540s
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Centuries: 5th century - 6th century - 7th century
Decades: 490s - 500s - 510s - 520s - 530s - 540s - 550s - 560s - 570s - 580s - 590s
Years: 540 541 542 543 544 545 546 547 548 549 550
Events and Trends
- The Eastern Roman Empire conquers Milan and the Ostrogoth capital of Ravenna in 540. Over the course of the decade, the Ostrogoth king, Totila, responds by conquering Naples, Benevento, Rome, and other parts of Italy.
- Schism between the Syrian Orthodox Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church over the doctrine of Monophysitism. In 540, the Pope of Rome writes a critique of Monophystism. In 544, Jacob Baradaeus, the Bishop of Edessa, consecrates Sergius of Tella as Patriarch of Antioch, effecting a permanent schism.
- Ara Gaya gained the leadership of Gaya Confederacy in Korean peninsula.
- 540 - Death of King Arthur and his son Mordred according to the Annales Cambriae.
- 541 - The Uighurs come under the rule of the Hephthalites.
- 548 - Goguryeo invades Baekje, at the request of Ara Gaya.
- 549 - Emperor Jinwen succeeds Emperor Wu as ruler of the Liang Dynasty in China.