Directory

540 CE

Gothic War: Belisarius conquers Mediolanum (modern-day Milan) and the Gothic capital Ravenna. Vitiges and his wife Matasuntha are taken as captives to Constantinople. Global environmental cooling occurs, due either to a comet impact or volcanic eruption in Central America, evidenced by global tree ring growth diminution. Recent evidence from Swiss ice core points to volcanic eruptions in Iceland. Historical evidence records this earlier as the Extreme weather events of 535–536. 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).

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • King Custennin ap Cado is deposed, and returns to Dumnonia in the south-west of Great Britain.source
  • Solomon captures the Aurès Mountains from the Moors and extends Byzantine authority over Numidia and Mauretania Sitifensis. The city of Theveste (Algeria) is restored and fortified.source

Conflict & Security

  • May – Gothic War: Belisarius conquers Mediolanum (modern-day Milan) and the Gothic capital Ravenna. Vitiges and his wife Matasuntha are taken as captives to Constantinople.source
  • Ildibad succeeds Vitiges as king of the Ostrogoths, and installs his nephew Totila as commander of the Gothic army. He recaptures Venetia and Liguria in Northern Italy.source
  • 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.source
  • 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.source
  • King Khosrow I breaks the "Eternal Peace" treaty with the Byzantine Empire after eight years. Responding to an embassy from the Ostrogoths urging action against Emperor Justinian I's expanding power, he leads the Persian army up the River Euphrates. Extracting tributes from towns along the way, Khosrau I besieges and captures Antioch. He plunders the city extensively, transporting valuable artworks, including marble statues and mosaics, back to Persia.source
  • Jinheung becomes king of the Korean kingdom of Silla.source

Religion & Belief

  • Pope Vigilius rejects Monophysitism in letters to Justinian I and patriarch Menas of Constantinople.source
  • Benedict of Nursia writes his monastic rules, containing precepts for his monks (approximate date).source
  • 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).source

Climate & Environment

  • Global environmental cooling occurs, due either to a comet impact or volcanic eruption in Central America, evidenced by global tree ring growth diminution. Recent evidence from Swiss ice core points to volcanic eruptions in Iceland. Historical evidence records this earlier as the Extreme weather events of 535–536.source

Births

  • October 12 – Yōmei, emperor of Japan (d. 587)source
  • Myrddin Wyllt, Welsh legend (approximate date)source
  • John of Biclaro, Visigoth chronicler (approximate date)source
  • Authari, king of the Lombards (approximate date)source
  • Columbanus, Irish missionary (or 543)source
  • Garibald I, duke of Bavaria (d. 591)source
  • Galswintha, Neustrian queen, married to Chilperic I (d. 568)source
  • Pope Gregory I ("the Great") (d. 604)source

Deaths

  • Dionysius Exiguus (approximate date)source
  • Fridolin of Säckingen Irish missionarysource
  • Vitiges, king of the Ostrogothssource
  • Yifu, empress of Western Wei (b. 510)source
  • Dignāga, Buddhist founder of Indian logicsource
  • Yujiulü, empress of Western Wei (b. 525)source