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880

Year 880 marked a critical juncture in the declining , characterized by the death of Carloman, (c. 830–880), whose passing without effective succession enabled his uncle to inherit and subsequently assert control over , temporarily staving off further fragmentation of the . This event underscored the ongoing instability plaguing the dynasty, as rapid successions and Viking incursions eroded central authority across , setting the stage for the empire's effective dissolution by 888. In parallel, persistent Norse raids challenged rulers in Western Europe, including Louis III of West Francia, while in England, navigated renewed Viking threats around amid the consolidation of Danish settlements under Guthrum's . Farther north, Harald Fairhair's campaigns, culminating around the , laid the groundwork for Norway's unification under a single , though the precise timing remains debated among historians.

Events

Byzantine Empire

In 880, Byzantine forces under Emperor recaptured the strategically vital port of in from Aghlabid Arab control, marking a key advance in the empire's campaigns against Muslim incursions in the region. The operation combined land armies commanded by generals Prokopios and Leo Apostyppes with a naval led by Nasar, who had previously secured a over an Arab fleet at the Battle of Stelai earlier that year near . This success bolstered the thematic organization in the , restored Byzantine dominance over much of , and weakened Arab raiding capabilities in the , contributing to a period of relative stabilization in the western provinces. The Fourth Council of Constantinople, spanning late 879 into 880, addressed the ongoing by affirming Patriarch Photius's legitimacy, deposing his rival posthumously, and issuing canons that emphasized episcopal authority while rejecting certain Latin practices like the filioque clause. Convened with imperial support and attended by hundreds of bishops, the synod received provisional endorsement from , temporarily easing East-West tensions before later divergences. Orthodox tradition regards it as the Eighth for its role in restoring ecclesiastical unity under Photius. Basil I also consecrated the Nea Ekklesia ("New Church") within the Great Palace complex in , a domed completed between 876 and 880 and dedicated to the alongside prophets, apostles, and military saints like , , and . This structure, the first major imperial church built in the capital since the iconoclastic era, exemplified middle Byzantine architectural innovation with its five-dome layout and served as a dynastic , underscoring Basil's self-presentation as a pious restorer of Roman imperial tradition. These developments highlighted Basil's multifaceted governance: military reconquests expanded territorial influence amid ongoing Arab-Byzantine wars, while ecclesiastical and cultural initiatives reinforced internal cohesion and legitimacy during the nascent dynasty's consolidation against prior Amorian instability.

In March 880, following the death of their father Louis II the Stammerer in 879, the brothers Louis III and partitioned the Kingdom of through an agreement at . Louis III received , encompassing the northern and western territories, while obtained , including the eastern regions, , and . This division reflected the ongoing fragmentation of Carolingian authority amid internal rivalries and external threats. Charles the Fat, ruling East Francia, Alemannia, and , allied with his cousins Louis III and to counter the usurpation by Boso of Arles, who had proclaimed himself king of in 879 after the death of Louis the Blind's father. In summer 880, their combined forces advanced into , capturing and other northern strongholds, but the siege of failed despite prolonged efforts, allowing Boso to retain control temporarily. This campaign underscored Charles's emerging role as a unifying figure among Carolingian rulers, though underlying tensions persisted. Viking incursions persisted across , with raiders devastating and sacking the abbey of Saint-Quentin in spring 880, exploiting the weakened defenses of divided kingdoms. These attacks, part of broader expeditions along rivers and coasts, compounded the pressures on Carolingian rulers, who struggled to coordinate responses amid succession disputes. In , under Charles the Fat's nominal rule since 879, local nobles like Berengar of Friuli began asserting greater autonomy, foreshadowing further imperial decline.

