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590
590
590
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590 in various calendars
Gregorian calendar590
DXC
Ab urbe condita1343
Armenian calendar39
ԹՎ ԼԹ
Assyrian calendar5340
Balinese saka calendar511–512
Bengali calendar−4 – −3
Berber calendar1540
Buddhist calendar1134
Burmese calendar−48
Byzantine calendar6098–6099
Chinese calendar己酉年 (Earth Rooster)
3287 or 3080
    — to —
庚戌年 (Metal Dog)
3288 or 3081
Coptic calendar306–307
Discordian calendar1756
Ethiopian calendar582–583
Hebrew calendar4350–4351
Hindu calendars
 - Vikram Samvat646–647
 - Shaka Samvat511–512
 - Kali Yuga3690–3691
Holocene calendar10590
Iranian calendar32 BP – 31 BP
Islamic calendar33 BH – 32 BH
Javanese calendar479–480
Julian calendar590
DXC
Korean calendar2923
Minguo calendar1322 before ROC
民前1322年
Nanakshahi calendar−878
Seleucid era901/902 AG
Thai solar calendar1132–1133
Tibetan calendarས་མོ་བྱ་ལོ་
(female Earth-Bird)
716 or 335 or −437
    — to —
ལྕགས་ཕོ་ཁྱི་ལོ་
(male Iron-Dog)
717 or 336 or −436
Battle between Khosrau II and Bahrām Chobin

Year 590 (DXC) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 590 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

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By place

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Byzantine Empire

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Europe

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Britain

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Persia

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  • Spring – King Hormizd IV dismisses Bahrām Chobin as commander (Eran spahbed). He revolts and marches with the support of the Persian army towards Ctesiphon.
  • February 15 – Hormizd IV is deposed and assassinated by Persian nobles. Having ruled since 579, he is succeeded by his son Khosrau II as king of the Persian Empire.
  • September – Bahrām Chobin defeats the inferior forces of Khosrau II near Ctesiphon. He seizes the throne and proclaims himself as king Bahrām IV of Persia.

Asia

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By topic

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Religion

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Births

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Deaths

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

590

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
AD 590 was a common year in characterized by ecclesiastical and imperial upheavals in both the Roman and Sassanid realms. In Rome, amid a severe plague exacerbated by floods and , Gregory I—later known as Gregory the Great—was unanimously elected on September 3 following the death of Pelagius II from the disease. Gregory, a former prefect and monastic leader, reluctantly accepted the role, initiating reforms that strengthened papal authority during a period of Lombard invasions and Byzantine weakness. Concurrently, in the Sassanid Empire, general , having suffered perceived slights from King after victories against the Byzantines, launched a rebellion that deposed and executed the king in February, briefly installing Hormizd's son before turning against him and proclaiming himself shahanshah around April. This civil strife, rooted in military factionalism and royal paranoia, saw Bahram command widespread aristocratic and army support until Khosrow's return with Byzantine aid in 591, marking a turbulent shift in Persian leadership amid ongoing wars with . The year's events underscored the fragility of centralized authority in an era of pandemics, migrations, and dynastic contests, laying groundwork for Gregory's enduring liturgical and missionary legacies and the eventual stabilization of Sassanid rule under .

Events

Byzantine Empire

In 590, (r. 582–602) proclaimed his eldest son Theodosius as co-emperor on March 26, an act intended to secure dynastic continuity amid persistent military pressures from Slavic incursions in the and the ongoing Byzantine–Sasanian War (572–591). Theodosius, aged approximately 5–7 years, was formally elevated in , marking the first time Maurice associated a son with imperial rule, following the births of multiple children to his wife . Maurice continued administrative reforms, including the establishment of the , with appointed as exarch in to consolidate military command and provincial governance against Vandal remnants and emerging threats. This reorganization enhanced central oversight, integrating thematic army structures and reducing bureaucratic inefficiencies inherited from Justinian I's reconquests. In the eastern theater, the descended into civil war when general rebelled against King , executing him and briefly seizing power; this instability, unfolding through 590, positioned Maurice to exploit Persian disarray, culminating in support for Hormizd's son Khosrau II the following year. Byzantine forces under generals like Comentiolus maintained defensive postures along the frontier, preserving gains from prior truces while Maurice prioritized Balkan stabilization, where he had resettled Armenian troops to counter Avar-Slav alliances.

