WHAT HAPPENED IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 6. CENTURY
Find out what all happened in the first half of the 6. century

A devastating earthquake strikes Antioch, Turkey, killing 250,000. (31. May 526)

A Byzantine expeditionary fleet under Belisarius sails from Constantinople to attack the Vandals in Africa, via Greece and Sicily. (21. June 533)

The Franks are defeated by the Burgundians in the Battle of Vézeronce. (25. June 524)

Justinian I becomes the sole ruler of the Byzantine Empire. (1. August 527)

John I becomes the new Pope after the death of Pope Hormisdas. (13. August 523)

King Theodoric the Great dies of dysentery at Ravenna; his daughter Amalasuntha takes power as regent for her 10-year old son Athalaric. (30. August 526)

A Byzantine army of 15,000 men under Belisarius lands at Caput Vada (modern Tunisia) and marches to Carthage. (9. September 533)

The bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde. (10. September 506)

The Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus on Rome's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September. (13. September 509. BC)

Belisarius of the Byzantine Empire defeats Gelimer and the Vandals at the Battle of Ad Decimum, near Carthage, North Africa. (13. September 533)

Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta, securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire. (29. September 522. BC)

The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. (12. October 539. BC)

Cyrus the Great marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost 70 years of exile. Cyrus allows the Jews to return to Yehud Medinata and rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. (17. October 539. BC)

The Synodus Palmaris, called by Gothic king Theodoric the Great, discharges Pope Symmachus of all charges, thus ending the schism of Antipope Laurentius. (23. October 502)

Cyrus the great (founder of Persian Empire) entered capital of Babylon and allowed the Jews to return to their land. (29. October 539. BC)

A second and final revision of the Codex Justinianus is published. (16. November 534)

Thespis of Icaria becomes the first recorded actor to portray a character onstage. (23. November 534. BC)

King Clovis I dies at Paris ("Lutetia") and is buried in the Abbey of St Genevieve. The Merovingian Dynasty is continued by his four sons — Theuderic I, Chlodomer, Childebert I and Chlothar I — who divide the Frankish Kingdom and rule from the capitals at Metz, Orléans, Paris and Soissons. (27. November 511)

Gothic War: The Byzantine general Belisarius enters Rome unopposed; the Gothic garrison flee the capital. (9. December 536)

Vandalic War: Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Tricamarum. (15. December 533)