Chronological Table of Political and Cultural Events in the Rest of the World (570–632 AD)

570

●       Byzantine Empire – Death of John Philoponus (John the Grammarian or John of Alexandria), renowned philologist, Aristotelian commentator, and Christian theologian.

●       Italy – Spoleto becomes the capital of an independent duchy under the Lombard chieftain Faroald (d. 591/592).

●       China – Death of Emperor Fei Di of the Chen Dynasty (last of the Southern Dynasties, 557–589).

●       Arabia – Battle of Hadhramaut: Sassanid forces under Spahbed Vahrez defeat the Aksumite army of King Masruq, who is killed.

571

●       Persian Empire – Khosrow I sends an expedition across central Arabia to Yemen, aiding rebellion against Axum (a Byzantine ally), and installs Persian garrisons.

●       Spain – Visigothic king Liuvigild seizes Córdoba and, after his brother Liuva I’s death, becomes sole ruler of the Visigothic Kingdom.

●       Britain – Battle of Bedcanford: King Cuthwulf and the Anglo-Saxons defeat the Britons, capturing Aylesbury, Benson, Eynsham, and Limbury (per the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle). Wuffa becomes the first king of East Anglia.

●       Japan – Death of Emperor Kinmei (r. 539–571), the 29th emperor of Japan.

572

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War – Emperor Justin II refuses to pay tribute to Khosrow I, ending the peace treaty. Byzantines besiege Nusaybin and support Armenian rebels. General Marcian raids Atropatene (modern Iranian Azerbaijan).

●       Italy – Siege of Pavia ends: Lombard king Alboin captures Ticinum (Pavia), which becomes the Lombard capital.

●       Britain – Theodric succeeds his brother Æthelric as king of Bernicia (572–579).

●       Central Asia – Taspar Qaghan becomes ruler of the Turkic Khaganate.

●       Mesoamerica – Calakmul defeats Tikal, ending the First Tikal–Calakmul War. Death of Sky Witness, ruler of Calakmul.

573

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War – Marcian’s siege of Nusaybin fails; Persians under Khosrow I capture Dara. General Adarmahan raids Syria, sacking Apamea and Antiochia.

●       Britain – Battle of Arfderydd (Cumbria): Brythonic king Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio is defeated by Gwrgi and Peredur. Myrddin Wyllt (later “Merlin” in legend) reportedly goes mad after the battle (Annales Cambriae).

574

●       Italy – Death of Pope John III (July 13); Benedict I chosen as successor, though confirmation is delayed.

●       Byzantine Empire – Plague strikes Constantinople. Emperor Justin II, suffering insanity, abdicates in favor of Tiberius (later Tiberius II Constantine).

●       China – Death of Empress Xuan of the Northern Zhou Dynasty.

575

●       Italy – Benedict I officially succeeds John III as Pope.

●       Byzantine Empire – Physician Alexander of Tralles writes Twelve Books on Medicine.

●       Austrasia (Francia) – King Sigibert I assassinated; his son Childebert II succeeds, with Brunhilda as regent.

●       Spain – Visigoths under Liuvigild invade the Suebi Kingdom in northern Spain.

●       Ireland – Death of Áed mac Echach, king of Connacht.

576

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War – Khosrow I invades Anatolia, but his forces are defeated near Melitene by the Byzantine general Justinian.

●       Byzantine Empire – Baduarius, son-in-law of Justin II, dies leading an army against the Lombards in Italy.

●       Spain – Visigoths establish Toledo as capital.

●       France – Death of Saint Germain, bishop of Paris (“Father of the Poor”).

●       Asia – Göktürks under Tardu raid Crimea, besieging Panticapaeum.

577

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War – Byzantine raids launched from Armenia and Derbent into Persia. Maurice was appointed commander-in-chief in the East.

●       Britain – Battle of Deorham: West Saxons under Ceawlin capture Gloucester, Cirencester, and Bath, separating Wales from southwest Britain.