Western Europe

In 590, the Merovingian Frankish kingdoms dominated , encompassing (modern ), parts of , and the , following the consolidation of power after Clovis I's conquests in the early . The realm remained divided into three primary sub-kingdoms due to Salic Frankish tradition of : under King (r. 561–592), under King (r. 575–595) with his grandmother Brunhilda as effective regent, and under the infant King Clothar II (r. 584–629) dominated by his mother until her death in 597. This tripartite structure, originating from partitions after Clotaire I's death in 561, had been somewhat stabilized by the Treaty of Andelot in 587, wherein adopted as heir, averting immediate civil war while preserving alliances against external threats like the . Guntram's Burgundy, centered around Orléans and Chalons, maintained administrative continuity with Roman traditions, relying on Gallo-Roman elites and episcopal networks for governance amid a population estimated at several million, largely rural and agrarian. , based in and covering the frontier, saw Brunhilda consolidate power through mayors of the palace and military levies, fostering economic ties via trade routes from the to the Mediterranean. , rooted in and , experienced internal strife under Fredegund's ruthless regency, including assassinations and fiscal exactions to fund armies, yet avoided open conflict with the eastern kingdoms in 590. A notable external projection of Frankish power occurred in 590 with Guntram's orchestration of a Burgundian-Frankish expedition into Lombard , the final major Merovingian incursion southward during this era. Motivated by opportunities for plunder, tribute, and nominal support for Byzantine remnants against Lombard expansion, the campaign involved cross-Alpine forces under Frankish nobles, pressuring King Authari's successors and compelling temporary Lombard tribute payments alongside detachments of auxiliaries. This intervention underscored the ' military capacity, drawing on comital levies and federate warriors numbering in the thousands, though logistical strains limited deeper conquests. Ecclesiastical influence permeated these kingdoms, with bishops like (d. 594) chronicling events and mediating disputes, as Catholic orthodoxy solidified post-Clovis conversion, integrating Roman liturgy with Frankish customs. No major internal revolts or plagues are recorded for 590 specifically, reflecting a phase of dynastic equilibrium before Guntram's death in 592 reignited succession crises.

Britain

In 590, the island of Britain consisted of competing Anglo-Saxon settler kingdoms primarily in the east and south, alongside surviving British Celtic polities in the west, north, and upland areas, amid ongoing processes of migration, settlement, and territorial consolidation that had accelerated since the Roman legions' departure in 410. The kingdom of was under the rule of Æthelberht, who had succeeded his father Eormenric around 589, initiating a 27-year reign during which Kent emerged as a dominant force among the southern Anglo-Saxon states. Æthelberht's earlier marriage to , daughter of the Frankish king , had already introduced Christian clergy to his court, including Bishop Liudhard, fostering diplomatic and cultural ties with the Merovingian realm and laying groundwork for broader religious change. Æthelberht's kingship exemplified the emerging patterns of Anglo-Saxon governance, characterized by personal overlordship (later termed status) rather than centralized authority, with power derived from military success and alliances. In , meanwhile, Ceawlin held the throne until his deposition in 592 following defeats that curbed his expansions, which had previously included victories over British forces at sites like Badbury in 552. Northern regions saw the consolidation of under around this era, though his campaigns intensified post-592. These dynamics reflected a of intermittent warfare, extraction, and kingdom-building, with no unified "British" polity but rather localized resistance from British leaders documented in sources like Gildas's mid-6th-century . The legal framework under Æthelberht anticipated formalized codes, as evidenced by the surviving Textus Aethelberhti, promulgated circa 600 during his reign; this 90-clause document, the earliest extant English legal text, prioritized compensatory payments (wergild) for offenses such as wounding or theft, rooted in pre-Christian Germanic custom and lacking Roman or ecclesiastical influence at its core. Provisions addressed interpersonal harms (e.g., 9 shillings for a freewoman's dishonor, escalating for nobles) and property disputes, underscoring a system where kin groups enforced restitution to avert feuds, with the king's role as guarantor of order. This code's issuance highlights the transition toward written administration in Anglo-Saxon society, predating widespread Christian conversion yet compatible with emerging influences from continental contacts.

