549

Year 549 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 549 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

Siege of Rome: The Ostrogoths under Totila besiege Rome for the third time, after Belisarius has returned to Constantinople. He offers a peace agreement, but this is rejected by Emperor Justinian I.
Totila conquers the city of Perugia and stations a Gothic garrison. He takes bishop Herculanus prisoner, and orders him to be completely flayed. The Ostrogoth soldier asked to perform this gruesome execution shows pity, and decapitates Herculanus before the skin on every part of his body is removed.
In the Circus Maximus, first and largest circus in Rome, the last chariot races are held.

January - Battle of Ciiil Conaire, Ireland: Ailill Inbanda and his brother are defeated and killed.
Agila I succeeds Theudigisel as king of the Visigoths, after he is murdered by a group of conspirators during a banquet in Seville.

Spring - Lazic War: The Byzantine army under Bessas combines forces with King Gubazes II, and defeats the Persians in Lazica in a surprise attack. The survivors retreat into Caucasian Iberia.
* The Romans unsuccessfully besiege Petra, Lazica.