500s (decade)

Millennium:	1st millennium
Centuries:	5th century – 6th century – 7th century
Decades:	470s 480s 490s – 500s – 510s 520s 530s
Years:	500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509
Categories:	Births – Deaths – Architecture Establishments – Disestablishments

500s: events by year

Contents: 500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509

By place

Europe

• Possible date for the Battle of Mons Badonicus: Romano-British and Celts defeat an Anglo-Saxon army that may have been led by the bretwalda Aelle of Sussex or possibly Cerdic of Wessex (approximate date; suggested dates range from 490 to 517). This battle may have influenced the legend of King Arthur.
• Possible date at which Fergus Mór begins his reign – the historicity of Mór is doubtful.
• Approximate beginning of the Heptarchy period in the history of England.
• Approximate year of the founding of the Kingdom of Essex.
• The Frankish Kingdom is formed.
• The monument of Ale's Stones is built in Sweden (approximate date).
• Burial in catacombs ends (approximate date).

Asia

• Emperor Xuanwu of Northern Wei China becomes sovereign of the Northern Wei Dynasty.

America

• Uxmal is founded (approximate date).

Africa

• Traders from southern Arabia settle in northern Ethiopia.

By place

Eastern Roman Empire

• War breaks out between the Byzantine Empire and Persia.

Asia

• The Southern Qi Dynasty ends and the Liang Dynasty begins in southern China. Liang Wu Di succeeds Qi He Di.
• Wu-Ti becomes Emperor of China (502–549).

By topic

Arts and sciences

• The Persian philosopher Mazdak declares private property to be the source of all evil.

Religion

• October 23 – The Synodus Palmaris, called by Gothic king Theodoric the Great, clears Pope Symmachus of all charges, thus ending the schism of Antipope Laurentius.

By place

Europe

• Theodoric the Great defeats the Gepids as the Ostrogoths sack Belgrade.
• Theodoric the Great builds Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, originally dedicated to Christ the Redeemer.

By place

Byzantine Empire

• The Byzantine Empire and Persia accept a peace agreement based on status quo.
• The city of Dara in Mesopotamia is fortified by emperor Anastasius I as a frontier against Persia.

By topic

Arts and sciences

• The Breviary of Alaric, a collection of Roman law, is compiled.

Religion

• September 10 – The bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde.

By place

Europe

• Battle of Vouillé: Clovis I defeats the Visigoths near Poitiers, ending their power in Gaul.
• Gesalec succeeds his father Alaric II as king of the Visigoths.
• Wooden coffins and wooden tools are used in the burial places of the Alemanni.

Asia

• The town of Guilin, China, is renamed Guizhou.
• The first and smaller of the two Buddhas of Bamyan is erected in central Afghanistan.

America

• A Mayan altar with the head of the death god is built in Copan, Honduras.

By place

Europe

• Clovis I establishes Paris (Lutetia) as his capital. He also makes Roman Catholicism the official religion of the Frankish Kingdom.
• All the rivers in England are frozen for more than two months.