590

Year 590 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 590 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

Byzantine–Sassanid War: Emperor Maurice defeats the Persian forces under Bahrām Chobin at Nisibis, and drives them back into Armenia.
Comentiolus, commander of the eastern army, receives the legitimate Persian king, Khosrau II, as a refugee in his headquarters at Hierapolis.
Maurice establishes the Exarchate of Carthage in Africa. He combines the civil authority of a praetorian prefect and the military authority, based at Carthage.
March 26 - Theodosius, eldest son of Maurice, is proclaimed as co-emperor. He becomes his father's heir to the Byzantine throne.
Stephen I succeeds his father Guaram I as king of Iberia .

The Franks and Burgundians under King Guntram invade Italy. They capture the cities Milan and Verona, but are forced to leave by a plague outbreak in the Po Valley.
The Franks again invade Italy; they capture Modena and Mantua. Several Lombard dukes defect: Gisulf I, duke of Friuli, is defeated and replaced by his son Gisulf II.
September 5 - King Authari dies after a six-year reign, and is succeeded by Agilulf, duke of Turin, who marries his widow Theodelinda.
Frankish rebellion led by Basina, daughter of Chilperic I.

Spring - King Hormizd IV dismisses Bahrām Chobin as commander. He revolts and marches with the support of the Persian army towards Ctesiphon.
February 15 - Hormizd IV is deposed and assassinated by Persian nobles. Having ruled since 579, he is succeeded by his son Khosrau II as king of the Persian Empire.
September - Bahrām Chobin defeats the inferior forces of Khosrau II near Ctesiphon. He seizes the throne and proclaims himself as king Bahrām IV of Persia.

February 7 - Pope Pelagius II falls victim to the plague that devastated Rome. He is succeeded by Gregory I, age 50, as the 64th pope, and the first from a monastic background.
Egidius, bishop of Reims, is tried at Metz before a council of bishops for a conspiracy against King Childebert II; he is found guilty and exiled to Strasbourg.
Gregory I begins a vigorous program of rebuilding aqueducts and restoring Rome. He feeds the citizens with doles of grain, as under Roman imperial rule.
Columbanus, Irish missionary, obtains from King Guntram the Gallo-Roman castle Luxovium, where he founds the Abbey of Luxeuil.
John of Biclaro, Visigoth chronicler, finishes his "Chronicle" before he is appointed bishop of Girona.