wife and
children, into a well at Orleans. His brother, Gondemar, is elected
king.

525. Theodoric, King of Italy, orders the execution of Boethius and
Symmachus.

526. Death of Theodoric and accession of Athalaric.

Great earthquake at Antioch, which destroys the city; 250,000 persons
perish.

The Eastern Empire begins war with Persia.

527. Justinian proclaimed joint augustus, soon after which, by the death
of Justin, he becomes sole emperor.

Use of the Christian era introduced by Dionysius Exiguus.

528. Thuringia conquered by the Franks.

529. Julian, leader of a Jewish and Samaritan revolt, is made prisoner
and beheaded.

Justinian issues edicts against philosophers, heretics, and pagans. See
"PUBLICATION OF THE JUSTINIAN CODE," iv, 138. Closing of the schools at
Athens.

530. Benedict founds his new monastic order; the principal seat is Monte
Casino, Campania.[77]

Belisarius, the greatest general of the Byzantine empire, defeats the
Persians at Dara.

531. Alamundarus, at the head of the Persians and Saracens, defeats
Belisarius, who maintains his ground against their nearly overwhelming
force.

Accession of Khusrau to the throne of Persia.

532. End of the war between the Eastern Empire and Persia.

533. Justinian's general, Belisarius, destroys the Vandal kingdom in
Africa.

Publication of the _Pandects_ and _Institutes_ of Justinian. See
"PUBLICATION OF THE JUSTINIAN CODE," iv, 138.

Philosophers, who were driven from Constantinople by Justinian's orders,
return disappointed from Persia.

534. Overthrow of the Burgundian kingdom by the Franks, who divide the
dominions between the three Frankish kings.

Solomon, left by Belisarius to command in Africa, defeats the Moors.

535. Belisarius is sent by Justinian to recover Italy from the
Ostrogoths; he occupies Sicily.

536. Rome is occupied by Belisarius.

537. Vitiges unsuccessfully besieges Belisarius in Rome; great distress
in the city.

538. Vitiges retreats from before Rome and takes shelter in Ravenna.

539. The Franks, under Theodebert, invade Italy and plunder Genoa;
attacked by disease they return into Gaul.

540. Vitiges surrenders Ravenna and is sent a prisoner to
Constantinople. Justinian recalls Belisarius from Italy.

Khusrau, King of Persia, invades Syria and takes Antioch.

A total eclipse of the sun, June 20th.

Justinian makes a formal relinquishment of Gaul to the Franks.

541. Belisarius takes the comm