●       China – Northern Qi conquered by Northern Zhou; Emperor Wu forces Gao Wei and the clan to commit suicide. Early use of sulfur “fire sticks” (primitive matches).

579

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War – King Khosrow I dies before peace is finalized; his son Hormizd IV succeeds.

●       Italy – Pope Benedict I dies; Pelagius II becomes pope.

●       Spain – Liuvigild’s son Hermenegild rebels in Seville, converting to Catholicism against his father’s Arianism.

580

●       Byzantine Empire – Al-Mundhir III ibn al-Harith, Ghassanid king, visits Constantinople.

●       Spain – Hermenegild’s Catholic rebellion spreads, supported by Byzantines; Libigild convenes an Arian synod in Toledo to unify Christianity under Arian doctrine.

●       Italy – Lombards expel the last Ostrogoths. “Rule of the Dukes” begins with Lombards adopting Roman customs.

●       Britain – Death of Galam Cennalath, former king of the Picts.

581

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War – Maurice’s campaign against Persia fails; Ghassanid king Al-Mundhir accused of treason and exiled. His son al-Nuʿman VI revolts.

●       Italy – Duke Zotto of Benevento sacks Monte Cassino Abbey; monks flee to Rome.

●       Asia – Göktürks under Taspar Qaghan raid Crimea.

●       Britain – Ælla becomes first king of Deira.

●       China – Establishment of the Sui Dynasty, unifying China after centuries of division.

582

●       Byzantine Empire – Death of Emperor Tiberius II Constantine; succeeded by Maurice. Siege of Sirmium: Avars capture the city with Slavic support.

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War – Byzantine victory at the River Nymphius; Persian general Tamkhosrau killed.

583

●       Byzantine Empire – Emperor Maurice halts tribute to the Avars, who capture Singidunum (Belgrade) and Viminacium. Refugees found Monemvasia in Greece.

●       Mesoamerica – Yohl Ik’nal becomes queen of Palenque.

584

●       Byzantine Empire – Exarchate of Ravenna established, consolidating Byzantine rule in Italy.

●       Spain – Visigothic king Liuvigild captures Seville; his son Hermenegild flees but is captured and exiled.

●       Britain – Battle of Fethanleigh: Ceawlin of Wessex defeated by Britons, retaliates by ravaging the countryside.

585

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War – Persian commander Kardarigan unsuccessfully besieges Monokarton.

●       Italy – Death of Cassiodorus, statesman and preserver of Roman learning.

●       Spain – Visigoths under Liuvigild conquer the Suebi kingdom in Gallaecia, reintroducing Arianism.

●       Britain – Hussa becomes king of Bernicia; Creoda becomes king of Mercia (Anglo-Saxon Chronicle).

586

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War: In spring, Byzantine forces under Philippicus defeat the Persians near Dara at the Battle of Solachon.

●       Spain: On April 21, King Liuvigild died at Toledo after an 18-year reign. His second son succeeds him, Reccared I.

●       Britain: King Custennin of Dumnonia converts to Christianity.

587

●       Byzantine Empire: Emperor Maurice strengthens defenses along the Danube frontier, establishing a barrier against the Avars and Slavs. General Comentiolus raises an army of 10,000 at Anchialus (modern Bulgaria) and sets an ambush in the Haemus Mountains.

●       Aquitaine: Death of Saint Radegund, Thuringian princess and Frankish queen, who founded the Abbey of the Holy Cross at Poitiers. She became widely venerated, with churches in France and England dedicated to her.

●       Spain: King Reccared I renounce Arianism and embrace Catholicism, followed by many Visigothic nobles. Resistance arises in Septimania, where Arian uprisings occur. This period also marks the first recorded use of the filioque clause (“and from the Son”) in the Nicene Creed.

