617

This article is about the year 617. For the "Dambuster" squadron, see No. 617 Squadron RAF.

Year 617 (DCXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 617 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.

617 in various calendars

Gregorian calendar	617 DCXVII
Ab urbe condita	1370
Armenian calendar	66 ԹՎ ԿԶ
Assyrian calendar	5367
Balinese saka calendar	538–539
Bengali calendar	23–24
Berber calendar	1567
Buddhist calendar	1161
Burmese calendar	−21
Byzantine calendar	6125–6126
Chinese calendar	丙子年 (Fire Rat) 3314 or 3107     — to — 丁丑年 (Fire Ox) 3315 or 3108
Coptic calendar	333–334
Discordian calendar	1783
Ethiopian calendar	609–610
Hebrew calendar	4377–4378
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat	673–674
- Shaka Samvat	538–539
- Kali Yuga	3717–3718
Holocene calendar	10617
Iranian calendar	5 BP – 4 BP
Islamic calendar	5 BH – 4 BH
Japanese calendar	N/A
Javanese calendar	507–508
Julian calendar	617 DCXVII
Korean calendar	2950
Minguo calendar	1295 before ROC 民前1295年
Nanakshahi calendar	−851
Seleucid era	928/929 AG
Thai solar calendar	1159–1160
Tibetan calendar	མེ་ཕོ་བྱི་བ་ལོ་ (male Fire-Rat) 743 or 362 or −410     — to — མེ་མོ་གླང་ལོ་ (female Fire-Ox) 744 or 363 or −409

The tomb of Wendelin of Trier (c. 554–617)

Events

By place

Byzantine Empire

• Byzantine-Sassanid War: The Persian army under Shahin Vahmanzadegan conquers Chalcedon in Anatolia, and reaches the Bosporus, threatening Constantinople. Emperor Heraclius begins peace negotiations, promising an annual tribute of 1,000 talents of gold and silver.^[1] Shahin withdraws with his army to Syria, to focus on the invasion of Egypt.^[2]
• The Avars send envoys to Constantinople for a meeting with Heraclius. He is warned about an ambush, and flees for safety behind the city walls in time. Angry at the failure to capture the Byzantine emperor, the Avars plunder Thrace and return to the Danube River, carrying off 270,000 people.^[3]

Europe

• Grasulf II becomes the Lombard Duke of Friuli (Italy), after the assassination of his nephews, Tasso and Kakko, in Oderzo.

Britain

• Sigeberht becomes king of Essex, after his father Sæward and uncle Sexred are killed in battle against the West Saxons.
• Heathens revolt in Kent under King Eadbald. During the uprising Justus, bishop of Rochester, flees to Gaul.
• King Edwin of Northumbria invades and annexes the minor British kingdom of Elmet (approximate date).

Asia

• September 8 – Battle of Huoyi: Rebel forces under Li Yuān defeat the Sui troops near the Fen River, and capture the Chinese capital, Chang'an. Li has gained support from Shibi, ruler (khagan) of the Eastern Turks, who secures his northern frontier and supplies him with 2,000 horses.
• Winter – Li Yuan demotes Sui emperor Yángdi to the status of Taishang Huang (retired emperor), and declares Yang You emperor, while he gives himself authority over the western Sui commanderies (prefecture), under the title of "Prince of Tang".

By topic

Religion

• Meccans begin a boycott of the Banu Hashim clan, to which Islamic prophet Muhammad belongs. A civil war begins in Medina.
• Battle of Bu'ath: The Arabic tribes win an indecisive battle against the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza, near the Medinan oasis.

Births

• Songtsän Gampo, emperor of the Tibetan Empire (d. 649)
• Wonhyo, Korean Buddhist monk and writer (d. 686)
• Lady K’awiil Ajaw, queen regnant of the Maya city State of Cobá (d. 682)

Deaths

• April 17 – Donnán of Eigg, Gaelic priest
• Kakko, duke of Friuli (Italy)
• Sæward, king of Essex (approximate date)
• Sexred, king of Essex (approximate date)
• Tasso, duke of Friuli (Italy)
• Wendelin of Trier, hermit and abbot (approximate date)
• Yang Yichen, general of the Sui dynasty
• Zhai Rang, rebel leader during the Sui dynasty