istoryworld
Events relating to europe
The Visigoths, after twenty years of destructive wandering, settle in southwest France as Roman federates
Halted by a Roman army in their push southwards, the Franks settle in the Roman province of Belgica, around Tournai
Attila murders his brother and becomes the sole ruler of the Huns, who are now pressing through Dacia and across the Danube
Angles, Saxons and other Germanic groups invade southern England and steadily push the Celts westwards
St Patrick creates a strong tradition of Celtic Christianity in Ireland, from his base in Armagh
Attila and the Huns invade Gaul but are defeated, somewhere near Troyes, by a Roman army supported by Visigoths and Burgundians
Attila invades and ravages northern Italy, but turns back before reaching Rome - possibly influenced by the diplomacy of Leo I
Gaiseric and the Vandals enter Rome and sack the city, but their violence is perhaps restrained by Leo I
The mausoleum of Galla Placidia begins Ravenna's great tradition of Christian mosaic
The tribal leader and mercenary Odoacer becomes king of Italy - an event often taken as defining the end of the Roman empire in the west
The 15-year-old Clovis inherits the Merovingian crown and becomes leader of the Franks - with his first capital at Tournai
Theodoric the Ostrogoth, threatening Constantinople, is cunningly diverted by the emperor into invading Italy
Theodoric wins Ravenna from Odoacer - by inviting Odoacer to a banquet and murdering him during the meal
Monks in Ireland live in stone beehive cells on rocky islands, to achieve maximum discomfort
Small ivory panels, with Gospel scenes carved in relief, provide a delicate beginning to the story of Christian sculpture
Clovis and some 3000 of his soldiers are baptized in a massive ceremony at Reims
The Slavs cross the Danube and press southwards into the Roman provinces of Moesia and Thracia
Dionysius Exiguus, commissioned by the pope to improve chronology, makes an error of at least four years in his selected event for AD 1
St Benedict gathers fellow hermits at Subiaco into a series of small monasteries
The law is changed to allow Justinian, of senatorial rank, to marry Theodora — whom courtesy describes as an actress
Boethius, in prison in Pavia and awaiting execution, writes the Consolation of Philosophy
By the end of his long reign Theodoric amply justifies his title 'the Great' and his place in legend as Dietrich von Bern
Justinian becomes emperor in Constantinople, beginning a reign which will restore the empire to much of its former glory
Justinian closes down the schools of Athens, famous for their tradition of pagan philosophy
St Finnian founds the first of Ireland's great Celtic monasteries, at Clonard
