540s590s

540s590s refers to the span of years from the 540s through the 590s CE, a phase of late antiquity marked by ambition, crisis, and transformation in the Mediterranean world. The period is most closely associated with the Byzantine Empire under Justinian I, its attempts to restore a unified Roman state, and the challenges posed by persistent frontier conflicts and plagues.

Political and military context were dominated by the Byzantine drive to reconquer former western provinces. In Italy, the Gothic War (535–554) featured sustained campaigns, sieges, and shifting control as Byzantine forces moved into the peninsula and sought to reestablish imperial authority. In the western Mediterranean, other frontiers saw periodic advances and setbacks, with Byzantine administrations attempting to consolidate territories recovered from various enemies. The era also saw the continuation of Justinian’s broader program of imperial reform and legal codification, including the long-term influence of the Corpus Juris Civilis as the backbone of Roman law and government.

The period was profoundly shaped by the Plague of Justinian, which struck in 541–542 and recurred in later years. The epidemic caused large-scale mortality, disrupted economies, military recruiting, and administrative functions across the empire, complicating both defense and governance.

In the east, the Byzantine frontier against the Sassanian Persian Empire remained a focal point of military and political strain, with intermittent warfare that drained resources and influenced strategic decisions on both sides. The 590s introduced a new development with the accession of Khosrow II in 590 and renewed Persian-Byzantine hostilities, signaling a shift that would continue to define late 6th-century affairs.