Violence escalates at various points where the power of the two empires meet: in 525 a Roman fleet had transported an Aksumite army to conquer Himyarite Yemen and in 525/526, Persia's Arab allies, the Lakhmids, raid Roman territories on the edge of the desert.

Kavadh, assisted by his Arabian vassal, Al-Mundhir III, begins a campaign in the Transcaucasus region and Upper Mesopotamia.

War between the East Romans and Persia begins in earnest in 526 when al-Mundhir attacks and ravages Syria.

The capture of two Roman high-ranking commanders, Timostratus and John, causes Petrus Sabbatius to send al-Mundhir an embassy for peace consisting of Abraham, son of Euphrasius (his son is Nonnosus the historian) and Simeon of Beth Arsham.

They are joined by Sergius of Rasafa (who is later sent by Petrus Sabbatius with gifts to al-Mundhir).

An earthquake, probably occurring between May 20 and May 29, 526, kills approximately two hundred and fifty thousand people in Syria and in Antioch in particular.

Antioch and its port, Seleucia Pieria, are severely damaged by the great earthquake of 526.

Seleucia Pieria, which is already fighting a losing battle against continual silting, will never recover.

Emperor Justin is recorded as receiving Pope John I honorably and promising to do everything the embassy asked of him, with the exception of restoring converts from Arianism-to-Catholicism to their original beliefs.

Although John had been successful in his mission, when he returned to Ravenna, Theodoric's capital in Italy, Theodoric had had John arrested on the suspicion of having conspired with Emperor Justin.

John is imprisoned at Ravenna, where he dies of neglect and ill treatment.

His body is transported to Rome and buried in the Basilica of St. Peter.

Construction begins in 526 on the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, one of the most important examples of early Christian Byzantine art and architecture in western Europe.

The architect of the church is unknown.

The construction of the church is sponsored by a Greek banker, Julius Argentarius, of whom very little is known, except that he also sponsors …

…the construction of the Basilica of Sant' Apollinare in Classe at around the same time.

The Ostrogothic Kingdom ruled by Theoderic extends throughout the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Illyricum (modern Dalmatia), Corsica and Sardinia.

In Italy, the mother province of the Roman Empire in which the older capital city (Rome) is situated, Justinian finds a situation similar to that in North Africa and one particularly favorable to his ambitions.

Under his immediate predecessors, Theodoric, a barbarian, has ruled Italy.

Although virtually independent, Theodoric is the nominal representative of the Eastern Roman emperor.

He is an Arian and, though at first a tolerant and wise ruler, had begun to persecute the Catholics.

There is not only antagonism between Arian Goths and Catholic Italians but also a rift within the ranks of the Ostrogoths, some of whom are violently anti-Eastern Roman.

Theodoric has attempted to unite the Germanic dynasties of the West through a web of marriage alliances, but leaderships rivalries, among other factors, leave this goal unfulfilled at his death of dysentery on August 30, 526.

His daughter, Amalasuntha, takes power as regent for her ten-year old son Athalaric.

A revolt against the Yamato court breaks out in Tsukushi Province (This according to Nihon Shoki).

Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, formally adopts Buddhism as a state religion in approximately 527.

Saxon occupation of land that is to form the kingdom of Essex had begun by the early fifth century at Mucking and other locations.

A large proportion of these original settlers came from Old Saxony.

The territory known later as Essex was according to British legend ceded by the Britons to the Saxons following the infamous Brad y Cyllyll Hirion event, which occurred about 460 during the reign of High-King Vortigern.

Della Hooke relates the territory ruled by the kings of Essex to the pre-Roman territory of the Trinovantium.

The kingdom of Essex grew by the absorption of smaller sub-kingdoms or Saxon tribal groups.

There are a number of suggestions for the location of these sub-kingdoms including: the Rodings—the people of Hrotha, the Haemele, (Hemel Hempstead) Vange—marsh district (possibly stretching to the Mardyke) Denge Ginges Berecingas—Barking, in the south west of the kingdom Haeferingas in Havering Uppingas—Epping.

Essex, founded by the Saxons who have landed north of the Thames, emerges during the sixth century as a single kingdom.

They take control of the land between what is now London and St Albans.

The dates, names and achievements of the Essex kings, like those of most early rulers in the Heptarchy, remain conjectural.

The historical identification of the kings of Essex, including the evidence and a reconstructed genealogy are discussed extensively by Yorke.

The dynasty claimed descent from Woden via Seaxnēat.

A genealogy of the Essex royal house was prepared in the ninth century in Wessex.

The surviving copy unfortunately is somewhat mutilated.

Several sub-kings within Essex at times during the history of the kingdom appear to have been able to rule simultaneously.

They may have exercised authority over different parts of the kingdom.

The first recorded king, according to the East Saxon King List, was Æscwine to which a date of 527 is given for the start of his reign, although there are some difficulties with the date of his reign, and Sledda is listed as the founder of the Essex royal house by other sources.

King Cerdic of Wessex and his son Cynric according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle defeat the Britons at Cerdicesleah (probably modern Chearsley, in Aylesbury).