Persia

In 590, the plunged into civil war as General , a noble from the Mihranid house, rebelled against King . Bahram had led successful campaigns against a combined Turkic-Hephthalite invasion of starting in 588, recapturing territories including by 589, but Hormizd scapegoated him for initial setbacks, leading to his demotion and flight to the eastern frontier. Bahram rallied Parthian and army support, marched on the capital , and overthrew , who was imprisoned and executed around March 590. Hormizd's son, , was proclaimed shahanshah shortly after his father's deposition, with occurring after the Persian New Year on June 27, 590. However, facing Bahram's advancing forces backed by much of the military, Khosrow held power only briefly before fleeing westward to Byzantine territory in July 590, seeking military aid from Emperor Maurice Tiberius amid the ongoing Byzantine-Sasanian War of 572-591. then usurped the throne, establishing a short-lived regime that drew support from aristocratic factions opposed to the Sasanian royal house but alienated others due to his Parthian origins and authoritarian style. The upheaval weakened Sasanian defenses against external foes, including lingering Turkic threats and Byzantine incursions, while internal divisions foreshadowed Khosrow II's return in 591 with Byzantine assistance, culminating in Bahram's defeat and flight to the Turks. No major external conquests or administrative reforms are recorded for Persia in 590, as the focus remained on consolidating power amid the rebellion's chaos.

Asia

In East Asia, the , having unified by conquering the in 589, turned to suppressing lingering rebellions in the southern territories, marking the initial phase of centralizing imperial authority under Emperor Wen. Diplomatic friction emerged with on the Korean peninsula, where Emperor Wen dispatched envoys demanding the kingdom's submission as a ; Goguryeo's refusal heightened tensions that would escalate into military campaigns in subsequent years. In , the post-Gupta political landscape featured the ascendant Pushyabhuti (Vardhana) dynasty in the north under , who ruled from and expanded influence against Hephthalite remnants and regional rivals, fostering relative stability amid fragmentation. Concurrently, the held sway in the , with consolidating power around Vatapi (modern ) through defensive fortifications and alliances, countering threats from neighboring powers like the Pallavas. These developments reflected ongoing competition for in the absence of a singular imperial structure.

Religion

In February 590, died from a plague outbreak that afflicted , leaving the papal seat vacant amid widespread devastation including and Lombard invasions. Gregory, a Roman aristocrat, former , and of Saint Andrew's Monastery, had been serving as apostolic nuntio (representative) in since 579; upon Pelagius's death, he was unanimously acclaimed by the clergy and people of . Though Gregory protested the and attempted to decline by sending letters to Emperor Maurice seeking rejection, the emperor confirmed the choice, and Gregory was consecrated on September 3, 590, marking the inception of his 13-year pontificate during which he fortified papal administration and missionary outreach in . Gregory's accession occurred against a backdrop of challenges, including ongoing schisms with Eastern churches over theological disputes like the Acacian Schism's lingering effects and the need to counter among Germanic tribes. In the same year, Al-Nu'man III, the last king of the Lakhmid dynasty in southern , underwent , aligning the Arab against Sassanid Persia more firmly with Nestorian traditions prevalent among Syriac Christians, though this shift contributed to the dynasty's eventual dissolution by in 602. These developments underscored Christianity's expansion and consolidation in , with Rome's papacy emerging as a stabilizing force amid imperial decline.

