Middle Ages
Plague of Justinian (541): The First Recorded Plague Pandemic
The first known pandemic of bubonic plague killed a large but disputed share of the Mediterranean population and recurred in waves for about two centuries.
Region
Europe
Middle Ages
Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna: Justinian and Theodora Mosaics
An outstanding monument of early Byzantine architecture and mosaic art, listed by UNESCO in 1996 as part of the Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna.
Middle Ages
Silkworm Smuggling (c. 552): How Byzantium Got the Secret of Silk
Silkworms reached the Byzantine Empire, allowing local silk production that slowly reduced dependence on imports through Persia.
Middle Ages
St Columba Founds Iona (563): Monastery of the Hebrides
Iona became the head of a network of monasteries in Ireland and Britain and the base for missions to the Picts and to Anglo-Saxon Northumbria.
Middle Ages
Lombard Invasion of Italy (568): Alboin and a Divided Peninsula
The Lombards conquered much of Italy, ending its unity under Byzantium; the peninsula stayed divided between Lombard and Byzantine territory until 774 and beyond.
Middle Ages
Gregory of Tours and the History of the Franks (c. 576-594)
Gregory's Histories became the chief narrative source for the Franks from Clovis to the late sixth century.
Middle Ages
Tomb of Queen Arnegonde (c. 580): A Merovingian Royal Burial
The discovery gave historians a rare, closely identified royal grave and the most complete picture of Merovingian queenly dress.
Middle Ages
Third Council of Toledo (589): Visigothic Spain Turns Catholic
The Visigothic monarchy and most Arian bishops formally adopted Catholic Christianity, ending the religious divide between Goths and Hispano-Romans.
Middle Ages
Columbanus and the Irish Mission to the Continent (c. 590)
Columbanus founded influential monasteries at Luxeuil and Bobbio and spread an Irish style of monastic life and penance across Frankish Gaul and northern Italy.
Middle Ages
Pope Gregory the Great (590–604): Shaping the Medieval Papacy
Gregory strengthened papal leadership in Rome and the West and left writings that became standard reading for the medieval church.
Middle Ages
Augustine's Mission to Kent (597): Christianity Returns
King Æthelberht accepted Christianity and Canterbury became the seat of the first archbishop of the English church.
Middle Ages
Law Code of Æthelberht of Kent (c. 600): Oldest English Laws
Kent gained the first written law code in the English language, and the first of a long series of Anglo-Saxon royal law codes.