588

By place

Byzantine Empire

• Byzantine-Sassanid War: Unpaid Byzantine troops mutiny against Priscus. King Hormizd IV begins a Persian offensive, but is defeated at Martyropolis.
• Summer - Guaram I of Iberia, Georgian prince in exile, is sent by Emperor Maurice to the city of Mtskheta. He restores the monarchy and is bestowed with the Byzantine court title of curopalates.

  Europe

• The Franks and Burgundians under King Guntram and his nephew Childebert II invade Northern Italy, but suffer a disastrous defeat against the Lombards.
• The Lombard Kingdom is converted to Roman Catholicism under the rule of King Authari.

  Britain

• Æthelric succeeds his father Ælla as king of Deira in Northern England.

  Persia

• First Perso-Turkic War: A Persian army under Bahrām Chobin, supported by Cataphracts, ambush the invading Turks, and win a great victory at the Battle of the Hyrcanian Rock.

  Asia

• Emperor Wéndi of the Sui Dynasty prepares a campaign against the Chen Dynasty. He amasses 518,000 troops along the northern bank of the Yangtze River, stretching from Sichuan to the Pacific Ocean.

  By topic

Religion

• The Skellig Michael monastery is founded on a steep rocky island off the coast of Ireland.
• The Guanghua Temple in Putian is built during the Chen Dynasty, under Emperor Chen Wu Di.