Editing 538

{{short description|Calendar year}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2011}}
{{About year|538}}
{{Year nav|538}}
{{M1 year in topic}}
Year '''538''' ('''[[Roman numerals|DXXXVIII]]''') was a [[common year starting on Friday]] of the [[Julian calendar]]. At the time, it was known as the '''Year of the Consulship of [[John the Cappadocian|Iohannes]] without colleague''' (or, less frequently, '''year 1291 ''[[Ab urbe condita]]'''''). The denomination 538 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 ==
<onlyinclude>

=== By place ===
==== Byzantine Empire ====
* [[March 12]] &ndash; [[Siege of Rome (537–38)|Siege of Rome]]: King [[Vitiges]] of the [[Ostrogoths]] ends his siege (after 374 days) and abandons [[Rome]]. He retreats with his [[Ostrogoths|Gothic]] army northeast along the ''[[Via Flaminia]]''. 
* [[Belisarius]] attacks the [[Goths]] when they have crossed the [[Milvian Bridge]]. After fierce resistance, Vitiges routs in panic, and many are slain or drowned in the river.<ref>Procopius, ''De Bello Gothico'' II</ref>
* [[Gothic War (535–554)|Gothic War]]: Vitiges strengthens the garrisons of various towns and besieges [[Rimini|Ariminum]]. Byzantine forces under the [[Armenia]]n general [[Narses]] arrive at [[Picenum]].<ref>Procopius, ''De Bello Gothico'' I.XIII</ref>
* [[April]] &ndash; Belisarius secures [[Liguria]], [[Mediolanum]] (modern [[Milan]]) and Ariminum, but disagreements, especially with Narses, leads to disunity in the [[Byzantine army]]. 
* Summer &ndash; King [[Theudebert I]] sends a small [[Franks|Frankish]] force across the [[Alps]], and defeats the Goths and Byzantines at the [[Po (river)|River Po]]. Belisarius retreats to [[Tuscany]]. 
* [[Sittas]], Byzantine general, suppresses a revolt in [[Armenia]] in protest against heavy taxation. During the campaign he is killed by [[Artabanes (general)|Artabanes]], leader of the revolt.<ref>{{harvnb|Martindale|Jones|Morris|1992|pp=125, 255, 641}}</ref>

==== Britain ====
* King [[Cuneglas]] of [[Rhos (North Wales)|Rhos]] abandons his wife in favour of his sister-in-law, a [[nun]] who he drags from her [[convent]] (approximate date).
* [[Gabrán mac Domangairt]] becomes king of [[Dál Riata]] ([[Scotland]]).

==== Asia ====
* King [[Seong of Baekje|Seong]] of [[Baekje|Paekche]] ([[Korea]]) moves the capital from [[Ungjin]] (present-day [[Gongju]]) further south to [[Sabi (Korea)|Sabi]] (present-day [[Buyeo County]]), on the [[Geum River]]. He sends a [[diplomatic mission]] that formally introduces [[Buddhism]] to the Japanese imperial court (see also [[552]]).
* The [[Kofun period]] ends and the [[Asuka period]], the second part of the [[Yamato period]] in [[Japan]], begins.

=== By topic ===
==== Religion ====
* As a result of persecutions by the [[Byzantine Empire]], Monophysite [[Christianity|Christians]] establish the [[Coptic Orthodox Church|Coptic Church]] in [[Alexandria]] (approximate date).
* The [[Third Council of Orléans]] takes place, and prohibits rural labor on [[Sunday]].
* The first time since the Emperor Justinian's decree of [[533]], making John (the Bishop of Rome) Chief Bishop of all the churches, that the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome over the Church can actually be implemented by [[Pope Vigilius]].

==== Society ====
* Third year of worldwide [[famine]], a consequence of the [[Extreme weather events of 535–536]].{{#tag:ref|Famine is described as "T538.1, Failure of bread" in the [[Annals of Tigernach]].{{sfn|Mac Niocaill|2010|pp=T538.1}}|group=n|name=failedbread538}}

</onlyinclude>

== Births ==
* [[Emperor Bidatsu]] of [[Japan]] (d. [[585]])
* [[Gregory of Tours]], French [[bishop]], historian (d. [[594]])
* [[Zhiyi]], de facto founder of [[Tiantai]] Buddhism (d. [[597]])

== Deaths ==
* [[February 8]] &ndash; [[Severus of Antioch]], [[patriarch of Antioch]]
* [[Cailtram]], king of the [[Picts]] (approximate date)
* [[Comgall mac Domangairt]], king of [[Dál Riata]] (approximate date)
* [[Damascius]], Byzantine philosopher
* [[Manchan of Mohill|Saint Manchan]], Irish Saint.
* [[Sittas]], Byzantine general (''[[magister militum]]'')

== Notes and references ==

=== Notes ===
{{reflist|group=n}}

=== References ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Secondary sources ===
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite web
|author-link=Annals of Tigernach
|title=The Annals of Tigernach
|last=Mac Niocaill
|first=Gearóid
|url=http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100002A.html
|publisher=CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts: a project of University College Cork, College Road, Cork, Ireland.
|access-date=1 October 2016
|year=2010
}}
*{{cite book|editor1-last=Martindale|editor1-first=John Robert|editor2-last=Jones|editor2-first=Arnold Hugh Martin|editor3-last=Morris|editor3-first=J.|title=The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, Volume III: A.D. 527–641|year=1992|location=Cambridge, United Kingdom|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-20160-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ElkwedRWCXkC}}
{{refend}}

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[[Category:538| ]]