Wars and Conflicts

In 590, the plunged into civil war following the rebellion of general against Shah . Bahram, having suffered military setbacks against the Turks and subsequent demotion, rallied noble and military support, marching on the capital with an estimated 40,000 troops. His forces decisively defeated royal armies at the , leading to Hormizd's deposition and execution by conspirators who installed his son, , as shah. Bahram Chobin, undeterred, proclaimed himself shah as Bahram VI and pursued , whose smaller force was routed near the Bih-Qobad River, forcing the young ruler to flee westward to the seeking asylum from Emperor Maurice. Maurice, engaged in the ongoing Byzantine–Sasanian War of 572–591, provided Khosrow with military aid including 8,000–12,000 troops under general John Mystacon, enabling a counteroffensive that would culminate in Bahram's defeat the following year at the Battle of Blarathon. This internal strife temporarily halted Sasanian offensives against Byzantium, allowing Maurice to redirect resources toward Balkan threats from Avars and . Concurrently, the faced persistent incursions in the during the , with Slavic raids penetrating as far as the amid distractions from the eastern front. These conflicts, though not culminating in major battles precisely in 590, strained imperial defenses, contributing to the strategic decision to aid in restoring stability to Persia. No significant recorded engagements occurred in or Britain that year, where Frankish and Lombard activities focused more on consolidation than expansion.

Births

Notable Figures

Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne (c. 590–651), an Irish from the of , was in the conversion of to , founding the influential on the island of in 635 at the invitation of King Oswald. His ascetic lifestyle and emphasis on missionary outreach among the earned him veneration as a saint in both Catholic and Anglican traditions. Saint Eligius (c. 590–660), also known as , was a Frankish artisan born near who rose to prominence as a goldsmith and treasurer under King , overseeing the royal mint and crafting notable religious artifacts, including a cross for the at . Later appointed bishop of Noyon and Tournai, he conducted missionary work among the Frisians and pagans in what is now the and , advocating for the redemption and Christian instruction of slaves.

Deaths

Notable Figures

Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne (c. 590–651), an Irish from the monastery of , was instrumental in the conversion of to , founding the influential monastery on the island of in 635 at the invitation of King Oswald. His ascetic lifestyle and emphasis on missionary outreach among the earned him veneration as a saint in both Catholic and Anglican traditions. Saint Eligius (c. 590–660), also known as , was a Frankish artisan born near who rose to prominence as a goldsmith and treasurer under King , overseeing the royal mint and crafting notable religious artifacts, including a cross for the at . Later appointed bishop of Noyon and Tournai, he conducted missionary work among the Frisians and pagans in what is now the and , advocating for the redemption and Christian instruction of slaves.

References

  1. https://www.britannica.com/biography/St-Gregory-the-Great
  2. https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/gregory-the-great-saint
  3. https://www.the-persians.co.uk/khusrauII.htm
  4. https://www.italianartsociety.org/2017/03/eastern-roman-emperor-maurice-proclaimed-his-son-theodosius-co-emperor-on-26-march-590/
  5. https://www.livius.org/articles/person/maurice/
  6. http://www.hubert-herald.nl/Byza058Mauricius.htm
  7. https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/maurice-emperor/
  8. https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/MEROVINGIANS.htm
  9. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48578390
  10. http://www.anglo-saxons.net/hwaet/?do=get&type=chron&id=575a
  11. https://sas-space.sas.ac.uk/9907/
  12. https://www.rochestercathedral.org/research/textus/slavery
  13. https://www.worldanvil.com/w/umay-atlas-khansden/a/first-turco-persian-war-militaryConflict
  14. https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/khosrow-ii/
  15. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/saru/hd_saru.htm
  16. https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-China/The-Sui-dynasty
  17. https://www.worldhistory.org/Pushyabhuti_Dynasty/
  18. https://www.catholicapostolatecenter.org/blog/the-reluctant-pope
  19. https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/centuries/6th-century-11631965.html
  20. https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-important-events/byzantine-sasanian-war-0016156
  21. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48578568
  22. https://www.heritage-history.com/index.php?c=resources&s=study-page&h=ancient_rome&f=wars_battles
  23. https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-wars-2031197
  24. https://anglicancompass.com/st-aidan-and-the-legacy-of-lindisfarne/
  25. https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=271
  26. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-eligius-70
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