Editing 540

{{short description|Calendar year}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2011}}
{{Year dab|540|the martial arts kick|540 kick|the area code|540 area code}}
{{Year nav|540}}
{{M1 year in topic}}
[[File:Britain.circa.540.jpg|thumb|259px|[[Sub-Roman Britain|Britain]] in the time of [[Gildas]] (c. 540)]] 
__NOTOC__
Year '''540''' ('''[[Roman numerals|DXL]]''') was a [[leap year starting on Sunday]] of the [[Julian calendar]]. In the [[Roman Empire]], it was known as the '''Year of the Consulship of [[Justin (consul 540)|Iustinus]] without colleague''' (or, less frequently, '''year 1293 ''[[Ab urbe condita]]'''''). The denomination 540 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 ====
* Emperor [[Justinian I]] offers to make peace with [[Vitiges]], but [[Belisarius]] refuses to transmit the message. The [[Ostrogoths]] then offer to support Belisarius as emperor of the West.
* [[May]] &ndash; [[Gothic War (535-554)|Gothic War]]: Belisarius conquers [[Mediolanum]] (modern-day [[Milan]]) and the [[Goths|Gothic]] capital [[Ravenna]]. Vitiges and his wife [[Matasuntha]] are taken as captives to [[Constantinople]]. 
* Belisarius consolidates [[Italy]] and begins mopping-up operations, capturing the Gothic [[fortification]]s. The cities [[Ticinum]] and [[Verona]] north of [[Po (river)|River Po]] remain in Gothic hands. 
* [[Ildibad]] succeeds Vitiges as king of the Ostrogoths, and installs his nephew [[Totila]] as commander of the Gothic army. He recaptures [[Venetia (region)|Venetia]] and [[Liguria]] in [[Northern Italy]].<ref>[[Herwig Wolfram]], ''History of the Goths'' (University of California Press), 1990</ref>

==== Europe ====
* In [[Sub-Roman Britain|Britain]] various kingdoms are united by a ruler (''[[High King]]'') or overlord, while wars are fought between others.
* King [[List of kings of Dumnonia|Custennin ap Cado]] is deposed, and returns to [[Dumnonia]] in the [[West Country|south-west]] of [[Great Britain]].

==== Persia ====
* King [[Khosrow I]] breaks the "Eternal Peace" treaty with the Byzantine Empire after eight years. Responding to an [[Diplomatic mission|embassy]] from the Ostrogoths urging action against Emperor Justinian I's expanding power, he leads the Persian army up the [[Euphrates|River Euphrates]]. Extracting tributes from towns along the way, [[Khosrau I]] besieges and captures [[Antioch]]. He plunders the city extensively, transporting valuable artworks, including marble statues and mosaics, back to [[Sassanid Empire|Persia]]. <ref>Rome at War (p. 56). Michael Whitby, 2002. {{ISBN|1-84176-359-4}}</ref>

==== Africa ====

* [[Solomon (magister militum)|Solomon]] captures the [[Aurès Mountains]] from the [[Moors]] and extends [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] authority over [[Numidia]] and [[Mauretania|Mauretania Sitifensis]]. The city of [[Theveste]] ([[Algeria]]) is restored and fortified.<ref> {{cite book|last=Graham|first=Alexander|title=Roman Africa|location=North Stratford, New Hampshire|publisher=Ayer Publishing, Incorporated|year=2002|orig-year=1902|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=luzyhkMxwScC|isbn=0-8369-8807-8}} </ref>

==== Asia ====
* [[Jinheung of Silla|Jinheung]] becomes king of the Korean kingdom of [[Silla]].<ref>{{cite web |title=List of Rulers of Korea |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/koru/hd_koru.htm |website=www.metmuseum.org |access-date=21 April 2019}}</ref>

=== By topic ===

==== Religion ====
* [[Cassiodorus]], former [[Roman Empire|Roman]] statesman, establishes a [[monastery]] at his [[Estate (house)|estate]] in Italy. The Vivarium "monastery school" is for highly [[Education|educated]] and sophisticated men, who copy [[sacred]] and secular [[manuscript]]s, intending for this to be their sole occupation (approximate date). 
* [[Pope Vigilius]] rejects [[Monophysitism]] in letters to Justinian I and [[patriarch Menas of Constantinople]].  
* [[Benedict of Nursia]] writes his [[Rule of Saint Benedict|monastic rules]], containing [[precept]]s for his [[monk]]s (approximate date).

==== World ====
* [[Global variable|Global environmental]] cooling occurs, due either to a [[Impact event|comet impact]] or volcanic eruption in [[Central America]], evidenced by global tree ring growth diminution.<ref>{{cite web|title=In 1986 I discovered that a series of Irish oaks exhibited their narrowest rings in the immediate vicinity of..|url=http://www.aryabhata.de/illig/baillie2.doc}} 080205 aryabhata.de</ref><ref>Baillie, M.G.L. (2007). Tree-Rings Indicate Global Environmental Downturns that could have been Caused by Comet Debris, Chap. 5 in Bobrowsky, Peter T. and Hans Rickman (eds.), ''Comet/Asteroid Impacts and Human Society: An Interdisciplinary Approach'', Springer-Verlag, Berlin. {{ISBN|3-540-32709-6}}, pp. 105–122.</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1354622/Comet-caused-Dark-Ages-says-tree-ring-expert.html|title=Comet caused Dark Ages, says tree ring expert|last1=Highfield|first1=Roger|last2=Uhlig|first2=Robert|last3=Derbyshire|first3=David|date=9 Sep 2000|work=Daily Telegraph|access-date=6 November 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-36086096|title=El Chichon eruption implicated in Mayan upheaval - BBC News|work=BBC News |date=April 20, 2016 |language=en-GB|access-date=2016-04-20}}</ref> Recent evidence from Swiss ice core points to volcanic eruptions in Iceland.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gibbons|first=Ann|date=November 15, 2018|title=Why 536 was 'the worst year to be alive'|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/why-536-was-worst-year-be-alive|access-date=2020-06-19|website=Science {{!}} AAAS|language=en}}</ref> Historical evidence records this earlier as the [[Extreme weather events of 535–536]].
</onlyinclude>

== Births ==
* [[October 12]] &ndash; [[Emperor Yōmei|Yōmei]], emperor of [[Japan]] (d. [[587]])
* [[Authari]], king of the [[Lombards]] (approximate date) 
* [[Columbanus]], [[Hiberno-Scottish mission|Irish missionary]] (or [[543]])
* [[Galswintha]], Neustrian queen, married to [[Chilperic I]] (d. [[568]])
* [[Garibald I of Bavaria|Garibald I]], [[List of rulers of Bavaria|duke of Bavaria]] (d. [[591]]) 
* [[Pope Gregory I]] ("the Great") (d. [[604]])
* [[John of Biclaro]], Visigoth [[chronicle]]r (approximate date)
* [[Myrddin Wyllt]], [[Welsh mythology|Welsh legend]] (approximate date)

== Deaths ==
* [[Dignāga]], [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] founder of [[Indian logic]] 
* [[Dionysius Exiguus]] (approximate date)
* [[Fridolin of Säckingen]] Irish missionary
* [[Vedast]], [[Franks|Frankish]] bishop 
* [[Vitiges]], king of the [[Ostrogoths]]
* [[Empress Yifu|Yifu]], empress of [[Western Wei]] (b. [[510]])
* [[Empress Yujiulü|Yujiulü]], empress of Western Wei (b. [[525]])

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:540}}
[[Category:540| ]]