By place Byzantine Empire •
April 1 – Emperor
Justin I names his nephew
Justinian I as co-ruler, as an incurable wound saps his strength. •
August 1 – Justin I, age 77, dies at
Constantinople and is succeeded by Justinian I, who becomes sole emperor. • Justinian I reorganises the command structure of the
Byzantine army, and fields a small but highly trained army. • Justinian I appoints
Belisarius to command the Eastern army in
Armenia and on the Byzantine-Persian frontier.
Britannia • King
Cerdic of Wessex and his son
Cynric defeat the
Britons at
Cerdicesleah (modern
Chearsley). • The
Kingdom of Essex is founded by the
Saxons, who land north of the
Thames. They take control of the land between what is now London and
St Albans, ceding from the
Kingdom of Kent •
Æscwine becomes the first king of
Essex (approximate date), defeating
Octa in
battle at Hackney, west of the
River Lea.
Japan •
Iwai Rebellion: A revolt against the
Yamato court breaks out in
Tsukushi Province (according to
Nihon Shoki).
By topic Religion • Justinian I outlaws
pagan religious practices in
Egypt, and dispatches Byzantine
missionaries to southern territories (approximate date). • The
Church of the Nativity in
Bethlehem is rebuilt until
565, restoring the
architectural tone of the
basilica. •
Silla, one of the
Three Kingdoms of Korea, formally adopts
Buddhism as a
state religion (approximate date). == Deaths ==