Editing 973 (section)

== Events ==
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=== By place ===

==== Byzantine Empire ====
* Spring &ndash; The [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] army, led by General [[Melias (Domestic of the Schools)|Melias]] ([[Domestic of the Schools]] in the East), continues the operations in [[Upper Mesopotamia]]. 
* [[July]]: Melias moves against [[Amida (Mesopotamia)|Amida]] (modern [[Turkey]]). He defeats the [[Arabs]] outside the walls, and begins to lay [[siege]] to the city. After a few days, a violent wind and a thick dust spreads over the Byzantine camp. Covered by the dust, the Arabs attack and route the Byzantines. Many of them are slaughtered and some, including Melias, are taken prisoner. Previous Byzantine gains in the area are lost. The wounded Melias dies later in captivity.

==== Europe ====
* [[May 7]] &ndash; Emperor [[Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor|Otto I]] ('''the Great''') dies at [[Memleben]] in [[Thuringia]] (modern [[Germany]]) after a 37-year reign. He is succeeded by his 18-year-old son [[Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor|Otto II]] ('''the Red'''), who becomes [[Autocracy|absolute ruler]] of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. His mother [[Adelaide of Italy|Adelaide]] will exert great influence on Otto, although her lavish [[Philanthropy|philanthropies]] will be a source of contention. Otto's succession leads to conflicts in the south German duchies and in [[Lotharingia]].<ref>Reuter, Timothy (1999). ''The New Cambridge Medieval History, Volume III'', p. 254. {{ISBN|978-0-521-36447-8}}.</ref>

==== Britain ====
* [[Edgar the Peaceful|Edgar I]] ('''the Peaceful''') is crowned king during a royal [[ceremony]] at [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]] by Archbishop [[Dunstan]]. In a [[King Edgar's council at Chester|council at Chester]], [[Lothian]] (a region of the [[Scottish Lowlands|Lowlands]]) is ceded to [[Kingdom of Scotland|Scotland]], in return for [[fealty]] from King [[Kenneth II of Scotland|Kenneth II]].
* Edgar I marches with his army north to [[Chester]]. His navy meets him there via the [[Irish Sea]]. This show of strength persuades the 'Northern Kings' to submit to his [[overlord]]ship (approximate date).

==== Africa ====
* Caliph [[Al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah|Al-Mu'izz]] transfers the royal residence of the [[Fatimid Caliphate]] from [[Mansouria, Tunisia|El-Mansuriya]] (modern [[Tunisia]]) to the newly founded city of [[Cairo]] in [[Egypt in the Middle Ages|Egypt]]. He leaves general [[Buluggin ibn Ziri]] to govern the Western [[North Africa]]n territories, which will become the province of [[Maghreb|Al-Maghreb]] (meaning '''the West''').

=== By topic ===

==== Commerce ====
* [[Clove]]s, [[ginger]], [[black pepper]], and other Eastern spices are available for purchase in the marketplace at [[Mainz]]. The spices are brought to the city by [[Jews|Jewish]] traveling [[merchant]]s, known as the [[Radhanite]]s, who have contacts in the international [[trade]] between the [[Christianity|Christian]] and [[Islam]]ic world (approximate date).

==== Religion ====
* [[January 19]] &ndash; [[Pope Benedict VI]] is consecrated as the 134th [[pope]] of the [[Catholic Church]]. He is installed at [[Rome]] with the approval of Otto I and becomes a [[puppet ruler]] of the Holy Roman Empire. The Roman aristocracy resents Otto's dominance in Roman civil and [[Ecclesiology|ecclesiastical]] affairs.<ref>Roger Collins (2009). ''Keepers of the keys of heaven: A History of the Papacy'', p. 187 (Basic Books).</ref>
* In the Council of [[Winchester]], Edgar I accepts a 'Monastic Agreement' (called the ''[[Regularis Concordia (Winchester)|Regularis Concordia]]''). The document is compiled by Bishop [[Æthelwold of Winchester|Æthelwold]] and serves as a rule for how [[Christian monasticism|monastic life]] should be performed.
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