550s

Byzantine Empire

• Emperor Justinian I appoints Bessas commander (magister militum) of Armenia, and entrusts him with the war in Lazica (Georgia).
• January 16 – Gothic War: The Ostrogoths under king Totila recapture Rome after a long siege, by bribing the Isaurian garrison.
• Summer – Totila plunders Sicily, after he subdues Corsica and Sardinia. He sends a Gothic fleet to raid the coasts of Greece.
• Justinian I sends two Nestorian monks on a "mission" to Central Asia, to spread Christianity in the East (approximate date).

Europe

• The Vendel era begins; the name is given to a region in Uppland (an important area of the sagas' account of a Swedish kingdom).

Persia

• The Sassanid Empire, under the reign of King Khosru I, controls the trade of silk destined for Europe and the Byzantine Empire.

Asia

• The Eastern Wei Dynasty ends, and Wen Xuan Di becomes emperor of Northern Qi. He forces Xiao Jing Di to yield the throne.
• Wen Xuan Di adopts a defensive policy towards the hostile northern tribes; he builds on the border over 1,000 miles of walls.^[1]
• The Gupta Empire falls; India is again ruled by regional kingdoms (approximate date).

Americas

• Construction of Quiriguá (Guatemala) begins (approximate date).
• The last known eruption of Chimborazo (modern Ecuador) occurs.

Arts and sciences

• Hindu mathematicians give zero a numeral representation in a positional notation system.
• Procopius writes the Secret History (approximate date).

Religion

• The churches of Lazica (Georgia) and Armenia split. While the Armenian Church remains independent, the Georgian church unites with the Byzantine Empire. This ecclesiastical union deepens political and cultural contact between the two states. As a sign of Lazica's status vis-à-vis Byzantium, Lazic princes are vested with honorific titles of the Byzantine court, including kouropalates, or "minister of the imperial palace" (approximate date).
• The main redaction of the Babylonian Talmud is completed under Rabbis Ravina and Ashi (approximate date).
• Chararic, king of the Suevi, converts to Catholicism.
• In Ireland, the Diocese of Tuam is erected.

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