Editing 536

{{short description|Calendar year}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2011}}
{{Year dab|536}}
{{Year nav|536}}
{{M1 year in topic}}
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Year '''536''' ([[Roman numerals]]: DXXXVI) was a [[leap year starting on Tuesday]] of the [[Julian calendar]]. At the time, it was known as the '''Year after the Consulship of Belisarius'''.

In 2018, medieval scholar Michael McCormick nominated 536 as "'''the worst year to be alive'''" because of the [[volcanic winter of 536]] caused by a [[volcanic eruption]] early in the year, causing average temperatures in Europe and China to decline and resulting in crop failures and famine for well over a year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walsh |first=Bryan |date=2020-12-24 |title=Despite the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 wasn't the worst year ever – by a long shot |url=https://www.axios.com/2020/12/24/the-coronavirus-pandemic-doesnt-make-2020-the-worst-year-ever |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Axios |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Science">{{cite journal|author=Gibbons, Ann|date=2018-11-15|title=Why 536 was 'the worst year to be alive|journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]]|publisher=AAAS|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/why-536-was-worst-year-be-alive|access-date=2018-11-16}}</ref>

== Events ==
<onlyinclude>

=== By place ===
==== Eastern Roman ("Byzantine") Empire ====
* Spring – Emperor [[Justinian I]] appoints his cousin [[Germanus (cousin of Justinian I)|Germanus]] as ''[[magister militum]]'' to deal with the crisis in [[Africa (Roman province)|Africa]]. He sends a mobile force of ''[[comitatenses]]'' (mostly cavalry) and an elite guard. [[Solomon (magister militum)|Solomon]], the previous magister militum, returns to [[Constantinople]].<ref>Bury (1958). pp. 143–144.</ref>
* Summer – [[Gothic War (535–554)]]: [[Belisarius]] crosses the [[Strait of Messina]] and invades Italy. He conquers the city of [[Reggio Calabria|Rhegium]] and advances to [[Naples]].
* November – [[Siege of Naples (536)|Siege of Naples]]: Belisarius captures Naples after a month's [[siege]], by sending troops into the city through an abandoned [[Roman aqueduct]].<ref name="Theodohad">{{cite book |author=Vitiello |first=Massimiliano |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-8sTBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA157 |title=Theodahad: A Platonic King at the Collapse of Ostrogothic Italy |date=1 January 2014 |publisher=University of Toronto Press |isbn=978-1-4426-4783-1 |pages=157–160}}</ref>
* [[December 9]] – Belisarius enters Rome through the [[Porta Asinaria]], and the Gothic garrison of 4,000 men flees the city. He sends an urgent request for reinforcements to Justinian I, meanwhile preparing Rome for a siege, by bringing in great quantities of food and other supplies.<ref name="Bury23">Bury (1923). Vol. '''II''', Ch. XVIII. pp. 174-180.</ref>
* Winter – Belisarius sets up his headquarters on the [[Pincian Hill]], and repairs the neglected [[Aurelian Walls|city walls]] of Rome. He stations a 5,000-man garrison, of whom half are his personal bodyguard (''[[bucellarii]]''). To hold parts of the city, he recruits 20,000 young Romans to man the walls.

==== Europe ====
* Early in 536 (possible) – [[Volcanic winter of 536]]: Famine is described in the ''[[Annals of Ulster]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Annals of Ulster|first1=Pádraig|last1=Bambury|first2=Stephen|last2=Beechinor|url=http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100001A.html|edition=Electronic|year=2000|publisher=CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts: a project of University College Cork|location=Cork, Ireland|pages=U536.3n|quote=Failure of bread.}}</ref>
* March – Ostrogothic King [[Theodahad]] cedes [[Provence]] and upper [[Alamannia]] to the [[Franks]], gaining their support in the war. He sends a large [[Goths|Gothic]] army into [[Dalmatia]]. They defeat the Byzantines, [[Mundus (magister militum)|Mundus]] is killed during the fighting at [[Salona]], and the [[Byzantine army]] withdraws.<ref name="Bury23" />
* Summer – [[Constantinianus]], ''magister militum per Illyricum'', retakes Dalmatia. The Goths abandon Salona and withdraw to the north. The [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantines]] rebuild its walls and reclaim the province.<ref>Procopius, ''De Bello Gothico'' '''I'''.VII.</ref>
* December – [[Vitiges]] deposes his rival Theodahad at [[Ravenna]], and marries [[Mataswintha]] (daughter of queen [[Amalasuintha]]). He becomes king of the [[Ostrogoths]] and assembles an army to fight against Belisarius.<ref name="Theodohad" />

