517

Year 517 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Agapitus and Paulus among the Romans. The denomination 517 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Events

King Sigismund of Burgundy is opposed by his son Sigeric, and has him strangled. Overcome with remorse, he retreats to the monastery that he founded, St. Maurice's Abbey.
China
Emperor Wu Di of the Liang Dynasty becomes a Buddhist, and introduces the new religion to central China. He demands that sacrifices to imperial ancestors be changed to using dried meat, instead of the traditional animals.
By topic

Council of Epaone: Bishops of southern Gaul convene near Epao in Burgundy. The synod enacts the first legislation against wooden altars, forbidding the building of any but stone altars with chrism.
Science
Aryabhata compiles his manual of mathematics and astronomy.