●       India: Death of Varahamihira, renowned astronomer, mathematician, and one of the nine jewels (Navaratnas) of King Yashodharman Vikramaditya’s court in Malwa.

588

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War: Unpaid Byzantine troops mutiny against their commander Priscus. Persian King Hormizd IV launches an offensive but is defeated at Martyropolis (modern Turkey).

●       Italy: The Franks and Burgundians under King Guntram and Childebert II invade northern Italy but suffer a crushing defeat by the Lombards. King Authari converts the Lombards to Roman Catholicism.

●       First Perso–Turkic War: Persian general Bahram Chobin, with 12,000 cataphracts, ambushes and decisively defeats invading Turkic forces at the Battle of Hyrcanian Rock.

●       China: Emperor Wéndi of the Sui Dynasty mobilizes 518,000 troops along the Yangtze River in preparation for an invasion of the Chen Dynasty.

589

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War: Persian forces under Bahram Chobin capture Martyropolis.

●       First Perso–Turkic War: Persians seize Balkh and Herat (Afghanistan), cross the Oxus River, and repel Turkic counterattacks.

●       Asia: Tulan Qaghan becomes the seventh ruler of the Turkic Khaganate.

●       Spain: The Third Council of Toledo, convened by Reccared I, formally renounces Arianism and confirms Catholicism as the faith of the Visigothic kingdom.

590

●       Rome: On February 7, Pope Pelagius II died during a plague outbreak. Gregory, former papal envoy to Constantinople, is elected despite reluctance. On September 3, he was consecrated as Pope Gregory I (“the Great”). His pontificate reshapes Catholic worship (Gregorian chant, liturgy) and expands missionary activity. He was canonized after his death in 604.

●       Persian Empire: King Hormizd IV dismisses Bahram Chobin, prompting rebellion. On February 15, Hormizd is assassinated by nobles, and succeeded by his son Khosrow II. In September, Bahram defeats Khosrow II near Ctesiphon, seizes the throne, and proclaims himself King Bahram VI.

●       Byzantine Empire: On March 26, Theodosius, son of Maurice, is proclaimed co-emperor.

591

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War: Emperor Maurice supports the ousted Khosrow II against Bahram VI. Byzantine forces under General Narses invade Mesopotamia, while another army advances into Media (Azerbaijan).

●       Battle of Blarathon (August): Bahram VI’s 40,000-strong army is defeated near Ganzak (northwestern Iran). Bahram flees to Central Asia, but is later assassinated. Khosrow II is restored to the throne.

●       Aftermath: Byzantium gains Armenia and Georgia, secures peace, and ends nearly two decades of conflict with Persia in a dominant position.

●       Persia: Yazdin of Kirkuk, a Nestorian aristocrat and finance minister, reforms the Sassanid economy, boosting prosperity and commerce.

●       Mesoamerica: On May 21, a ballgame court (ollamaliztli) was dedicated at Chinkultic (modern Chiapas, Mexico).

592

●       Japan: Empress Suiko ascends as the 33rd monarch, beginning her reign as one of Japan’s most influential rulers.

593

●       Byzantine Empire: General Priscus defeats Slavs and Gepids in Thrace. He then crosses the Danube into modern Wallachia, waging campaigns in its swamps and forests.

●       Persia: The usurper Hormizd V briefly rises to power but is defeated by Khosrow II.

596

●       Austrasia: After King Childebert II dies at age 26, his mother, Queen Brunhilda, assumes regency for the second time.

597

●       Neustria: Queen Fredegund, rival of Brunhilda, dies in Paris and is buried at Saint-Denis.

●       Britain: Augustine, a Benedictine monk, becomes the first Archbishop of Canterbury. Sent by Pope Gregory the Great in 595, he converted to King Æthelberht of Kent, laying the foundation of the English Church.

598

●       Byzantine Empire: A plague devastates Constantinople and other provinces.

●       India: Birth of Brahmagupta, mathematician and astronomer, who pioneered rules for zero and negative numbers.

