Editing 552

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[[File:Justinien.jpg|thumb|right|259px|Emperor [[Justinian I]] receives the [[silk]]worms]]
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Year '''552''' ('''[[Roman numerals|DLII]]''') was a [[leap year starting on Monday]] of the [[Julian calendar]]. The denomination 552 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>
* [[July 11]] &ndash; The [[Armenian calendar]] is introduced.

=== By place ===

==== Byzantine Empire ====
* [[July 1]] &ndash; [[Battle of Taginae]]: [[Narses]] crosses the [[Apennine Mountains|Apennines]] with a Byzantine army (25,000 men). He is blocked by a [[Goths|Gothic]] force under king [[Totila]] near [[Gualdo Tadino|Taginae]] ([[Central Italy]]). In a narrow mountain valley, Narses deploys his army in a "crescent shaped" formation.<ref>Rance, Philip. "Narses and the Battle of Taginae (Busta Gallorum)". ''Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte'' Vol. 54, No. 4 (2005), p. 424</ref> He dismounts his [[Lombards|Lombard]] and [[Heruli]] cavalry mercenaries, placing them as a [[Phalanx formation|phalanx]] in the centre. On his left flank he sends out a mixed force of foot and [[Mounted archery|horse archer]]s to seize a dominant height. The Goths open the battle with a determined [[cavalry]] charge. Halted by [[Enfilade and defilade|enfilading]] fire from both sides, the attackers are thrown back in confusion on the infantry behind them. The Byzantine [[cataphract]]s (''[[Clibanarii]]'') sweep into the milling mass. More than 6,000 Goths, including Totila, are killed. The remnants flee, and Narses proceeds to [[Rome]], where he captures the city after a brief [[siege]].
* Emperor [[Justinian I]] dispatches a small Byzantine force (2,000 men) under [[Liberius (praetorian prefect)|Liberius]] to [[Hispania]], according to the historian [[Jordanes]]. He conquers [[Cartagena, Spain|Cartagena]] and other cities on the southeastern coast.<ref>''Getica'', p. 303</ref> 
* Justinian I receives the first [[silk]]worm eggs from two [[Church of the East|Nestorian]] monks at [[Constantinople]]. They were sent to [[Central Asia]] (see [[550]]) and [[Smuggling of silkworm eggs into the Byzantine Empire|smuggled the precious eggs]] from [[China]] hidden in rods of [[bamboo]].

==== Europe ====
* [[Battle of Asfeld]]: The Lombards under King [[Audoin]] defeat the [[Gepids]].
* [[Cynric of Wessex|Cynric]], king of [[Wessex]], captures the fortress city of [[Old Sarum]].<ref name=Leeds>{{cite journal |last=Leeds |first=E.T. |year=1954 |title=The Growth of Wessex |journal=[[Oxoniensia]] |volume=LIX |pages=55–56 |publisher=[[Oxfordshire Architectural and Historical Society|Oxford Architectural and Historical Society]] |url=http://oxoniensia.org/oxo_volume.php?vol=59 |access-date=6 October 2011}}</ref>
* The [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Meath]] is established in [[Ireland]].
* [[Teia]] becomes the last king of the [[Ostrogoths]] in [[Italy]].

==== Asia ====
* [[July 11]] &ndash; First year of the [[Armenian calendar]].
* [[Emperor Yuan of Liang|Yuan Di]] succeeds [[Xiao Dong]] as emperor of the [[Liang dynasty]].
* [[Bumin Qaghan]] dies; the new khagan is [[Issik Qaghan]] of the Turkic Empire.
* [[Buddhism in Japan]] is introduced, according to the [[Nihon Shoki]].

=== By topic ===
==== Industry ====
* [[Smuggling of silkworm eggs into the Byzantine Empire]] by monks allows development of the [[Byzantine silk]] industry in the Empire.

==== Religion ====
* [[Eutychius of Constantinople|Eutychius]] becomes [[Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople|patriarch of Constantinople]].</onlyinclude>

== Births ==
* [[Æthelberht of Kent|Æthelberht]], king (''[[bretwalda]]'') of [[Kingdom of Kent|Kent]] (approximate date)
* [[John the Merciful]], [[patriarch of Alexandria]] (approximate date)

== Deaths ==
* [[February 5]] &ndash; [[Dacius (bishop of Milan)|Dacius]], [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milan|archbishop of Milan]]
* [[July 1]] &ndash; [[Totila]], king of the [[Ostrogoths]]
* [[December 13]] &ndash; [[Columba of Terryglass]], Irish [[abbot]] and [[saint]]
* [[Aba I]], [[List of Patriarchs of the Church of the East|patriarch of the Church of the East]]
* [[Anicius Maximus]], Roman [[Patrician (ancient Rome)#Late Roman and Byzantine period|patrician]]
* [[Aratius]], Armenian general 
* [[Bumin Qaghan]], ruler of the [[Göktürks]]
* [[Hou Jing]], [[regent]] of the [[Liang dynasty]] 
* [[Menas of Constantinople|Menas]], [[Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople|patriarch of Constantinople]]
* [[Turismod]], prince of the [[Lombards]]
* [[Wang Wei (Liang dynasty)|Wang Wei]], chief strategist of the Liang dynasty
* [[Xiao Dong]], emperor of the Liang dynasty
* [[Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei|Xiaojing]], emperor of [[Eastern Wei]] (b. [[524]])

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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