource
  • Quintus Aurelius Memmius Symmachus, Roman politiciansource