678

This article is about the year 678. For the number, see 678 (number). For the film, see 678 (film). For the Argentine TV program, see 6, 7, 8.

Millennium:	1st millennium
Centuries:	6th century – 7th century – 8th century
Decades:	640s 650s 660s – 670s – 680s 690s 700s
Years:	675 676 677 – 678 – 679 680 681

678 by topic
Politics
State leaders – Sovereign states
Birth and death categories
Births – Deaths
Establishment and disestablishment categories
Establishments – Disestablishments

678 in other calendars
Gregorian calendar	678 DCLXXVIII
Ab urbe condita	1431
Armenian calendar	127 ԹՎ ՃԻԷ
Assyrian calendar	5428
Bengali calendar	85
Berber calendar	1628
Buddhist calendar	1222
Burmese calendar	40
Byzantine calendar	6186–6187
Chinese calendar	丁丑年 (Fire Ox) 3374 or 3314 — to — 戊寅年 (Earth Tiger) 3375 or 3315
Coptic calendar	394–395
Discordian calendar	1844
Ethiopian calendar	670–671
Hebrew calendar	4438–4439
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat	734–735
- Shaka Samvat	600–601
- Kali Yuga	3779–3780
Holocene calendar	10678
Iranian calendar	56–57
Islamic calendar	58–59
Japanese calendar	N/A
Julian calendar	678 DCLXXVIII
Korean calendar	3011
Minguo calendar	1234 before ROC 民前1234年
Seleucid era	989/990 AG
Thai solar calendar	1220–1221

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 678.

Year 678 (DCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 678 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Events

Autumn – Siege of Constantinople: Emperor Constantine IV confronts the Arab besiegers in a head-on engagement. The Byzantine fleet, equipped with Greek fire, destroys the Muslim fleet at Sillyon.^[1] Ending the Arab threat to Europe, and forcing Yazid (a son of caliph Muawiyah I) to lift the siege on land and sea.

King Æthelred of Mercia defeats the Northumbrian forces under king Ecgfrith in a battle near the River Trent. Archbishop Theodore helps to resolve differences between the two, Æthelred agreeing to pay a weregild to avoid any resumption of hostilities (approximate date).

April 27 – Emperor Tenmu holds divination for the purpose of proceeding to the Abstinence-palace.
May 3 – Princess Tōchi suddenly takes ill and dies within the palace. Tenmu, her father, is unable to sacrifice to the Gods of Heaven and Earth.
May 10 – Tōchi is buried at a place which could be Akō (Hyōgo Prefecture). Tenmu is graciously pleased to raise lament for her.

Wilfrid, bishop of York, is at the height of his power and owns vast estates throughout Northumbria. After his refusal to agree to a division of his see, Ecgfrith and Theodore, archbishop of Canterbury, have him banished from Northumbria.
April 11 – Pope Donus dies at Rome after a reign of 1 year and 160 days. He is succeeded by Agatho I who becomes the 79th pope. He is the first pope to stop paying tribute to Constantine IV upon election.
In Japan, the national worshiping to the Gods of Heaven and Earth is planned. Tenmu tries to select his daughter Tōchi as a Saiō to make her serve the Gods. However, Tōchi suddenly takes ill and dies.
The Beomeosa-templecomplex in Geumjeong-gu (modern South Korea) is constructed during the reign of king Munmu of Silla.

↑ Haldon (1990), p. 64; Lilie (1976), pp. 78-79; Treadgold (1997), pp. 326-327; Mango & Scott (1997), p. 494