Year by year · 6th century

533 CE

533 CE in world history: 4 events and 2 deaths. 198 recorded states existed that year.

Events

  1. 2 January

    Mercurius becomes Pope John II, the first pope to change his name

    The Roman priest Mercurius, reluctant to reign under the name of a pagan god, took the name John II on his consecration. Adopting a papal name later became the settled custom of the Church.

  2. 13 September

    Belisarius defeats the Vandal king Gelimer at Ad Decimum

    At the tenth milestone south of Carthage, the Byzantine general Belisarius defeated the Vandal army of King Gelimer, whose attempt to trap the invaders failed. Belisarius entered Carthage two days later, opening Justinian I's reconquest of North Africa.

    Battle of Ad DecimumBelisariusGelimer

  3. 15 December

    Belisarius defeats the Vandal king Gelimer at Tricamarum

    West of Carthage, the Byzantine army of Belisarius defeated the Vandal king Gelimer, whose brother Tzazon was killed. Gelimer fled to the mountains and surrendered in 534, ending the Vandal Kingdom and restoring North Africa to the Roman Empire.

    Battle of TricamarumBelisariusGelimer
ProfileState143 states with a known seat in 533 CEOpen the atlas at 533 CE →

Wars and longer events

Died in 533 CE 2

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). 533 CE. In The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/533
MLA
“533 CE.” The Epoch Institute, Year by Year, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/533. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “533 CE.” The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/533.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘533 CE’, The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/533 (Accessed: ).