6th century 34741 223763411 2008-07-05T17:56:55Z Arthur Rubin 374195 Added CE {{Centurybox}} [[Image:The world in 500 CE.PNG|thumb|300px|The world at the beginning of the 6th century AD.]] [[Image:East-Hem 600ad.jpg|thumb|300px|Eastern Hemisphere at the end of the 6th century AD.]] The '''6th century''' is the period from [[501]] to [[600]] in accordance with the [[Julian calendar]] in the [[Christian Era|Christian]]/[[Common Era]]. This century is widely considered to mark the end of [[Classical Antiquity]] and the beginning of the [[Dark Ages]]. == Overview == Following the collapse of the [[Western Roman Empire]] late in the previous century, Europe fractured into many small Germanic Kingdoms, which competed fiercely for land and wealth. From this upheaval the [[Franks]] rose to prominence, and carved out a sizeable domain encompassing much of modern France and Germany. Meanwhile, the surviving [[Eastern Roman Empire]] began to expand under the emperor [[Justinian]], who eventually recaptured North Africa from the [[Vandals]], and attempted to fully recover Italy as well in the hope of re-establishing Roman control over the lands once ruled by the [[Western Roman Empire]]. Following Justinian's death, most of his gains were lost. The [[Sassanid Empire]] reached the peak of its power under [[Khosrau I]] in the 6th century. <ref>Roberts, J: "History of the World.". Penguin, 1994.</ref> {{commonscat}} == Events == [[Image:Buddhist Stela Northern Wei period.jpg|thumb|right|180px|This [[Buddhist]] [[stela]] from [[China]], [[Northern Wei]] period, was built in the early 6th century.]] * The first academy of the east the Academy of [[Gundeshapur]] founded in [[Iran]] by [[Khosrau I of Persia]]. * [[Ireland|Irish]] colonists and invaders, the Scots, began migrating to [[Caledonia]] (later known as [[Scotland]]). Migration from south-west Britain to Brittany. * [[Glendalough]] [[monastery]], [[Wicklow]] [[Ireland]] founded by [[Kevin of Glendalough|St. Kevin]]. Many similar foundations in Ireland and Wales. * The monastery on [[Iona]] is founded by [[Columba|St. Columban]] * [[Zen]] [[Buddhism|Buddhists]] enter [[Vietnam]] from [[China]]. * Buddhist [[Jataka]] stories are translated into [[Persian language|Persian]] by order of the [[Zoroastrian]] king [[Khosrau I of Persia|Khosrau]]. * [[518]] - Roman Emperor [[Anastasius I (emperor)|Anastasius I]] dies and is succeeded by [[Justin I]]. * [[527]] — [[Justinian I]] succeeds [[Justin I]] as [[Emperor]] of the [[Eastern Roman Empire]]. * [[529]] — Saint [[Benedict of Nursia]] founds the monastery of [[Monte Cassino]] in [[Italy]]. * [[532]] — [[Nika riots]] in [[Constantinople]]; the cathedral is destroyed. They are put down a sennight later by [[Belisarius]] and [[Mundus]]; up to 30,000 people are killed in the [[Hippodrome of Constantinople|Hippodrome]]. * [[535]] - Possible volcanic eruption causes several years of abnormally cold weather, resulting in mass famine. * [[537]]: [[Battle of Camlann]], final battle of [[King Arthur]] * c.[[538]]-[[540]] - First Pandemic of [[bubonic plague]] hits [[Byzantine Empire]]. * [[Buddhism]] introduced to [[Japan]] from [[Baekje]] in [[552]], thus contributing to the changes that occurred in the [[Asuka period]]. * [[554]], Eviction of the [[Ostrogoths]] from Rome, and the re-unification of all Italy under Imperial rule. <ref>Roberts, J: "History of the World.". Penguin, 1994.