599

●       Byzantine Empire: Emperor Maurice refuses to ransom 12,000 captives from the Avars, who execute them. His popularity plummets.

●       Balkan Campaign: Byzantine generals Priscus and Comentiolus combine forces at Singidunum (Belgrade), cross the Danube, defeat the Avars, and devastate their Pannonian homeland, ending their incursions.

●       Persian Empire: Khosrow II sends forces to Yemen, conquering it and establishing a base to control Red Sea trade.

●       Mesoamerica: The Maya city of Palenque is sacked by the Scroll Serpent of Calakmul.

600

●       Britain: Battle of Catraeth (possibly Catterick, Yorkshire). The Gododdin under King Mynydd Mwyn Mawr defeat the Angles of Bernicia and Deira.

●       Aquitaine: Death of poet-bishop Venantius Fortunatus, often seen as the bridge between classical and medieval poetry.

●       Asia: Earliest references to chess appear in Persian and Indian works.

●       South America: The Tiwanaku Empire (modern Bolivia) rises as a significant Andean power.

●       Pacific: Polynesian settlers reach Kaua‘i (Hawai‘i) from the Marquesas Islands, bringing with them staple crops such as taro, sweet potato, and sugarcane.

601

●       Europe: The Franks, under the Merovingians and later the Carolingians, dominate much of Europe. Strong feudal lords begin rising in power, drawing the allegiance of the people.

●       Spain: King Reccared of the Visigoths dies at Toledo; his young son Liuva II succeeds him.

602

●       Byzantine Empire: On November 27, Phocas, a junior army officer, seizes Constantinople during a civil war. Emperor Maurice is captured while fleeing, forced to watch his five sons executed, and then beheaded after a 20-year reign. His wife, Constantina, and daughters are spared and sent to a monastery. Phocas becomes emperor.

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War: Khosrow II of Persia, mourning his ally Maurice, launches an offensive against the Byzantines. Governor Narses rebels at Edessa and appeals to Persia for help. Persian forces cross the Euphrates.

●       Persian Empire: Khosrow II annexes the Arab Lakhmid Kingdom (southern Iraq) and executes its king, Nuʿman III ibn al-Mundhir.

603

●       Byzantine Empire: Fierce clashes erupt in Constantinople between the circus factions the Greens and Blues, causing a massive fire along Mese avenue. Phocas brutally suppresses them, executing their leader, John the Demarch, and others.

●       Britain: Battle of Dagestan – Æthelfrith of Northumbria defeats the combined Britons of Strathclyde and the Scots under Áedán mac Gabráin, securing northern dominance for the Angles.

●       Spain: Witteric, commander of the Visigothic army, revolts against King Liuva II and executes him, seizing the throne.

604

●       Italy: March 12 – Pope Gregory I (“the Great”) dies. On September 13, Sabinian was consecrated as his successor.

●       China: The Grand Canal, linking the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers, is completed (1,776 km). It becomes vital for transporting grain to the capital.

605

●       Italy: February 22 – Pope Sabinian dies.

●       Persia: Frontier with Arabia left undefended after a quarrel between Khosrow II and the Lakhmids.

●       Britain: Cearl becomes king of Mercia.

●       India: Harsha of Thanesar unites northern India from Punjab to the Indus Valley. Shashanka emerged as the first recorded king of Bengal, with his capital at Murshidabad.

607

●       Italy: February 19 – After a year-long vacancy, Boniface III is elected pope. He dies within the year. Emperor Phocas grants him the title “Universal Bishop” to strengthen ties with Rome.

608

●       Byzantine Empire: Heraclius the Elder, exarch of Africa, and his son Heraclius revolt against Phocas. They declare themselves consuls, mint coins, and rally support as revolts spread across Syria and Palestine.

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War: Khosrow II’s general Shahin invades Anatolia, seizing Theodosiopolis (Erzurum).

