Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 5.djvu/738

531. Chosroes king of Persia. Plague begins, which ravages the empire fifty years.
532. The Pandects promulgated by Justinian. Sedition (the Nika) at Constantinople, suppressed by Belisarius.
533–534. Belisarius conquers Gelimer; end of Vandal dominion in Africa.
535–540. The Gothic war.
535. Belisarius takes Rome.
537–538. Siege of Rome by Vitiges.
539. Destruction of Milan by the Goths. The Franks in Italy.
540. Ravenna taken by Belisarius. Antioch taken and plundered by Chosroes.
541. Totila king of the Ostrogoths. Abolition of the consulate by Justinian.
542. Earthquake and plague at Constantinople.
545. Rome besieged by Totila. Peace between Justinian and Chosroes.
546. Rome taken by Totila (recovered by Belisarius, 547). Controversy about the “Three Chapters” begins about this time.
547. Kingdom of Bernicia founded by Ida.
549. Rome again taken by Totila.
550. The empire invaded by Slaves and Huns.
551–2. Reform of the calendar by the Armenians; their era fixed. The silkworm introduced into Europe.
552. Death of Totila. Conquest of Rome by Narses.
553. Fifth General Council held at Constantinople. Defeat and death of Teias, last king of the Goths.
554. Defeat of the Franks and Alamanni by Narses.
556. Great earthquake at Constantinople.
558. Clotaire sole king of the Franks till his death in 561. Embassy of the Avars to Constantinople.
562. Peace for fifty years concluded between Justinian and Chosroes.
565. Deaths of Belisarius and Justinian. Justinus II. emperor. Ethelbert king of Kent.
566–567. The Lombards in alliance with the Avars destroy the kingdom of the Gepidæ in Pannonia.
568–571. Conquest of Italy by the Lombards. Exarchate of Ravenna established.
570 or 571. Birth of Mahomet.
572. War begins between the empire and Persia.
576. Tiberius defeats Chosroes at Melitene.
579. Death of Chosroes.
586. Recared, king of the Goths in Spain, converted to the Catholic faith.
590. Gregory I., the Great, bishop of Rome.
591. Maurice emperor of the East restores Chosroes II. to the throne of Persia.
593. Kingdom of Northumbria founded by Ethelfrith.
597. Arrival of Augustine in England (died, 605).
599. Reform of church service by Gregory the Great.
602. Supremacy of the bishop of Rome acknowledged by Phocas, emperor of the East. Canterbury, seat of archbishopric.
604. See of London founded.
610. Mahomet begins to preach at Mecca. Heraclius emperor of the East.
614. Damascus and Jerusalem taken by the Persians.
615. Death of St Columban.
616. Invasion of Egypt by Persians.
622. Flight of Mahomet from Mecca to Medina (the Hegira). First of six expeditions of Heraclius against the Persians.
623. Battle of Beder, first victory of Mahomet.
626. Siege of Constantinople by Persians and Avars.
628. Death of Chosroes II. Treaty of peace between Heraclius and Siroes.
629. Visit of Heraclius to Jerusalem.
632. Death of Mahomet. Abu-Bekr succeeds.
634. Victory of Khaled at Ajnadin. Capture of Damascus. Omar third caliph. Aidan bishop of Lindisfarne.
636. Battles of Yermouk and Cadesia. Foundation of Bussorah.
637. Caliph Omar takes Jerusalem. Mosque of Omar founded.
638. Conquest of Syria completed by Amron.
639–640. Invasion of Egypt and capture of Alexandria. Ecthesis of Heraclius published and condemned by the bishop of Rome. Monothelite controversy.
641. Death of Heraclius.
642. Theodoras pope of Rome; the first called “sovereign pontiff.”
647. First invasion of Africa by the Saracens.
648. Capture of Cyprus.
651. Yezdegerd, last king of Persia, killed by Turks. Death of Aidan, bishop of Lindisfarne.
653 Conquest of Rhodes by Moawiyah; the Colossus destroyed. The Pope, Martin I., goes to Constantinople and is imprisoned by the emperor Constans II.
