Skip to content
Conflict Europe

Gothic War (Italian Reconquest)

535 CE – 554 CE · 19 years

Justinian's most ambitious reconquest campaign. Belisarius captured Ravenna, but Gothic revival under Totila recaptured most of Italy until Narses destroyed the Gothic army. A pyrrhic victory — Italy was devastated.

See it on the timeline

Belligerents

The main peoples, kingdoms and states involved.

  • Byzantine Empire (Belisarius, then Narses)
  • Ostrogothic Kingdom

Key moments

Defining events in the Gothic War (Italian Reconquest).

  1. 540 Fall of Ravenna
  2. 552 Battle of Taginae
  3. 553 Battle of Mons Lactarius

Elsewhere in Europe at the time

Records whose own span overlaps this one, found by the same test the canvas draws with. The bar under each card is where it sits inside this one.

See the whole view

Landmark · Europe

Hagia Sophia

537 CE – still standing

Polity · Europe

Byzantine Empire

395 CE – 1453 CE

Landmark · Europe

Plitvice Lakes

3000 BCE – still standing

Polity · Europe

Eastern Roman Empire

395 CE – 1453 CE

Landmark · Europe

Giant's Causeway

3000 BCE – still standing

Polity · Europe

Saami

Attested 1500 BCE – 700 CE

Landmark · Europe

Danube Delta

3000 BCE – still standing

Polity · Europe

France

Founded 481 CE · attested to 2026 CE

Dated moments inside this span

Events the timeline places between 535 CE and 554 CE.

537 CE Hagia Sophia 548 CE St. Catherine's Monastery & Mount Sinai 548 CE St. Catherine's Monastery 552 CE Göktürk Wars 552 CE Göktürk Khaganate Wars

And in the rest of the world

Records running through the same years, on the other side of the map.

St. Catherine's Monastery & Mount Sinai Landmark · Middle East 548 CE – still standing Gupta Empire Polity · South Asia 300 CE – 550 CE Mesoamerican Trade Network Trade route · Americas 1200 BCE – 1521 CE Tikal–Calakmul Superpower Wars Conflict · Americas 537 CE – 743 CE Grand Canyon Landmark · Americas 3000 BCE – still standing Chalukya Empire Polity · South Asia 543 CE – 1200 CE
Image credits6 pictures from Wikimedia Commons