Asia

In China, during the Huang Chao Rebellion—a peasant uprising sparked by heavy taxation, famine, and official corruption—rebel forces under Huang Chao captured and sacked Luoyang, the Tang dynasty's secondary capital, in the winter of 880. Huang, a former salt merchant who had proclaimed himself emperor of the short-lived Qi dynasty two years earlier, aimed to overthrow the Tang regime amid widespread discontent that had mobilized hundreds of thousands of followers since the revolt's onset in 874. This assault devastated the city, killing or displacing much of its population and symbolizing the Tang's accelerating decline, as imperial armies proved unable to halt the rebels' advance toward the primary capital of Chang'an. The Tang court, already weakened by prior internal strife and regional warlordism, responded by evacuating Luoyang's residents and relocating the emperor to , further eroding central authority. Huang's success in 880 stemmed from exploiting Tang military disarray, including divided loyalties among generals and reliance on non-Han troops, though his forces would later fracture due to logistical failures and internal betrayals. Elsewhere in , the under I (r. c. 814–878 or later) maintained dominance in the Deccan, fostering Jain scholarship and , though his death around this period paved the way for succession struggles. In the , under Abbasid suzerainty, early Isma'ili Shi'ite missionary activities emerged in circa 880, planting seeds for future sectarian challenges to Sunni orthodoxy. No major recorded upheavals occurred in or that year, where the Heian court and kingdom respectively pursued stable, inward-focused governance.

Religion

In 879–880, the Council of Constantinople convened under Emperor Basil I and Patriarch Photius I, following the death of Ignatius in 877, which allowed Photius's restoration to the patriarchal throne after years of contention in the Photian Schism. The assembly, attended by approximately 383 bishops and papal legates from Pope John VIII, annulled the decrees of the prior 869–870 council that had deposed Photius, affirmed his legitimacy, and prohibited unilateral alterations to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, including the Western addition of Filioque ("and the Son") regarding the Holy Spirit's procession. The council's acts were initially ratified by Pope John VIII via a synodal letter, temporarily restoring ecclesiastical unity between Rome and Constantinople, though subsequent papal repudiations under pressure from Frankish influences led to its non-recognition in the Latin West while Eastern Orthodox tradition regards it as the Eighth Ecumenical Council. This event underscored tensions over patriarchal authority, liturgical uniformity, and creedal fidelity amid Byzantine imperial politics. Concurrently, in June 880, issued the Industriae Tuae to Great Moravian ruler Svatopluk I, establishing an autonomous encompassing and with Methodius elevated as its metropolitan archbishop, directly countering opposition from Bavarian and German clergy who had imprisoned Methodius earlier for promoting Slavonic liturgy and Scripture translations developed by him and his brother . The explicitly authorized the use of the in the , Divine , and administration of sacraments, marking a pivotal endorsement of indigenous-language worship to facilitate conversion among peoples and asserting Roman primacy over local Germanic episcopal claims. This decision built on the brothers' labors since the 860s, including 's of the Glagolitic , and reinforced the papacy's role in Central evangelization against Carolingian encroachments, though Methodius faced ongoing until his death in 885.

Notable Individuals

Births

Æthelweard (c. 880 – c. 922), the youngest son of King and , served as of and is known for authoring a Latin of Anglo-Saxon dedicated to , abbess of . Beatrix de (c. 880/83 – after 931), daughter of , married Robert I, King of , and was mother to , Duke of the Franks. Vateśvara (c. 880 – c. 920), an astronomer from , composed the Vateśvarasiddhānta around 904, advancing and astronomical calculations building on earlier works like those of .

Deaths

Ariwara no Narihira (825–July 9, 880), a courtier and waka poet, died at age 55 after a career marked by imperial service and literary influence, including authorship of verses central to the Ise Monogatari and Tales of Ise. His death occurred in during the , leaving a legacy in classical poetry that inspired later works like Genji Monogatari. Fatima al-Fihri (c. 800–c. 880), a Tunisian-born Muslim philanthropist, died in , after establishing the Al-Qarawiyyin complex, which evolved into a major center of learning attracting scholars like and serving as a for centuries. Historical accounts attribute her funding of the mosque-university to personal wealth from trade, emphasizing her role in early Islamic education without reliance on state patronage.

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