By place Byzantine Empire •
Byzantine–Sassanid War: Emperor
Maurice, seeing an opportunity to end the prolonged war to the advantage of
Constantinople, assists
Khosrau II to regain the Persian
throne. He sends a
Byzantine army (35,000 men) under
Narses into
Mesopotamia, through
Syria. At the same time, an expeditionary force in
Armenia advances through
Caucasian Iberia into
Media (modern
Azerbaijan). •
Battle of Blarathon: A Persian army of about 40,000 men under King
Bahrām VI is defeated, in the lowlands near
Ganzak (northwestern
Iran), by the
Byzantines. Bahrām flees to seek
refuge with the
Turks in
Central Asia, and settles in
Fergana. However, after some time, he is murdered by a hired
assassin of Khosrau II. • Summer – Maurice begins a series of
military expeditions, to defend the
Balkan provinces from the
Avars and
Slavs. He establishes the
Danube frontier (
Limes Moesiae) from the Delta to the fortress city of
Singidunum (
Belgrade), and permits the Byzantines to reassert their authority in the interior.
Europe •
Agilulf, cousin of
Authari (called "the
Thuringian"), is raised on the shield (a ceremonial investment) by
Lombard warriors in
Milan. He becomes king of the
Lombards, on advice of the Lombard dukes (
dux). Agilulf marries widowed queen
Theodelinda and is
baptized to please her. •
Arechis I succeeds his uncle
Zotto as the second
Duke of Benevento. • A
locust swarm destroys the
harvest in Northern
Italy (approximate date).
Persia • Khosrau II is reinstalled as king of the
Persian Empire. Peace with Constantinople is concluded after a war of almost 20 years. Maurice receives the Persian provinces of
Armenia and
Georgia. The recognition of the traditional frontiers, and the cessation of subsidies for the
Caucasus forts, leaves the Byzantines in a dominant position in their relations with
Persia.
Asia • The first
city wall of
Hangzhou (
Eastern China) is constructed.
Mesoamerica •
May 21 – A
Mesoamerican ballgame court is dedicated at the
Mayan city of
Chinkultic (
Mexico).
By topic Religion • Pope
Gregory I criticizes the
bishops of
Arles and
Marseille for allowing the forced baptism of
Jews in
Provence (
France). •
Jnanagupta, Afghan
Buddhist monk, translates the
Vimalakirti Sutra into
Chinese. == Births ==