500s (decade)

The 500s decade ran from January 1, 500, to December 31, 509.

500

This section is transcluded from AD 500. (edit | history)

By place

Byzantine Empire

• Emperor Anastasius I concludes treaties with a number of nomad tribes in northern Arabia. In return for tribute to the Byzantine Empire and military defense of these eastern territories, such tribes are permitted to settle and farm agricultural lands in Arabia (approximate date).

Britannia

• Possible date for the Battle of Mons Badonicus: Romano-British and Celts defeat an Anglo-Saxon army, that may have been led by the bretwalda Aelle of Sussex or possibly Cerdic of Wessex (approximate date; suggested dates range from 490 to 517). This battle may have influenced the legend of King Arthur.
• Possible date at which Fergus Mór begins his reign – the historicity of Mór is doubtful.
• Approximate beginning of the Heptarchy period in the history of England.
• Approximate year of the founding of the Kingdom of Essex.
• Approximate year of the invention of the bee skep in Ireland.

Europe

• Battle of Dijon: A coalition of Franks and Burgundians crush the forces under Gundobad. King Clovis I pursues him to Avignon, where he surrenders and promises to pay a yearly tribute.^[1]
• The Frankish Kingdom is formed (approximate date).
• The monument of Ale's Stones is built in Sweden (approximate date).
• Roman catacomb burials end (approximate date).

Africa

• Thrasamund, king of the Vandals, marries Amalafrida (widowed sister of Theodoric the Great). She brings with her a large dowry and an elite Gothic force of 5,000 soldiers.^[2]
• Traders from southern Arabia settle in northern Ethiopia.

Asia

• Jijeung becomes king of the Korean kingdom of Silla.^[3]

Mesoamerica

• Tikal is founded (approximate date).
• Uxmal is founded (approximate date).

By topic

Religion

• The Arian Baptistry is erected by Theodoric the Great, at the same time as the Basilica of Sant' Apollinare Nuovo (Ravenna).
• The Codex Argenteus, Gothic manuscript of bishop Ulfilas's translation of the Bible, is written (approximate date).

Significant people

Births

Transcluding articles: AD 500, 501, AD 502, 503, 504, 505, 506, 507, 508, and 509

500

• Kaleb of Axum, Aksumite king responsible for the destruction of Himyar
• Antalas, Berber tribal leader (approximate date)
• Aregund, queen of the Franks (approximate date)
• Belisarius, Byzantine general (approximate date)
• Bhavyaviveka, Indian Madhyamaka scholar (approximate date)
• Clotilde, daughter of Clovis I (approximate date)
• David, Welsh bishop (approximate date)
• Erzhu Shilong, high-official of Northern Wei (d. 532)
• Gildas, British cleric (approximate date)
• Marcouf, missionary and saint (approximate date)
• Nonnosus, abbot and saint (approximate date)
• Octa, king of Kent (approximate date)
• Procopius, Byzantine historian (approximate date)
• Paul the Black, Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch (approximate date)^[23]
• Theodora, Byzantine Empress (approximate date)
• Theudebert I, king of Austrasia (or 495)
• Tribonian, Byzantine jurist (approximate date)
• Xie He, Chinese writer and art historian (approximate date)

501

• Lou Zhaojun, empress dowager of Northern Qi (d. 562)
• Xiao Tong, crown prince of the Liang Dynasty (d. 531)

502

• Amalaric, king of the Visigoths (d. 531)

503

• October 17 – Lý Nam Đế, first emperor of Vietnam (d. 548)
• December 2 – Xiao Gang, later Emperor Jianwen of Liang, emperor of the Chinese Liang dynasty (killed 551)
• Chen Baxian, later Emperor Wu of Chen, first emperor of the Chinese Chen dynasty (d. 559)

505

• Belisarius, Byzantine general (d. 565)
• Dorotheus of Gaza, Christian monk and abbot (approximate date)
• Dynod Bwr, king of Hen Ogledd (approximate date)
• Varāhamihira, Indian astronomer and mathematician (d. 587)
• Saint Yared, Axumite composer (d. 571)

506

• Sanghapala, Mon-Khmer monk (d. 518)
• Soga no Iname, leader of the Soga clan (d. 570)
• Wei Shou, Chinese author (d. 572)
• Zhang Yao'er, empress of Chen dynasty China (d. 570)

507

• John of Ephesus, Armenian bishop (approximate date)
• Wen Di, emperor of Western Wei (d. 551)
• Xiao Zhuang Di, emperor of Northern Wei (d. 531)
• Yuwen Tai, general of Western Wei (d. 556)

508

• September 16 – Yuan Di, emperor of the Liang Dynasty (d. 555)
• Xiao Ji, prince of the Liang Dynasty (d. 553)

509

• Kinmei, emperor of Japan (d. 571)^[24]
• Wei Xiaokuan, general of Western Wei (d. 580)^[25]

Deaths

Transcluding articles: AD 500, 501, AD 502, 503, 504, 505, 506, 507, 508, and 509

500

• March 29 – Gwynllyw, Welsh king and religious figure^[26]
• Dauí Tenga Uma, king of Connacht (Ireland)
• Zu Chongzhi, Chinese mathematician (b. 429)

