Editing 904

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2011}}
{{About year|904}}
{{Year nav|904}}
{{M1 year in topic}}
[[File:Sack of Thessalonica by Arabs, 904.png|upright=1.35|thumb|[[Saracens|Saracen]] raiders [[Sack of Thessalonica (904)|sack Thessalonica]] (904)]]
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Year '''904''' ('''[[Roman numerals|CMIV]]''') was a [[leap year starting on Sunday]] of the [[Julian calendar]].

== Events ==
<onlyinclude>

=== By place ===

==== Byzantine Empire ====
* [[July 29]] &ndash; [[Sack of Thessalonica (904)|Sack of Thessalonica]]: A Muslim fleet, led by the Greek renegade [[Leo of Tripoli]], appears outside [[Thessaloniki|Thessalonica]] and begins its attack after a short and silent inspection of the fortification of the city. After attacks from the sea for two days, the [[Saracens]] are able to storm the city walls, overcome the Thessalonians' resistance and capture the city. The sacking continues for a full week, before the raiders depart for their base in the [[Levant]]. Having freed 4,000 Muslim prisoners and captured 60 ships, gaining a large loot, they carry off 22,000 men and women as slaves.<ref>Faith and Sword: A short history of Christian-Muslim conflict by Alan G. Jamieson, p. 32.</ref> 
* [[Arab–Byzantine wars|Arab–Byzantine War]]: The [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantines]] under [[Andronikos Doukas (general under Leo VI)|Andronikos Doukas]], along with [[Eustathios Argyros (general under Leo VI)|Eustathios Argyros]], campaign against the [[Abbasid Caliphate|Abbasids]] and defeat the Muslim [[garrison]]s of [[Mopsuestia]] and [[Tarsus, Mersin|Tarsus]], near [[Kahramanmaraş|Marash]] (modern [[Turkey]]).
* Emperor [[Leo VI the Wise|Leo VI]] ('''the Wise''') is forced to sign a [[peace treaty]] with [[Simeon I of Bulgaria|Simeon I]], ruler (''[[knyaz]]'') of the [[First Bulgarian Empire|Bulgarian Empire]]. All [[Slavs|Slavic]]-inhabited lands of [[Macedonia (region)|Macedonia]] and southern [[Albania]] are ceded to the Bulgarians.

==== Europe ====
* Summer &ndash; King [[Louis the Child|Louis IV]] ('''the Child''') invites [[Kurszán]], a [[Principality of Hungary|Hungarian]] leader (''[[gyula (title)|gyula]]'') of the [[Magyar tribes|Magyar tribal]] confederation, and his entourage to negotiate at the [[Fischa|Fischa River]], but they are killed in an [[ambush]]. 
* In [[County of Portugal|Portugal]], for the third time in less than 30 years, the Christians take control of [[Coimbra]], this time for almost a century.<ref name=picard2000>{{cite book|last=Picard|first=Christophe|title=Le Portugal musulman (VIIIe-XIIIe siècle). L'Occident d'al-Andalus sous domination islamique|year=2000|publisher=Maisonneuve & Larose|location=Paris|isbn=2-7068-1398-9|page=109}}</ref>
* Beginning of the ''[[Saeculum obscurum]]'' ('Dark Age'), a period of 60 years in which the papacy was heavily influenced by the powerful [[Theophylacti|Theophylacti family]], the counts of Tusculum.

==== Britain ====
* Prince [[Hywel Dda|Hywel ap Cadell]] of [[Seisyllwg]] ([[Wales]]) marries Princess Elen of [[Kingdom of Dyfed|Dyfed]]. The latter's father, King [[Llywarch ap Hyfaidd]], dies. The [[throne]] of Dyfed is claimed by Llywarch's brother, [[Rhodri ap Hyfaidd]], but he is probably forced to flee from Hywel's armies.

==== Arabian Empire ====
* Winter &ndash; [[Shayban ibn Ahmad ibn Tulun]] succeeds his nephew [[Harun ibn Khumarawayh]] as [[emir]] of the [[Tulunids|Tulunid dynasty]], who is killed in a [[mutiny]] during the invasion of [[Egypt in the Middle Ages#Tulunids, second Abbasid period, and Ikhsidids|Egypt]] by the [[Abbasid Caliphate]].

