503

503 in various calendars
Gregorian calendar	503; DIII
Ab urbe condita	1256
Assyrian calendar	5253
Balinese saka calendar	424–425
Bengali calendar	−90
Berber calendar	1453
Buddhist calendar	1047
Burmese calendar	−135
Byzantine calendar	6011–6012
Chinese calendar	壬午年 (Water Horse); 3200 or 2993; — to —; 癸未年 (Water Goat); 3201 or 2994
Coptic calendar	219–220
Discordian calendar	1669
Ethiopian calendar	495–496
Hebrew calendar	4263–4264
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat	559–560
- Shaka Samvat	424–425
- Kali Yuga	3603–3604
Holocene calendar	10503
Iranian calendar	119 BP – 118 BP
Islamic calendar	123 BH – 122 BH
Javanese calendar	389–390
Julian calendar	503; DIII
Korean calendar	2836
Minguo calendar	1409 before ROC; 民前1409年
Nanakshahi calendar	−965
Seleucid era	814/815 AG
Thai solar calendar	1045–1046
Tibetan calendar	阳水马年; (male Water-Horse); 629 or 248 or −524; — to —; 阴水羊年; (female Water-Goat); 630 or 249 or −523

Millennium:	1st millennium
Centuries:	5th century; 6th century ; 7th century;
Decades:	480s; 490s; 500s ; 510s; 520s;
Years:	500; 501; 502; 503 ; 504; 505; 506;

Year 503 (DIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Volusianus and Dexicrates (or, less frequently, year 1256 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 503 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Events

Byzantine Empire

War with Sassanid Persia: Emperor Anastasius I sends a Byzantine army (52,000 men) to Armenia, but is defeated. The Romans attempt an unsuccessful siege of the Persian-held city Amida, on the Tigris. King Kavadh I invades Osroene, and lays siege to the city of Edessa (Northern Mesopotamia).^[1]
May – Areobindus, Byzantine general (magister militum), is stationed as commander at Dara, with an army of 12,000 men to keep watch at the Persian stronghold of Nisibis (modern Turkey).

Palestine

Mundhir III, king of the Lakhmids (Arab Christians), raids Palaestina Salutaris and Arabia Petraea. He captures a large number of Romans.^[2]

Europe

King Ernakh, third son of Attila the Hun, dies after a 34-year reign. He is succeeded by his two sons (Utigur and Kutrigur), who share the power with the unified Bulgars.^[3]

Births

October 17 – Lý Nam Đế, first emperor of Vietnam (d. 548)
December 2 – Xiao Gang, later Emperor Jianwen of Liang, emperor of the Chinese Liang dynasty (killed 551)
Chen Baxian, later Emperor Wu of Chen, first emperor of the Chinese Chen dynasty (d. 559)

Deaths

Ernakh, king of the Huns

References

^ Greatrex & Lieu 2002, pp. 69–71
^ John Binns, Ascetics and ambassadors of Christ: the monasteries of Palestine, 314-631. p.113; Frank R. Trombley, J. W. Watt, The chronicle of pseudo-Joshua the Stylite (the margin) p.108; Cyril of Scythopolis, Life of John the Hesychast, p.211. 15-20
^ Priscus. In Excerpta de legationibus. Ed. S. de Boor. Berolini, 1903, p. 586

Bibliography

Greatrex, Geoffrey; Lieu, Samuel N. C. (2002). The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars (Part II, 363–630 AD). New York, New York and London, United Kingdom: Routledge (Taylor & Francis). ISBN 0-415-14687-9.

[1] Greatrex & Lieu 2002, pp. 69–71

[2] John Binns, Ascetics and ambassadors of Christ: the monasteries of Palestine, 314-631. p.113; Frank R. Trombley, J. W. Watt, The chronicle of pseudo-Joshua the Stylite (the margin) p.108; Cyril of Scythopolis, Life of John the Hesychast, p.211. 15-20

[Priscus-3] Priscus. In Excerpta de legationibus. Ed. S. de Boor. Berolini, 1903, p. 586

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