Editing 655

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[[File:Kingdoms in England and Wales about 600 AD.svg|upright=1.35|thumb|[[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] England (c. 650)]]
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Year '''655''' ('''[[Roman numerals|DCLV]]''') was a [[common year starting on Thursday]] of the [[Julian calendar]]. The denomination 655 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 ====
* [[Battle of the Masts]]: Emperor [[Constans II]] personally commands the [[Byzantine fleet]] (500 ships), and sets off to challenge the Arab navy. He sails to the province of [[Lycia]] (now in [[Turkey]]) in the southern region of [[Asia Minor]]. The two forces meet off the coast of [[Mount Phoenix (Lycia)|Mount Phoenix]], near the [[Harbor|harbour]] of [[Phoenix (Lycia)|Phoenix]] (modern [[Finike]]).<ref>Probably Mount Olympos south of [[Antalya]], see "Olympus Phoinikous Mons" in ''[[Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World]]'', map 65, D4</ref> The [[Rashidun Caliphate|Arabs]] under [[Abdullah ibn Saad|Abdullah ibn Sa'ad]] are victorious in battle, although losses are heavy for both sides. Constans barely escapes to [[Constantinople]].{{sfn|Treadgold|1997|p=314}}

==== Britain ====
* [[November 15]] &ndash; [[Battle of the Winwaed]]: King [[Oswiu of Northumbria|Oswiu of Bernicia]] defeats his rival, King [[Penda of Mercia]] at [[Cock Beck]], near what later will be [[Leeds]] ([[Yorkshire]]). Kings [[Cadafael Cadomedd ap Cynfeddw|Cadafael Cadomedd of Gwynedd]] and [[Œthelwald of Deira]], allies of [[Mercia]], withdraw their forces before the battle begins. It marks the defeat of the last credible [[Paganism|pagan]] force in England. It also sows the seeds which will lead to [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] acceptance of the [[Catholic Church]] (approximate date).
* Oswiu becomes overlord (''[[bretwalda]]'') over much of Great Britain. He establishes himself as [[List of monarchs of Mercia|king of Mercia]], setting up his son-in-law, Penda's son [[Peada of Mercia|Peada]], as a subject king over [[Middle Angles|Middle Anglia]].

==== Asia ====
* [[Empress Kōgyoku]] re-ascends to the throne of Japan, beginning a new reign as Saimei-''[[tennō]]''.
* Arab armies conquer [[Greater Khorasan|Khurasan]] ([[Iran]]), and the [[Silk Road]] along [[Transoxiana]] (Central Asia).{{sfn|Roberts|1994}}
* King [[Vikramaditya I]] of [[Chalukya dynasty|Chalukya]] (India) re-unites the kingdom, after defeating his brothers.

=== By topic ===
==== Religion ====
* [[May 15]] &ndash; [[Pope Martin I]] is banished to [[Chersonesos Taurica]] ([[Ukraine]]). He dies later in the [[Crimea|Crimean Peninsula]] after a 6-year reign, leaving [[Pope Eugene I|Eugene I]] as the uncontested [[pope]] (see [[654]]).
* Peada founds [[Peterborough Cathedral]] ([[Province of Canterbury]]). It becomes one of the first centres of Christianity in England. [[Deusdedit of Canterbury|Deusdedit]] is consecrated as [[archbishop of Canterbury]].
</onlyinclude>

== Births ==
* [[Pope John VI|John VI]], pope of Rome (d. [[705]])

== Deaths ==
* [[September 16]] &ndash; [[Pope Martin I]]
* [[November 15]] &ndash; [[Æthelhere of East Anglia|Æthelhere]], king of [[Kingdom of East Anglia|East Anglia]]
* November 15 &ndash; [[Penda of Mercia|Penda]], king of [[Mercia]]
* [[Cadafael Cadomedd ap Cynfeddw|Cadafael Cadomedd]], king of [[Kingdom of Gwynedd|Gwynedd]]
* [[Didier of Cahors]], Frankish [[bishop]]
* [[Foillan]], Irish [[missionary]] (approximate date)
* [[Loingsech mac Colmáin]], king of [[Connacht]] (Ireland)
* [[Theodore Rshtuni]], Armenian general
* [[Empress Wang (Gaozong)|Wang]], empress of the [[Tang dynasty]]
* [[Pure Consort Xiao|Xiao]], concubine of [[Emperor Gaozong of Tang|Gao Zong]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last=Roberts |first=J.M. |author-link=John Roberts (historian) |date=1994 |title=History of the World |publisher=Penguin}}
* {{cite book |last=Treadgold |first=Warren |author-link=Warren Treadgold |date=1997 |page=314 |title=A History of the Byzantine State and Society |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nYbnr5XVbzUC |publisher=Stanford University Press |isbn=0-8047-2630-2}}
{{refend}}

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[[Category:655| ]]