●       Italy: September 25 – Boniface IV succeeds Boniface III as pope.

609

●       Byzantine Empire: Nicetas, cousin of Heraclius, invades Egypt and defeats Byzantine forces outside Alexandria.

●       Persia: Arabs of Bakr ibn Waʿil defeat a Persian force at the Battle of Dhi Qar near Kufa.

610

●       Byzantine Empire: October 4 – Heraclius sails from Africa to Constantinople, deposes and personally executes Phocas. He makes Greek the official language of the empire, marking the formal shift from Roman to Byzantine identity.

●       Spain: King Witteric dies; Gundemar succeeds him.

611

●       Byzantine Empire: April 20 – An earthquake strikes Constantinople. July 7 – Birth of Heraclius’ daughter Epiphania.

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War: Persia under Shahrbaraz captures Antioch and most of Syria, deepening Byzantine collapse.

612

●       Byzantine Empire: August 13 – Empress Eudokia, wife of Heraclius, dies.

●       Spain: Sisebut becomes Visigothic king, beginning campaigns against Byzantine strongholds.

●       Mesoamerica: October 22 – Sak K’uk’ ascends the throne of Palenque (Maya).

613

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War: Heraclius and his brother Theodore take direct command. Persians capture Damascus, Apamea, and Emesa. At the Battle of Antioch, Byzantine forces are crushed. Shahin advances into Anatolia.

614

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War: Persians under Shahrbaraz, with Jewish allies, capture Jerusalem after a 20-day siege. 57,000–66,500 are killed, 35,000 enslaved, and holy relics including the True Cross are taken to Ctesiphon.

●       Italy: Bobbio Abbey founded by Irish missionary Columbanus.

●       Spain: King Sisebut captures Cartagena from the Byzantines.

615

●       Italy: May 25 – Pope Boniface IV dies; Adeodatus I consecrated October 19.

●       Britain: Battle of Chester – Æthelfrith of Northumbria defeats a Brythonic coalition near Chester.

●       Mesoamerica: K’inich Janaab’ Pakal became king of Palenque at age 12; he ruled for 68 years, overseeing major building projects.

616

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War: Jews briefly rule Jerusalem under Persian protection, restoring the Temple. Persians devastate Sardis and continue advancing in Anatolia.

●       Britain: Battle of Chester confirms Anglo-Saxon dominance in northwest Britain.

●       Italy: Agilulf, Lombard king, dies.

617

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War: Shahin reaches Chalcedon, threatening Constantinople. Heraclius negotiates tribute payments to Persia.

●       Arabia: Battle of Bu’ath – Arab tribes of Yathrib (later Medina) fight; Aws defeat Khazraj, but no lasting settlement is reached.

618

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War: Shahrbaraz invades Egypt, besieging Alexandria. Byzantium suffers grain shortages in Constantinople.

●       Italy: November 8 – Pope Adeodatus I dies.

●       China: June 18 – Fall of the Sui dynasty. Rebel Li Yuan established the Tang dynasty (618–907).

619

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War: Persians capture Alexandria; Nicetas flees to Cyprus. Heraclius is considering moving the capital to Carthage, but stays to rebuild the army with church funds.

●       Byzantine Empire: Death of John Moschus, monastic traveler and author of The Spiritual Meadow.

●       Italy: December 23 – Boniface V consecrated pope.

●       Britain: Mellitus becomes Archbishop of Canterbury.

620

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War: Khosrow II captures Ancyra, expanding Persian control across Anatolia.

●       India: Pulakeshin II defeats Harsha on the Narmada River, fixing the boundary between their kingdoms.

621

●       Spain: King Sisebut dies. His young son Reccared II briefly succeeds but dies within months. Suintila takes the throne.

622

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War: Heraclius leads 50,000 men from Constantinople, defeating Persians in Cappadocia and reclaiming Anatolia.

