Editing 539 (section)

== Events ==
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=== By place ===
==== Byzantine Empire ====
* [[March]] &ndash; [[Gothic War (535-554)|Gothic War]]: The [[Goths]] and the [[Burgundians]] recapture [[Mediolanum]] (modern [[Milan]]), after many months of [[siege]], the city reaching the point of [[starvation]]. The [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] garrison (1,000 men) surrenders and is spared, but the inhabitants are [[massacred]] (according to [[Procopius]] 300,000 people are murdered), and the city itself is destroyed.
* [[Belisarius]], still besieging [[Ravenna]], negotiates a treaty with [[Theodebert I]] (whose forces are suffering from [[dysentery]]), and the [[Franks]] retreat to [[Gaul]]. The [[Byzantine navy|Byzantine fleet]] controls the [[Adriatic Sea]] and [[blockade]]s the port of the capital from supplies.
* Emperor [[Justinian I]] becomes alarmed by renewed barbarian incursions across the [[Danube]] frontier from the [[Slavic peoples|Slavs]], the [[Bulgars]],  the [[Gepids]], and the [[Avars (Carpathians)|Avars]].<ref>The Making of the Slavs (p. 190–226). Florin Curta, 2001. {{ISBN|978-0-511-49629-5}}</ref>
* [[November 29]] &ndash; [[Antioch]] is struck by an [[earthquake]].

==== Europe ====
* [[Walthari]] murders his uncle [[Wacho]] and becomes king of the [[Lombards]].

==== Asia ====
* [[Emperor Kinmei|Kinmei]] succeeds his brother [[Senka]], and ascends as [[List of Emperors of Japan|29th emperor]] to the [[throne]] of [[Japan]].

=== By topic ===
==== Society ====
* Fourth year of worldwide [[famine]], a consequence of the [[Extreme weather events of 535–536]].{{#tag:ref|Famine is described as "U539.1, Failure of bread" in the [[Annals of Ulster]].<ref>{{cite web
|author-link=Annals of Ulster
|title=The Annals of Ulster
|first1=Pádraig
|last1=Bambury
|first2=Stephen
|last2=Beechinor
|url=http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100001A.html
|edition=Electronic edition compiled by the CELT Team (2000)
|publisher=CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts: a project of University College Cork College Road, Cork, Ireland—http://www.ucc.ie/celt
|year=2000 |pages=U539.1}}</ref>|group=n|name=failedbread539}}
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