520s

Millennium:	1st millennium
Centuries:	5th century – 6th century – 7th century
Decades:	490s 500s 510s – 520s – 530s 540s 550s
Years:	520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529
Categories:	Births – Deaths – Architecture Establishments – Disestablishments

520s: events by year

Contents: 520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529

520

By place

Europe

• Ostrogothic ruler Theodoric the Great builds the Mausoleum of Theodoric as his future tomb in Ravenna.
• The kingdom of East Anglia is formed (approximate date).
• The great Latin grammarian Priscian writes his Institutiones grammaticae.

By topic

Religion

• February 20 – Epiphanius is elected Patriarch of Constantinople.
• Bodhidharma arrives in China.
• The construction of Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy, is started (approximate date).

521

By place

Eastern Roman Empire

• Future Byzantine emperor Justinian becomes consul.

Arabia

• Ma`adikarib Ya`fur conducts a military campaign in Mesopotamia.

By topic

Religion

• Samson of Dol is ordained as a bishop in Brittany.
• Ecclesius becomes a Bishop of Ravenna.

Music

• Boëthius introduces Greek musical letter notation to the West.

522

By place

Europe

• Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius is imprisoned on charges of conspiring against Theodoric the Great.
• Amalaric becomes king of the Visigoths.

Arabia

• Yusuf dhu-Nuwas captures power in Yemen.

523

By place

Eastern Roman Empire

• Justinian, later Byzantine emperor, marries Theodora.

Europe

• Hilderic becomes king of the Vandals.

Africa

• Leptis Magna is sacked by Berber raiders.

Asia

• Seong becomes king of Baekje.
• Completion of the Songyue Pagoda tower in China during the Northern Wei era; the circular-based tower is still 40 m (131 ft) in height.

By topic

Religion

• August 13 – Pope John I succeeds Pope Hormisdas as the 53rd pope.

524

By place

Europe

• June 25 – Battle of Vézeronce: The Franks defeat the Burgundians.
• Childebert I annexes Orléans and Chartres after the death of Chlodomer.
• Boethius writes the Consolation of Philosophy (approximate date).

America

• December 1 – Ahkal Mo' Naab' I, ruler of the Maya city of Palenque, dies. The city enters a interregnum which lasts a little over four years.

525

By place

Eastern Roman Empire

• Byzantine emperor Justin I rebuilds Anazarbus and renames it Justinopolis.
• Justinian I marries Theodora.
• Dionysius Exiguus proposes a calendar based on the birth of Jesus Christ.

Europe

• Bernicia is settled by the Angles.

Africa

• Caleb of Abyssinia conquers Yemen.

Asia

• The Daisan river, a tributary of the Euphrates, floods Edessa, and within a couple of hours fills the entire city, except for the highest parts. Eventually the pent-up waters break through the city walls. The Shroud of Turin is allegedly discovered during the rebuilding of the city (see Image of Edessa).

By topic

Religion

• Dionysius Exiguus produces his tables for computing the date of Easter.
• Constance becomes a bishop's see.
• The Arian Baptistery of S. Maria is built in Cosmedin, Ravenna.
• Buddhist caves are found at Ajanta with stone carvings.

526

By place

Europe

• Athalaric succeeds Theodoric as king of the Ostrogoths (under regentship of Theoderic's daughter Amalaswintha), and Amalaric becomes king of the Visigoths in his own name.
• The Tomb of Theodoric is built in Ravenna.

Middle East

• Probably between May 20 and May 29 – An earthquake kills approximately 250,000 in Syria and Antioch.

By topic

Religion

• July 12 – Pope Felix IV succeeds Pope John I as the 54th pope.
• Ecclesius, Bishop of Ravenna, commissions two new churches, one for Ravenna and one for its port, Classis.
• c. 526–547 – Sanctuary apse's mosaic showing Christ enthroned and flanked by Saint Vitalis and Bishop Ecclesius, Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy, is made.

527

By place

Byzantine Empire

• April 1 – Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne.
• August 1 – Justin I of the Eastern Roman Empire dies and Justinian I becomes sole Emperor.

Europe

• Cerdic of Wessex and his son Cynric of Wessex defeat the Britons at Chearsley.
• The Kingdom of Essex is founded when the Saxons land north of the Thames and take control of the land between what is now London and St Albans. This is the last Saxon group to form a settlement here (approximate date).

By topic

Religion

• The Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, is rebuilt until 565.
• Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, formally adopts Buddhism as a state religion.

528

By place

Byzantine Empire

• February 13 – Justinian appoints a commission (including the jurist Tribonian) to codify all imperial laws that were still in force from Hadrian to the current date. (This becomes the Corpus Juris Civilis.)
• Natural disaster: An earthquake strikes Antioch, killing thousands, and causing a fire that destroys the Great Church built by Constantine I.

Asia

• Xiao Zhuang Di succeeds Xiao Ming Di as ruler of the Chinese Northern Wei Dynasty.
• Yasodharman of Malwa defeats the Hun invaders in India.

By topic

Religion

• King Seong of Baekje adopts Buddhism as the state religion.
• Bulguksa, a Buddhist temple, is built in Korea.

529

By place

Eastern Roman Empire

• April 7 – The first draft of Corpus Juris Civilis (a fundamental work in jurisprudence) is issued by Justinian I.
• Justinian prohibits pagans from holding positions in public education. As a result the Academy at Athens, founded by Plato in 387 BC, is closed. Many professors go to Persia and Syria.
• The Samaritans revolt and are defeated; the Church of the Nativity is burnt down during the revolt.

Western Roman Empire

• The Council of Orange is held.

America

• February 25 – K'an Joy Chitam I comes to power in the Maya city of Palenque, ending a interregnum of a little over four years.

By topic

Religion

• Saint Benedict of Nursia founds the monastery of Monte Cassino in Italy.
• The Canons of the Council of Orange are established, approving the Augustinian doctrine of sin and grace over Pelagianism and Semi-Pelagianism, but without Augustine's absolute predestination.
• The Benedictine Order is founded.

Significant people

Births

Deaths

References