==== Africa ====
* March–April – Belisarius sails to [[Carthage]] with 1,000 men, to suppress a [[mutiny]] against Solomon. Meanwhile, Carthage is besieged by 9,000 rebels, including many [[Vandals]], under [[Stotzas]].
* [[Battle of the Bagradas River (536)|Battle of the River Bagradas]]: Belisarius defeats the mutineers, and hurries back to [[Sicily]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Stanhope |first=Earl Philip Henry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gAxmAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA154 |title=The Life of Belisarius |publisher=J. Murray |year=1848 |pages=154–158}}</ref>

==== Asia ====
* [[January 26]] – [[Emperor Senka|Senka]] succeeds his brother [[Emperor Ankan|Ankan]] as the 28th [[emperor of Japan]].{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}
* August – [[Volcanic winter of 536]]: Snow falls in China, which causes the harvest to be delayed.<ref name="Ochoa05_p71">{{cite book|author1=Ochoa, George|first2=Jennifer|last2=Hoffman|first3=Tina|last3=Tin|title=Climate: the force that shapes our world and the future of life on earth|publisher=Rodale|location=Emmaus, Pennsylvania|year=2005|page=71|isbn=978-1-59486-288-5}}</ref>

=== By topic ===
==== Religion ====
* Before [[March 13]] – [[Anthimus I of Constantinople|Anthimus I]] is deposed as [[Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople|patriarch of Constantinople]] in favour of [[Menas of Constantinople|Menas]].
* [[April 22]] – [[Pope Agapetus I]] dies in Constantinople, after a reign of just ten months. He is succeeded by [[Pope Silverius|Silverius]] as the 58th pope.
* [[May 2]]–[[June 4]] – [[Council of Constantinople (536)|Council of Constantinople]].
* [[September 19]] – [[Council of Jerusalem (536)|Council of Jerusalem]].
* The [[Little Hagia Sophia]] in Constantinople (begun in 527) is completed as the Church of Saints [[Sergius and Bacchus]].

==== Climate ====
* The [[volcanic winter of 536]], thought to have been caused by an extensive veil of dust in the atmosphere, began in the Northern Hemisphere. It continued until the following year, causing unseasonal weather and crop failure worldwide.<ref name="Science" /></onlyinclude>

== Births ==
*''unknown date'' – [[Li Ezi]], Chinese empress dowager of [[Northern Zhou]] (d. [[588]])
* ''probable''
**[[Evagrius Scholasticus]], Syrian [[History of Christianity|church historian]] (or [[537]]) (d. [[594]])<ref>{{cite book |author=Allen |first=Pauline |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TEElAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA1 |title=Evagrius Scholasticus, the Church Historian |publisher=Peeters Publishers & Booksellers |year=1981 |isbn=9789042928091 |pages=1}}</ref>
**[[Venantius Fortunatus]], [[Merovingian dynasty|Merovingian]] bishop and poet (d. c. 600/609)

== Deaths ==
* [[January 25]] – [[Emperor Ankan|Ankan]], emperor of Japan (b. c. [[466]])
* [[April 22]] – [[Pope Agapetus I]]<ref>{{cite book |author=Bury |first=J. B. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gvmFDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA172 |title=History of the Later Roman Empire from the Death of Theodosius I. to the Death of Justinian |date=1 January 1958 |publisher=Courier Corporation |isbn=978-0-486-20399-7 |pages=172}}</ref>
* December – [[Theodahad]], king of the [[Ostrogoths]] (assassinated) (b. c. 480)
*''unknown date'' – [[Mundus (magister militum)|Mundus]], [[Gepids|Gepid]] [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] general (killed in action)<ref>{{cite book |author=Lindsay |first=T. F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dGItAAAAMAAJ |title=Saint Benedict: His Life and Work |publisher=Burns, Oates |year=1949 |page=102}}</ref>

== Notes and references ==
=== Notes ===
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=== References ===
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