654. Siege of Constantinople by Moawiyah.
655. Penda, king of Mercia, defeated and killed by Oswy of Northumbria. Conversion of Mercia.
658. The emperor, Constans II. makes peace with Moawiyah.
663. Constans II. received by Pope Vitalian at Rome.
664. Council of Whitby. Cædmon, the great English poet. Wilfrid archbishop of York.
667. Siege of Constantinople by Yezid.
668. Theodore archbishop of Canterbury.
670. Kairwan founded.
672. Siege of Constantinople by Sofien ben Aouf; the attack repeated yearly for seven years; “Greek fire” used.
678. Wilfrid driven from his see; preaches to the Frisians.
680. Sixth General Council held at Constantinople.
685. Justinian II. emperor of the East.
687. Death of Cuthbert, bishop of Lindisfarne.
688. Ina king of Wessex. Pepin d'Héristal (mayor of the palace) sole ruler of France (died, 714). Bulgarian war.
690. Death of Archbishop Theodore.
692–698. Carthage reduced, pillaged, and burnt by Saracens.
697. Doge of Venice first elected for life.
699 (690 ?). Death of Benedict Biscop.
709. Death of Wilfrid.
710. First invasion of Spain by the Saracens; conquest by Tarik; fall of Roderic, 711–713.
714. Charles Martel rules France as mayor of the palace. Toledo taken by Tarik.
716. Leo the Isaurian emperor. Siege of Constantinople by Saracens. The Bulgarians conclude a commercial treaty with Theodosius III.
718. Mission of Boniface in Germany.
719. Narbonne taken by Saracens.
721. Invasion of France by Saracens.
723. Conquest of Sardinia by Saracens.
726. Death of Ina king of Wessex. First edict of Leo III. (The Iconoclast) against image-worship. Siege of Nicæa by the Saracens.
728. Ravenna taken by the Lombards (retaken by Eutychius, 729).
732. Battle of Tours, victory of Charles Martel over the Saracens.
735. Death of the Venerable Bede.
740. Great earthquake at Constantinople, in Thrace, and in Bithynia.
741. Death of Charles Martel.
744. Abbey of Fulda founded by Boniface.
746. Great earthquake in Syria. The plague for three years in Italy, Greece, and Asia Minor.
747. The plague at Constantinople.
750. The dynasty of the Ommiades (caliphs) overthrown; the Abbasides succeed.
751. The Exarchate of Ravenna conquered by the Lombards under Astolphus. End of the dominion of the Eastern emperors in Central Italy.
752. The Merovingian line ends with deposition of Childeric III. Pepin (Le Bref), founder of Carlovingian line, is crowned at Soissons by Boniface. Stephen II. pope of Rome.
754. Council of Constantinople condemns images, pictures, and the crucifix, and proscribes the art of painting.
755. Grant of Exarchate of Ravenna and the Pentapolis to the Pope, by Pepin. Beginning of the temporal power. Siege of Rome by Astolphus. Death of Boniface, apostle of Germany.
756. Cordova made seat of western caliphate by Abdelrahman I.
757. Rout of the Bulgarians by the emperor Constantine V.
763. Foundation of Baghdad, seat of the caliphate. Winter of 763–764, the Bosphorus and the Euxine frozen.
766. The imperial fleet destroyed by storm on the Euxine.
768. Charles the Great (Charlemagne) and Carloman kings of the Franks. Charles alone, 772.
770. Charles marries the daughter of Desiderius, last king of the Lombards.
771. Charles repudiates his wife and marries Hildegarda.
774. Overthrow of the Lombard kingdom by Charles the Great.
778. His expedition to Spain; battle of Roncesvalles.
780. Image-worship re-established by the empress Irene.
782. Massacre of the Saxons by Charles.
785. Haroun Alraschid caliph of Baghdad.
787. Seventh General Council, second of Nicæa, re-establishes image-worship. First landing of Northmen (Danes) in England.
794. Charles holds a great council at Frankfort.
797–802. Irene sole empress.
800. Charles the Great crowned emperor of the Romans by Pope Leo III. Extinction of supremacy of Byzantine emperors at Rome. Egbert, king of the West Saxons.
801. Death of Paulus Diaconus.
802. The Athanasian Creed authoritatively imposed by Charles.

803. Limits of the two empires settled by treaty between Charles and Nicephorus. Massacre of the Barmecides by Haroun Alraschid.