阳火龙年 (male Fire-
Dragon) 663 or 282 or −490 — to — 阴火蛇年 (female Fire-
Snake) 664 or 283 or −489
Year 537 (DXXXVII) was a
common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the
Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Second year after the Consulship of Belisarius (or, less frequently, year 1290 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 537 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the
Anno Dominicalendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.
Vitiges sets up seven camps, overlooking the main gates and access routes to the city, in order to starve it out. He blocks the
Roman aqueducts that are supplying
Rome with water, necessary both for drinking and for operating the
corn mills.[2]
April – The Goths capture the Portus Claudii at
Ostia; the harbor is left unguarded by the Romans. Belisarius is forced to unload his supplies at
Antium; he sends urgent messages for reinforcements to
Constantinople.[4]
April 9 – Belisarius receives his promised reinforcements: 1,600 cavalry, mostly of
Hunnic or
Slavic origin and expert
bowmen. Despite shortages, he starts raids against the Gothic camps and Vitiges is forced into a stalemate.[5]
June – In Rome,
famine brings the city to despair; Belisarius sends his secretary
Procopius to
Naples for more reinforcements and supplies. Vitiges arranges a three-month
armistice for Gothic envoys to travel to Constantinople.[6]
November – Belisarius brings his long-awaited reinforcements, namely 3,000
Isaurians and 1,800 cavalry embarked in Ostia, along with a supply convoy, safely to Rome. The Goths are forced to abandon the Portus Claudii.[7]
December – Belisarius sends
John "the Sanguinary" with a force of 2,000 men towards
Picenum, to plunder the east coast of
Italy. He arrives at Ariminum (
Rimini), where he is welcomed by the local Roman population.[8]
Eastern Wei sends an advance guard of three army columns through the
Tong Pass, to attack
Western Wei. The Western army under
Yu-Wen Tai defeats one of the columns while the others retreat. Yu-Wen follows up, but runs into the main Eastern army (200,000 men). The Westerners are pushed back through the pass, and the Eastern army emerges from the mountains. Unexpectedly they are charged in the flank by 10,000 Western cavalry, and 6,000 Easterners are killed and 70,000 captured.[10]
John Cottistis starts a short-lived rebellion against
Justinian I. He is declared emperor at
Dara, but is killed four days later by conspiring soldiers.[11]
Mac Airt, Seán (2000–2008).
"Annals of Inisfallen". UCC (Electronic edition compiled by Beatrix Färber ed.). CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts: a project of University College Cork College Road, Cork, Ireland—
http://www.ucc.ie/celt.