Editing 503

{{short description|Calendar year}}
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Year '''503''' ('''[[Roman numerals|DIII]]''') was a [[common year starting on Wednesday]] of the [[Julian calendar]]. At the time, it was known as the '''Year of the Consulship of Volusianus and Dexicrates''' (or, less frequently, '''year 1256 ''[[Ab urbe condita]]'''''). The denomination 503 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the [[Anno Domini]] [[calendar era]] became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

== Events ==
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=== Byzantine Empire ===

* [[Anastasian War|War with Sassanid Persia]]: Emperor [[Anastasius I (emperor)|Anastasius I]] sends a Byzantine army (52,000 men) to [[Lesser Armenia|Armenia]], but is defeated. The Romans attempt an unsuccessful [[siege]] of the [[Iran|Persian]]-held city [[Amida (Mesopotamia)|Amida]], on the [[Tigris]]. King [[Kavadh I]] invades [[Osroene]], and lays siege to the city of [[Edessa]] (Northern [[Mesopotamia]]).<ref>{{harvnb|Greatrex|Lieu|2002|pp=69–71}}</ref>
* [[May]] &ndash; [[Areobindus Dagalaiphus Areobindus|Areobindus]], Byzantine general (''[[magister militum]]''), is stationed as commander at [[Dara (Mesopotamia)|Dara]], with an army of 12,000 men to keep watch at the Persian stronghold of [[Nusaybin|Nisibis]] (modern [[Turkey]]).

=== Palestine ===

* [[Al-Mundhir III ibn al-Nu'man|Mundhir III]], king of the [[Lakhmids]] ([[Arab Christians]]), raids [[Palestine (region)|Palaestina Salutaris]] and [[Arabia Petraea]]. He captures a large number of Romans.<ref>John Binns, ''Ascetics and ambassadors of Christ: the monasteries of Palestine'', 314-631. p.113; Frank R. Trombley, J. W. Watt, ''The chronicle of pseudo-Joshua the Stylite'' (the margin) p.108; Cyril of Scythopolis, ''Life of John the Hesychast'', p.211. 15-20</ref>

=== Europe ===

* King [[Ernakh]], third son of [[Attila|Attila the Hun]], dies after a 34-year reign. He is succeeded by his two sons ([[Utigur]] and [[Kutrigurs|Kutrigur]]), who share the power with the unified [[Bulgars]].<ref name="Priscus">Priscus. In ''[[Excerpta de legationibus]]''. Ed. S. de Boor. Berolini, 1903, p. 586</ref>      
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== Births ==
* [[October 17]] &ndash; [[Lý Nam Đế]], first emperor of [[History of Vietnam|Vietnam]] (d. [[548]])
* [[December 2]] &ndash; Xiao Gang, later [[Emperor Jianwen of Liang]], emperor of the Chinese [[Liang dynasty]] (killed [[551]]) 
* Chen Baxian, later [[Emperor Wu of Chen]], first emperor of the Chinese [[Chen dynasty]] (d. [[559]])

== Deaths ==
* [[Ernakh]], king of the [[Huns]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
;Bibliography
*{{cite book|last1=Greatrex|first1=Geoffrey|last2=Lieu|first2=Samuel N. C.|title=The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars (Part II, 363–630 AD)|location=New York, New York and London, United Kingdom|publisher=Routledge (Taylor & Francis)|year=2002|isbn=0-415-14687-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zc8iAQAAIAAJ}}
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