703

Updated on Oct 21, 2023

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Year 703 (DCCIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 703 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.

Byzantine Empire

Arab–Byzantine War: The Umayyad army under Abdallah ibn Abd al-Malik captures Mopsuestia in Cilicia from the Byzantines, and refortifies it, making it the first major Muslim stronghold in the area that will later become the Thughur.

Musa ibn Nusayr, governor of Ifriqiya (western Libya), builds a Muslim fleet to harass the Byzantine navy and conquer the islands of Ibiza, Majorca, and Minorca (approximate date).

Europe

Faroald II, duke of Spoleto, attacks the Exarchate of Ravenna in Italy, after the death of his father Thrasimund I. King Aripert II of the Lombards, desiring good relations with the Byzantine Empire and papacy, refuses to assist him.

Britain

High King Loingsech mac Óengusso and his forces are routed during an invasion of Connacht (Ireland). He is killed by the men of King Cellach mac Rogallaig (approximate date).

Religion

Wilfrid, Anglo-Saxon bishop, travels to Rome again, and is supported in his struggle to retain his see of York by the pope. On his way Wilfrid stops in Frisia (modern Netherlands), to visit Willibrord.

Elias I becomes Catholicos of Armenian.

Births

An Lushan, Chinese rebel leader (approximate date)

Shi Siming, general of the Tang Dynasty (d. 761)

Deaths

Ergica, king of the Visigoths (or 701)

Ermenilda of Ely, Anglo-Saxon abbess (approximate date)

January 13 – Jitō, empress of Japan (b. 645)

Loingsech mac Óengusso, high king of Ireland

Thrasimund I, duke (dux) of Spoleto

March 20 – Wulfram, archbishop of Sens

References

703 Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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