549

By place

Byzantine Empire

• 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.

  Europe

• January - At the Battle of Ciiil Conaire in 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.

  Persia

• 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.

  Asia

• Jianwen Di succeeds his father Wu Di as emperor of the Liang Dynasty.

  By topic

Religion

• c. 549-564 - Transfiguration of Christ, mosaic in the apse, Church of the Virgin, Saint Catherine's Monastery in Egypt, is made.
• Fifth Council of Orléans: Nine archbishops and forty-one bishops pronounce an anathema against the errors of Nestorius and Eutyches.
• Bishop Maximianus of Ravenna consecrates the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe.
• The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ossory is founded in Ireland.