501

• April 25 – Rusticus, archbishop of Lyon
• Dongseong, king of Baekje (Korea)^[5]
• Fergus Mór, king of Dál Riata (Scotland)
• Godegisel, king of the Burgundians
• Pan Yunu, concubine of Xiao Baojuan
• Ravina II, Jewish Talmudist and rabbi
• Su Xiaoxiao, Chinese Gējì and poet
• Xiao Baojuan, emperor of Southern Qi (b. 483)
• Teudelinda, Burgundian queen consort

502

• Genevieve, patron saint of Paris (approximate date)
• He Di, Chinese emperor of Southern Qi (b. 488)
• Narsai, Syrian poet and theologian (approximate date)
• Vakhtang I of Iberia, Georgian king (approximate date)

503

• Ernakh, king of the Huns

504

• Muyal Jol, ruler of Copan

505

• Eugenius, bishop of Carthage
• John I, Coptic Orthodox patriarch of Alexandria

506

• Buretsu, emperor of Japan
• Peter, Roman usurper in Spain

507

• Alaric II, king of the Visigoths
• Aprus, bishop of Toul
• Domangart Réti, king of Dál Riata (modern Scotland)
• Yu, empress of Northern Wei (b. 488)

508

• Geraint, king of Dumnonia (approximate date)
• Natanleod, king of Wales
• Yuan Xie, prince of the Northern Wei Dynasty
• Yujiulü Futu, ruler (khan) of the Rouran (Mongolia)

509

• Chlodoric, king of the Ripuarian Franks^[27]
• Sigobert the Lame, king of the Ripuarian Franks^[27]

References

1. Gregory of Tours, History, 2.32
2. Peter Heather, The Goths (Oxford: Blackwell, 1996), p. 231
3. "List of Rulers of Korea". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
4. Gregory of Tours, History, 2.33
5. "List of Rulers of Korea". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
6. Greatrex & Lieu 2002, p. 62
7. Greatrex & Lieu 2002, p. 63
8. Greatrex & Lieu 2002, pp. 69–71
9. John Binns, Ascetics and ambassadors of Christ: the monasteries of Palestine, 314-631. p.113; Frank R. Trombley, J. W. Watt, The chronicle of pseudo-Joshua the Stylite (the margin) p.108; Cyril of Scythopolis, Life of John the Hesychast, p.211. 15-20
10. Priscus. In Excerpta de legationibus. Ed. S. de Boor. Berolini, 1903, p. 586
11. Anastasi, Luciano. "Medieval History – Theodoric the Great – Ostrogothic King". Retrieved 2024-06-25.
12. "Anastasius I | Byzantine emperor | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
13. Greatrex, Geoffrey; Lieu, Samuel N.C. (June 29, 2005). The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars AD 363-628. Routledge. pp. 74–77. ISBN 9781134756469.
14. Greatrex, Geoffrey; Lieu, Samuel N. C., eds. (2002). The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars: a narrative sourcebook. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. p. 74.
15. Collins, Roger (2004). Visigothic Spain, 409–711. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. p. 35. ISBN 0-631-18185-7.
16. Richards, Jeffrey (1979). The Popes and the Papacy in the Early Middle Ages. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. ISBN 0710000987.
17. Davies, Raymond, ed. (1989). The Book of Pontiffs (Liber Pontificalis): the ancient biographies of the first ninety Roman bishops to AD 715. Liverpool University Press. ISBN 0853232164.
18. Essential Histories, Rome at War AD 293–696 (p. 52). Michael Whitby, 2002. ISBN 1-84176-359-4
19. Cohen, Roger. "Return to Bamiyan", The New York Times, October 29, 2007. Accessed October 29, 2007.
20. Pryor & Jeffreys 2006, p. 13
21. "Hampshire County Council". Archived from the original on March 13, 2012. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
22. Stratton, J.M. (1969). Agricultural Records. John Baker. ISBN 0-212-97022-4.
23. Markschies, Christoph (2011). "Paul Melanos". In Hans Dieter Betz; Don S. Browning; Bernd Janowski; Eberhard Jüngel (eds.). Religion Past and Present. Brill.
24. "Kinmei". literarybibliography.eu. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
25. "韋孝寬 - Chinese Text Project". ctext.org. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
26. Hemmings, Andrew (15 August 2017). Secret Newport. Amberley Publishing Limited. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-4456-6327-2.
27. "Chlodoric (The Parracide) DE COLOGNE, Merovingian King of Cologne b. Abt 473 Cologne, France d. Abt 509 Cologne, France: Reid-Schroeder Family Tree". reidgen.com. Retrieved 2024-06-26.

Bibliography

• Greatrex, Geoffrey; Lieu, Samuel N. C. (2002). The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars (Part II, 363–630 AD). New York, New York and London, United Kingdom: Routledge (Taylor & Francis). ISBN 0-415-14687-9.
• Pryor, John H.; Jeffreys, Elizabeth M. (2006). The Age of the ΔΡΟΜΩΝ: The Byzantine Navy ca. 500–1204. Brill Academic Publishers. ISBN 978-90-04-15197-0.