580
Year 580 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 580 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
By place
Byzantine Empire
- The Roman Senate sends an embassy to Constantinople, with a gift to Emperor Tiberius II Constantine, along with a plea for help against the Lombards.
- The Slavs begin to migrate into the Balkan Peninsula. The Avars, under King Bayan I, invade the Lower Danube.
- Siege of Sirmium: The Avars march to the right bank of the River Sava, and besiege the Byzantine stronghold of Sirmium.
Europe
- The Lombards drive the last Ostrogoths across the Alps. During the "Rule of the Dukes" the Lombards adopt Roman titles, names, and traditions.
- King Liuvigild calls for an Arian synod in Toledo, which modifies several doctrines; he tries to unify the Christians within the Visigothic Kingdom.
Britain
- Æthelberht succeeds his father Eormenric as king of Kent.
Asia
- The Northern Zhou dynasty, strategically based in the basin of the Wei River, is supreme in Northern China. In the south only the Chen dynasty remains a rival.
- The Chinese city of Ye is razed to the ground by Yang Jian, future founder of the Sui dynasty, who defeats a resistance force under Yuchi Jiong.
By topic
Religion
- Gregory of Tours is brought before a council of bishops, on charges of slandering the Frankish queen Fredegund.
Births
- Abdel Rahman ibn Awf, companion of Muhammad
- Bilal ibn Rabah al-Habashi, companion of Muhammad
- Cadfan ap Iago, king of Gwynedd
- Clemen ap Bledric, king of Dumnonia
- Dayi Daoxin, Chán Buddhist patriarch
- Didier of Cahors, Frankish bishop
- Fabia Eudokia, Byzantine empress
- Livinus, Irish apostle
- Maximus the Confessor, monk and theologian
- Pepin the Elder, Frankish Mayor of the Palace
- Umm Salama, wife of Muhammad
- Wei Zheng, chancellor of the Tang dynasty
Deaths
- Audovera, wife of Chilperic I
- Bacurius III, king of Iberia
- Dorotheus of Gaza, monk and abbot
- Eormenric, king of Kent
- Galam Cennalath, king of the Picts
- Gao Anagong, high official of Northern Qi
- Martin of Braga, missionary and archbishop
- Wei Xiaokuan, general of Western Wei
- Xuan Di, emperor of Northern Zhou
- Yuchi Jiong, general of Northern Zhou