Editing 597 (section)

== Events ==
<onlyinclude>

=== By place ===

==== Byzantine Empire ====
* Emperor [[Maurice (emperor)|Maurice]] writes his [[Will (law)|last will]], in which he describes his ideas for governing the [[Byzantine Empire]] (his eldest son, [[Theodosius (son of Maurice)|Theodosius]], will rule the East from [[Constantinople]], and his second son, Tiberius, the West from [[Rome]]).
* Autumn &ndash; [[Maurice's Balkan campaigns#Renewed campaigns, 597–602|Balkan Campaign]]: The [[Avars (Carpathians)|Avars]], strengthened by the [[tribute]] of the [[Franks]], resume their campaign along the [[Danube|Danube River]], and [[Siege|besiege]] the Byzantine fortress city of [[Constanța|Tomis]] (modern [[Romania]]) on the [[Black Sea]] coast.

==== Europe ====
* Queen [[Fredegund]] defeats her old rival [[Brunhilda of Austrasia]], who supports the claims of her grandsons [[Theudebert II]] and [[Theuderic II]] to the Frankish [[throne]], against those of Fredegund's son [[Chlothar II]]. She dies a few months later at [[Paris]] and is buried in the [[Basilica of St Denis|Basilica of Saint Denis]].
* Chlothar II, age 13, becomes sole ruler of [[Neustria]], and continues his mother's [[feud]] with Brunhilda. He is advised to prepare for war against [[Austrasia]], the eastern part of the [[Francia|Frankish Kingdom]].

==== Britain ====
* [[Ceolwulf of Wessex|Ceolwulf]] succeeds his brother [[Ceol of Wessex|Ceol]] as king of [[Wessex]]. He becomes [[Regency (government)|regent]] of Ceol's son [[Cynegils of Wessex|Cynegils]] who is too young to inherit the throne.

==== Asia ====
* [[Mangalesha]] becomes king of the [[Chalukya dynasty]], after his brother [[Kirtivarman I]] dies. He rules as regent of Kirtivarman's son [[Pulakeshin II]], and invades the territory of [[Khandesh]] and [[Gujarat]] (northwestern [[India]]).

=== By topic ===

==== Religion ====
* [[Gregorian Mission]]: [[Augustine of Canterbury]] lands with a group of [[Missionary|missionaries]] on the [[Isle of Thanet]] ([[South East England]]). He is welcomed by King [[Æthelberht of Kent]], who accepts [[baptism]] (along with the rest of his court) at the behest of his Christian Frankish wife, [[Bertha of Kent|Bertha]]. Æthelbert assigns Augustine and his 40 [[monk]]s a residence at [[Canterbury]], where they found a [[Order of Saint Benedict|Benedictine]] monastery that will make the town a centre of [[Christianity]] (or [[596]]).
* [[June 9]] &ndash; [[Columba]], Irish [[missionary]], dies in [[Iona]] ([[Inner Hebrides]]) and is buried by his [[monk]]s in the [[abbey]] he has created. He works successfully towards the [[Religious conversion|conversion]] of northern [[Great Britain|Britain]].
* [[December 25]] &ndash; At [[Christmas]], Christianity spreads rapidly in [[Kingdom of Kent|Kent]]; Augustine and his fellow-labourers baptise more than 10,000 [[Anglo-Saxons]].<ref>A Chronicle of England (1864), James Edmund Doyle, p. 26</ref>

==== Law ====
* [[England]] gets her first written [[Law of Æthelberht|code of laws]] from Æthelbert. The code is concerned with preserving [[social order]], through [[Damages|compensation]] and punishment for personal injury (approximate date).

==== Education ====
* [[The King's School, Canterbury|The King's School]] is founded by Augustine in Canterbury. He builds an [[St Augustine's Abbey|abbey]] where the Benedictine teaching takes place.
</onlyinclude>