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'''566''' ('''[[Roman numerals|DLXVI]]''') was a [[common year starting on Friday]] (link will display the full calendar) of the [[Julian calendar]]. The denomination 566 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the [[Anno Domini]] [[calendar era]] became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.
== Events ==
<onlyinclude>
=== By place ===
==== Byzantine Empire ====
* A [[Byzantine army]], under command of [[Baduarius]], assists the [[Gepids]] in their war against the [[Lombards]]. The [[Byzantine Greeks|Byzantines]] win the first battle in the lower [[Danube]] ([[Moesia]]), but Gepid King [[Cunimund]] refuses to hand back the fortress city of [[Sirmium]] (modern [[Serbia]]), as he had promised.
* Emperor [[Justin II]], facing an empty [[treasury]], breaks the treaty with the Gepids that has existed since [[Cunimund#Rule|565]]. King [[Alboin]] of the Lombards makes an [[Military alliance|alliance]] with the [[Avars (Carpathians)|Avars]] under [[Bayan I]], at the expense of tough conditions. They demand a tenth of the Lombards' [[cattle]] and half of the war [[Looting|booty]].
* Justin II sends his cousin [[Justin (consul 540)|Justin]] to [[exile]] in [[Alexandria]], where he is installed as ''[[List of governors of Roman Egypt|Augustal prefect]]'' of [[Diocese of Egypt (Late Antiquity)|Egypt]]. There he is murdered in his sleep, and his head is cut off and brought to [[Constantinople]] (most likely by assignment of Empress [[Sophia (empress)|Sophia]]).<ref>Martindale, Jones & Morris (1992) p. 753–754</ref>
==== Europe ====
* [[Ainmuire mac Sétnai]] becomes [[High King of Ireland]], and rules from 566–569 (this according to the [[Book of Leinster]]).
==== Francia ====
*A poet from Italy named [[Venantius Fortunatus]] arrives at the [[Merovingian dynasty|Merovingian]] court at [[Metz]]. With a strong grasp of traditional Roman poetry, Fortunatus impresses and entertains the Frankish royalty and aristocracy. The success of a Latin poet in Francia suggests that Roman culture persisted well after the Roman Empire disintegrated in Gaul in the late 5th century.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Wickham|first=Chris|title=Framing the Early Middle Ages|year=2005|pages=175}}</ref>
==== Asia ====
* [[Emperor Fei of Chen|Fei Di]], age 12, succeeds his father [[Emperor Wen of Chen|Wen Di]], as emperor of the Chinese [[Chen dynasty]]. He honors his grand-aunt [[Empress Zhang Yao'er|Zhang Yao'er]] with the title of [[Grand empress dowager|Grand Empress]], and she becomes his [[regent]].
* [[Kirtivarman I]] succeeds his father [[Pulakeshin I]] as king of the [[Chalukya dynasty]] ([[India]]). During his rule he completes the subjugation of the [[Kadamba dynasty|Kadambas]] and annexes the port of [[Goa]].
==== Unidentified ====
* A major [[volcanic eruption]] occurs in the Antarctic.<ref>{{cite news|first=Steve|last=Connor|title=Our explosive past is written in the Antarctic ice|newspaper=[[i (newspaper)|i]]|location=London|date=2014-07-07|page=17}}</ref></onlyinclude>
== Births ==
* [[Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib]], uncle of [[Muhammad]] (approximate date)
* Li Yuan, [[Emperor Gaozu of Tang|Emperor Gaozu]] of the [[Tang dynasty]] (d. [[635]])
* [[Empress Xiao (Sui dynasty)|Xiao]], empress of the [[Sui dynasty]] (approximate date)
* [[Empress Yuchi Chifan|Yuchi Chifan]], empress of [[Northern Zhou]] (d. [[595]])
== Deaths ==
* [[Domnall Ilchelgach]], [[High King of Ireland]]
* [[Forggus mac Muirchertaig]], High King
* [[Justin (consul 540)|Justin]], Byzantine aristocrat and general
* [[Pulakeshin I]], king of the [[Chalukya dynasty]] ([[India]])
* [[Emperor Wen of Chen|Wen Di]], emperor of the [[Chen dynasty]] (b. [[522]])
== References ==
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[[Category:566| ]]