</ref> * Outbreak of [[bubonic plague]] in [[Constantinople]] and the rest of the [[Byzantine Empire]] ([[Plague of Justinian]]). * The [[Kutrigur]] [[Bulgars]] move into modern [[Romania]]. * [[Jew]]ish influence in [[Aksum]]. * [[Nubia]] is largely converted to [[Coptic Christianity]]. * The area of modern [[Aargau]] falls into the [[Franks]]. * The Kingdom of [[Funan]] dies out. * [[Black Death]] raged over south east Asia. * [[Silk Road]] farther into Europe. * 589–618: [[Sui Dynasty]] of China * [[Old Irish language]] develops * [[Old Low Franconian|Old Dutch]] [[language]] develops * [[Abraha]] attacks [[Kaaba]] in [[Mecca]] (''circa'' [[571]]) * [[590]], [[Pope Gregory I]] succeeds [[Pope Pelagius II]] as the 64th pope. == Significant persons == * [[Muhammad]], prophet of [[Islam]], born in [[570]]. * [[Pope Gregory I|Pope Gregory the Great]] (590–604) * [[King Arthur|Arthur]], (fictional?) defeated the [[Anglo-Saxons]] * [[Justinian I|Justinian]], [[Byzantine Emperor]] (527–565) * [[Khosrau I of Persia]], [[Sassanid]] king (531–579) * [[Belisarius]], [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] general. * [[Gregory of Tours]] (c. 538–594) * [[Beowulf (character)|Beowulf]], (fictional?) [[king of the Geats]] * [[Jordanes]], author of the [[Getica]]. * [[Procopius]], Byzantine historian. * [[Burzoe|Bozorgmehr]], [[Persian people|Persian]] sage. * [[Empress Suiko]] of Japan * [[Taliesin]], Welsh poet * [[Abraham Kidunaia]] * [[Austell (person)|Austell]] * [[Yasodharman]], king of [[Malwa]] in [[India]], defeats the [[Huns]]. == Inventions, discoveries, introductions == * [[Dionysius Exiguus]] creates the [[Anno Domini]] system, inspired by the birth of [[Jesus]], in [[525]]. This is the system upon which the [[Gregorian calendar]] and [[Common Era]] systems are based. * [[Backgammon]] (''nard'') invented in [[Iran|Persia]] by [[Burzoe]] * [[Chess]], as [[chaturanga]], entered [[Iran|Persia]] from [[India]] and was modified to [[shatranj]]. * [[Breast-strap horse harness]] in use in [[Franks|Frankish]] kingdom * [[Byzantine Empire]] acquires silk technology from China * Vaghbata, Indian medical books * In [[589]] AD, the Chinese scholar-official Yan Zhitui makes the first reference to the use of [[toilet paper]] in history. *Significant to the [[History of agriculture#Chinese agriculture|history of agriculture]], the Chinese author Jia Sixia wrote the treatise ''Chi Min Yao Shu'' in [[535]], and although it quotes 160 previous Chinese [[agronomy]] books, it is the oldest existent Chinese agriculture treatise. In over one hundred thousand written [[Chinese characters]], the book covered land preparation, seeding, cultivation, orchard management, forestry, animal husbandry, trade, and culinary uses for crops. ==References== <references/> ==Decades and years== {{DecadesAndYears}} {{Centuries}} [[Category:1st millennium]] [[Category:6th century| ]] [[Category:Centuries|06th century]] [[af:6de eeu]] [[als:6. Jahrhundert]] [[ar:قرن 6]] [[an:Sieglo VI]] [[ast:Sieglu VI]] [[az:VI əsr]] [[be:6 стагоддзе]] [[be-x-old:6 стагодзьдзе]] [[bs:6. vijek]] [[br:VIvet kantved]] [[bg:6 век]] [[ca:Segle VI]] [[cv:VI ĕмĕр]] [[cs:6. století]] [[cy:6ed ganrif]] [[da:6. århundrede]] [[de:6. Jahrhundert]] [[et:6. sajand]] [[el:6ος αιώνας]] [[es:Siglo VI]] [[eo:6-a jarcento]] [[eu:VI. mendea]] [[fa:سده ۶ (میلادی)]] [[fr:VIe siècle]] [[fy:6e ieu]] [[ga:6ú haois]] [[gd:6mh Linn]] [[gl:Século VI]] [[ko:6세기]] [[hr:6. stoljeće]] [[io:6ma yar-cento]] [[id:Abad ke-6]] [[is:6. öldin]] [[it:VI secolo]] [[he:המאה ה-6]] [[jv:Abad kaping-6]] [[ka:VI საუკუნე]] [[kk:6 ғ.]] [[kw:6ves kansblydhen]] [[ku:Sedsala 6'an]] [[la:Saeculum 6]] [[lb:6. Joerhonnert]] [[lt:VI amžius]] [[lij:VI secolo]] [[li:Zesde iew]] [[hu:6. század]] [[mk:6 век]] [[mr:इ.स.चे ६ वे शतक]] [[ms:Abad ke-6]] [[nl:6e eeuw]] [[nds-nl:6e eeuw]] [[ja:6世紀]] [[no:6. århundre]] [[nn:500-talet]] [[nrm:VIe s.]] [[uz:VI asr]] [[nds:6. Johrhunnert]] [[pl:VI wiek]] [[pt:Século VI]] [[ksh:6. Joohunndot]] [[ro:Secolul al VI-lea]] [[ru:VI век]] [[sq:Shekulli VI]] [[scn:Sèculu VI]] [[simple:6th century]] [[sk:6. storočie]] [[sl:6. stoletje]] [[sr:6. век]] [[sh:6. vijek]] [[stq:6. Jierhunnert]] [[su:Abad ka-6]] [[fi:500-luku]] [[sv:500-talet]] [[kab:Lqern wis VI]] [[tt:6. yöz]] [[th:คริสต์ศตวรรษที่ 6]] [[vi:Thế kỷ 6]] [[tr:6. yüzyıl]] [[uk:6 століття]] [[vec:VI secolo]] [[yi:6טער י"ה]] [[bat-smg:VI omžios]] [[zh:6世纪]]