●       Byzantine Empire: Slavs besiege Thessaloniki unsuccessfully, leaving it as a Byzantine enclave.

●       Central Asia: Western Turks ally with Byzantium against Persia, seizing Khorasan.

623

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War: Heraclius campaigns through Armenia into Media, evading Persian armies and plundering territories.

624

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War: Heraclius invades Persia through Armenia, destroys Dvin and Ganzak, and razes the great Zoroastrian fire temple at Takht-e Soleymān. He winters in Caucasian Albania.

●       Spain: Suintila reconquers Byzantine Spania (Andalusia). Only the Balearic Islands remain Byzantine.

625

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War: Heraclius captures key fortresses and wins the Battle of Sarus against Shahrbaraz.

●       Italy: October 25 – Pope Boniface V dies; Honorius I is elected on October 27.

626

●       Byzantine Empire: Siege of Constantinople – 80,000 Avars, with Persian allies, besiege the city. Byzantine defenders under Patriarch Sergius and Bonus repel them. The Persian fleet is destroyed; Avars retreat. Byzantines secure a decisive victory.

●       Spain: Isidore of Seville’s History of the Gothic, Vandal, and Suebi Kings circulates widely.

627

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War: Heraclius recaptures Armenia. Shahrbaraz, mistrusted by Khosrow, defects. December 12 – Battle of Nineveh: Heraclius defeats and kills Persian general Rhahzadh near Nineveh.

●       Britain: King Edwin of Northumbria converts to Christianity. Later, Bede records this in his Ecclesiastical History.

628

●       Byzantine–Sassanid War: Heraclius sacks Dastgird; Khosrow II flees but is overthrown and executed by his son Kavadh II. A plague devastates Persia. Kavadh dies, leaving child-king Ardashir III.

●       Byzantine Empire: Heraclius reportedly advocates the forced conversion of Jews.

●       India: Brahmagupta composes Brahmasphutasiddhanta, advancing mathematics, including operations with zero.

629

●       Byzantine Empire: September 14 – Heraclius triumphantly re-enters Constantinople with the True Cross. Jerusalem is reconquered, marking the end of a 15-year Persian occupation. The title “Basileus” is first used officially.

●       Spain: Visigoths seize the last Byzantine possessions in Andalusia.

●       Mesoamerica: Dos Pilas (Guatemala) was founded as a Maya military outpost.

630

●       Byzantine Empire: March 21 – Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem but sanctions massacres of Jewish collaborators.

●       Persia: Ardashir III (age 9) is murdered; Shahrbaraz briefly rules, followed by Queen Borandukht, daughter of Khosrow II, one of Persia’s rare female rulers.

●       Britain: Princess Eanswith of Kent founded Folkestone Priory, England’s first nunnery.

●       Asia: Tang general Li Jing captures Illig Qaghan of the Eastern Turks.

●       China: Porcelain production expands widely.

631

●       Persia: After Borandukht’s reign, Azarmidokht (her sister) briefly ruled before being replaced by rivals, including Khosrow IV and Hormizd VI, reflecting Persian political chaos.

●       Central Europe: Battle of Wogastisburg – Slavic ruler Samo defeats the Franks under Dagobert I.

●       Spain: Suintila is overthrown; his son Sisenand, supported by Dagobert I, becomes king.

●       Britain: Edwin of Northumbria fortifies York, including the Anglian Tower.

632

●       Byzantine Empire: May 31 – Heraclius orders mass baptism of Jews in Africa and possibly beyond.

●       Persia: June 16 – Eight-year-old Yazdegerd III becomes shah, the last Sassanid ruler. His reign gave rise to the “Yazdegerd Era” calendar.

●       Neustria: King Charibert II was assassinated at Blaye, likely by his half-brother Dagobert I.

●       Korea: Queen Seondeok ascends the throne of Silla, becoming Korea’s first reigning queen and fostering a cultural renaissance.