Editing 541 (section)

== Events ==
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=== By place ===

==== Byzantine Empire ====
* [[January 1]] &ndash; [[Anicius Faustus Albinus Basilius]] is appointed as [[Roman consul|consul]] in [[Constantinople]], the last person to hold this office.
* [[Plague of Justinian]]: [[Bubonic plague]] appears suddenly in the [[Egypt]]ian port of [[Pelusium]], spreading to [[Alexandria]] and, the following year, to [[Constantinople]]. This is the beginning of a 200-year-long [[pandemic]] that will devastate [[Europe]], the [[Middle East]], and [[North Africa]].
* Emperor [[Justinian I]] recalls [[Belisarius]] from [[Italy]] to handle the situation in [[Armenia]]. He arrives in [[Al-Jazira, Mesopotamia|Upper Mesopotamia]] and attacks the fortress city of [[Nusaybin|Nisbis]]. After an unsuccessful [[siege]] he ravages the countryside.<ref name="ancient">Frye Ancient Iran</ref>{{fcn|date=September 2020}}
* [[John the Cappadocian]], [[Praetorian prefecture of the East|praetorian prefect of the East]], is dismissed by the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] empress [[Theodora (wife of Justinian I)|Theodora]] for [[treason]]. He is banished to [[Cyzicus]], and his [[Estate (land)|estates]] are [[Confiscation|confiscated]].<ref>{{harvnb|Bury|1923|pp=Volume 2, p. 57–58}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Martindale|Jones|Morris|1992|pp=633, 815, 915}}</ref>
==== Europe ====
* Autumn &ndash; [[Totila]] is elected king by the [[Ostrogoths|Ostrogothic]] nobles after the death of his uncle [[Ildibad]]. He wins the support of the [[Social class|lower classes]] by liberating [[Slavery|slaves]] and distributing land to the peasants.
* Winter &ndash; [[Siege of Verona]]: Totila defends the city of [[Verona]] against a numerically superior [[Byzantine army]]. He gains control over the [[Po Valley]] and prepares a [[Goths|Gothic]] offensive in [[Central Italy]].

==== Persia ====
* [[Lazic War]]: King [[Khosrau I]] intervenes in [[Lazica]] (modern [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]), and supports the weakened king [[Gubazes II of Lazica|Gubazes II]] against a full-scale uprising. He sends an expeditionary force under [[Mihr-Mihroe|Mermeroes]] and captures the Byzantine stronghold of [[Petra, Lazica|Petra]], located on the coast of the [[Black Sea]], which provides the [[Sassanid Empire|Persians]] a strategic port.<ref name="ancient">Frye Ancient Iran</ref>{{fcn|date=September 2020}}

==== Asia ====
* [[Lý Bí]] initiates a rebellion against the [[Second Era of Northern Domination|ruling Chinese]] [[Liang dynasty]] in [[Jiaozhou (region)|Giao Châu province]].<ref>{{cite book|first1=K.W.|last1=Taylor|date=2013|title=A History of the Vietnamese|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P2HP31kOSA4C|p=34}}</ref>
* The [[Uyghur people|Uyghurs]] come under the rule of the [[Hephthalite Empire|Hephthalites]] (approximate date).

=== By topic ===

==== Religion ====
* [[Jacob Baradaeus]] becomes [[bishop]] of [[Edessa, Mesopotamia|Edessa]] (approximate date).
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