Editing 550 (section)

== Events ==
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=== By place ===
==== Byzantine Empire ====
* Emperor [[Justinian I]] appoints [[Bessas (magister militum)|Bessas]] commander (''[[magister militum]]'') of [[Armenia]], and entrusts him with the war in [[Lazica]] ([[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]).
** [[Siege of Petra (550–551)]]
* [[January 16]] &ndash; [[Gothic War (535–554)|Gothic War]]: The [[Ostrogoths]] under king [[Totila]] recapture [[Rome]] after a long [[Siege of Rome (549–550)|siege]], by bribing the [[Isauria]]n garrison.
* Summer &ndash; Totila plunders [[Sicily]], after he subdues [[Corsica]] and [[Sardinia]]. He sends a [[Goths|Gothic]] fleet to raid the coasts of [[Greece]].
* Justinian I sends two [[Nestorian Church|Nestorian]] monks on a [[Christian mission|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 [[saga]]s' account of a [[History of Sweden|Swedish kingdom]]).

==== Persia ====
* The [[Sassanid Empire]], under the reign of King [[Khosrow I]], controls the trade of [[History of Silk|silk]] destined for [[Europe]] and the [[Byzantine Empire]].

==== Asia ====
* The [[Eastern Wei|Eastern Wei Dynasty]] ends, and [[Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi|Wen Xuan Di]] becomes emperor of [[Northern Qi]]. He forces [[Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei|Xiao Jing Di]] to yield the [[throne]].
* Wen Xuan Di adopts a defensive policy towards the hostile northern tribes; he builds over 1,000 miles of [[Defensive wall|walls]] on the border.<ref>Imperial Chinese Armies (p. 23). C.J. Peers, 1995. {{ISBN|978-1-85532-514-2}}</ref>
* The [[Gupta Empire]] falls; [[India]] is again ruled by regional kingdoms (approximate date).

==== Americas ====
* Construction of [[Quiriguá]] ([[Guatemala]]) begins (approximate date).
* The last known [[Types of volcanic eruptions|eruption]] of [[Chimborazo (volcano)|Chimborazo]] (modern [[Ecuador]]) occurs.

=== By topic ===
==== Arts and sciences ====
* [[Hindu]] [[mathematician]]s give [[0 (number)|zero]] a numeral representation in a [[numeral system|positional notation system]].
* [[Procopius]] writes the ''[[Procopius#Secret History|Secret History]]'' (approximate date).

==== Religion ====
* The churches of [[Lazica]] ([[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]) and [[Armenia]] split. While the [[Armenian Apostolic Church|Armenian Church]] remains independent, the Georgian church unites with the [[Byzantine Empire]]. This [[Ecclesiology|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 [[Talmud|Babylonian Talmud]] is completed under Rabbis [[Ravina II|Ravina]] and [[Rav Ashi|Ashi]] (approximate date).
* [[Chararic (Suevic king)|Chararic]], king of the [[Suebi|Suevi]], converts to [[Catholicism]].
* In [[Ireland]], the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tuam|Diocese of Tuam]] is erected.
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