==== China ====
* [[September 22]] &ndash; The warlord [[Zhu Wen|Zhu Quanzhong]] kills Emperor [[Emperor Zhaozong of Tang|Zhao Zong]], along with his family and many ministers, after seizing control of the imperial government. Zhu places Zhao Zong's 13-year-old son [[Emperor Ai of Tang|Ai]] ('''Li Zhou''') on the imperial throne as a [[puppet ruler]] of the [[Tang dynasty]].
* Zhu Quanzhong has [[Chang'an]], the capital of the Tang dynasty and the largest city in the ancient world, destroyed, and moves the materials to [[Luoyang]], which becomes the new capital.

=== By topic ===

==== Religion ====
* [[January 29]] &ndash; Pope [[Pope Sergius III|Sergius III]] succeeds [[Pope Leo V|Leo V]] and the deposed Antipope [[Antipope Christopher|Christopher]] (both of whom are murdered or [[exile]]d) as the 119th [[pope]] of the [[Catholic Church]]. The ascension of Sergius marks the beginning of the [[Saeculum obscurum|Pornocracy]] ('rule of the whores'), which will last for 150 years. During this time, the [[clergy]] will be sidelined and rule over [[Rome]] is dominated by the Roman [[nobility]].
* Sergius III allies himself with [[Theophylact I, Count of Tusculum|Theophylact I]], count of [[Tusculum]], who becomes ruler of Rome and the papal administration. Sergius rewards him (for his support and rise of power) with the position of ''[[Vestararius|sacri palatii vestararius]]'' and essentially becomes his puppet.
</onlyinclude>

== Births ==
* [[September 10]] &ndash; [[Guo Wei]], emperor of [[Later Zhou]] (d. [[954]])
* [[Æthelwold of Winchester|Æthelwold]], bishop of [[Diocese of Winchester|Winchester]] (or [[909]])
* [[Egill Skallagrímsson]], Viking warrior and poet (approximate date)
* [[Yongming Yanshou]], Chinese [[Zen]] master (d. [[975]])

== Deaths ==
* [[September 22]] &ndash; [[Emperor Zhaozong of Tang|Zhao Zong]], emperor of the [[Tang dynasty]] (b. [[867]])
* [[Abu'l-Abbas Ahmad ibn al-Furat]], Abbasid official
* [[Al-Husayn ibn Zikrawayh]], Qarmatian leader
* [[Al-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah]], Abbasid [[vizier]]
* [[Antipope Christopher|Christopher]], antipope of the [[Catholic Church]]
* [[Cui Yin]], [[chancellor of the Tang dynasty]] (b. [[854]])
* [[Du Xunhe]], Chinese [[Chinese poetry|poet]] (b. [[846]])
* [[Erenfried I]], Frankish [[Nobility|nobleman]]
* [[Harun ibn Khumarawayh]], Tulunid [[emir]]
* [[Ímar ua Ímair]], Norse king of [[Kingdom of Dublin|Dublin]] 
* [[John the Old Saxon]], abbot of [[Athelney Abbey|Athelney]]
* [[Ki no Tomonori]], Japanese [[Japanese poetry|poet]] (approximate date)
* [[Kurszán]], ruler (''[[Gyula (title)|gyula]]'') of the [[Hungarians|Magyars]]
* [[Lady Zhang (Zhu Quanzhong's wife)|Lady Zhang]], wife of [[Zhu Wen|Zhu Quanzhong]]
* [[Pope Leo V|Leo V]], pope of the Catholic Church
* [[Li Shenfu]], general of the Tang dynasty
* [[Llywarch ap Hyfaidd]], king of [[Kingdom of Dyfed|Dyfed]] ([[Wales]])
* [[Tannet of Pagan]], king of [[Myanmar|Burma]] (b. [[859]])
* [[Wigmund (bishop of Dorchester)|Wigmund]], bishop of [[Dorchester, Dorset|Dorchester]] (approximate date) 
* [[Zhang Jun (Tang chancellor)|Zhang Jun]], chancellor of the Tang dynasty

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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