Editing 610 (section)

== Events ==
<onlyinclude>

=== By place ===
==== Byzantine Empire ====
* [[October 4]] &ndash; [[Heraclian revolt]]: [[Heraclius]] arrives with a fleet from [[Africa (Roman province)|Africa]] at [[Constantinople]]. Assisted by an [[Rebellion|uprising]] in the capital, he overthrows and personally beheads Emperor [[Phocas]]. Heraclius gains the [[throne]] with help from his father [[Heraclius the Elder]]. His first major act is to change the official language of the [[Eastern Roman Empire]] from [[Latin]] to [[Medieval Greek|Greek]] (already the language of the vast majority of the population). Because of this, after AD 610, the Empire is customarily referred to as the [[Byzantine Empire]] (the term Byzantine is a modern term invented by historians in the 18th century; the people of the Empire itself always referred to themselves as "Ρωμαῖος" — tr. ''Rōmaios'', Roman).

==== Europe ====
* The [[Pannonian Avars|Avars]] invade the [[Duchy of Friuli]], an important buffer between the [[Kingdom of the Lombards]] in Italy and the [[Slavs]].<ref>Hodgkin, Thomas. ''Italy and Her Invaders'' (vol.&nbsp;5), p.&nbsp;160</ref> During the fighting [[Gisulf II of Friuli|Gisulf II]] dies and his duchy is overrun (approximate date).
* King [[Witteric]] is assassinated during a [[banquet]] at [[Toledo, Spain|Toledo]], by a faction of [[Catholicism|Catholic]] nobles. He is succeeded by [[Gundemar]], duke of [[Narbonne]], who becomes king of the [[Visigoths]] in [[Hispania]].<ref>Donini, Guido and Ford, Gordon B., Jr., translators (1966). ''[[Historia de regibus Gothorum, Vandalorum et Suevorum|Isidore of Seville's History of the Kings of the Goths, Vandals, and Suevi]]''. Leiden: E. J. Brill. Chapter&nbsp;58, p.&nbsp;27</ref>
* King [[Theuderic II]] loses [[Alsace]], [[Champagne (province)|Champagne]] and [[Thurgau]] to his elder brother [[Theudebert II]] of [[Austrasia]]. His [[Kingdom of Burgundy|Burgundian]] army is defeated east of the [[Jura Mountains]] against the [[Alemanni]].
* The [[Volga Bulgaria]] arises on the territory of modern Russia, being the first civilization in the region to arise from the [[Early Slavs]] (approximate date).

==== Britain ====
* [[Selyf ap Cynan]] succeeds his father [[Cynan Garwyn]] as king of [[Kingdom of Powys|Powys]] (Wales).

=== By topic ===
==== Arts and sciences ====
* [[Paper]] technology is imported into Japan from China by the Korean Buddhist priest, [[Damjing|Dam Jing]] (approximate date).

==== Religion ====
* [[Muhammad]], Islamic prophet, begins at 40 years old to preach a religion which will be called [[Islam]]. According to Islamic teachings, the angel [[Gabriel]] appears to him in a cave on [[Mount Hira]] near [[Mecca]] ([[Saudi Arabia]]) and calls him: "The [[Prophets in Islam|Prophet of Allah]]". Muhammad gathers followers, reciting to them the first verses of Qur'an(Iqra), thus beginning the [[Muhammad's first revelation|revelation]] of the [[Quran|Qur'an]].<ref>''Essential Histories: The Great Islamic Conquests AD 632–750'' (2009), David Nicolle, p.&nbsp;22. {{ISBN|978-1-84603-273-8}}</ref> 
* [[Pope Boniface IV]] presides over a Council of Rome for the restoration of [[Monasticism|monastic]] discipline. Attendees include [[Mellitus]], first [[bishop of London]].<ref>Brooks "Mellitus (d. 624)". ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''</ref>
* [[Columbanus]] and [[Saint Gall|Gallus]] begin their [[missionary]] work in [[Bregenz]], near [[Lake Constance]] (Switzerland).<ref>Edmonds, Columba (1908) "St. Columbanus". ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'' 4. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved 15 January 2013</ref>
* [[John the Merciful|John V]] (the Merciful) becomes [[List of Greek Orthodox Patriarchs of Alexandria|patriarch of Alexandria]] (approximate date).</onlyinclude>