516

Year 516 (DXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Petrus without colleague (or, less frequently, year 1269 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 516 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.

Europe

 * Hygelac, king of the Geats (Sweden), raids the Lower Rhine, and is defeated by a Frankish force led by Theudebert (according to the "History of the Franks").
 * King Gundobad of the Burgundians dies peacefully after a 43-year reign, and is succeeded by his eldest son Sigismund.

Religion

 * November 6 – The Council of Tarragona (modern Spain) is held.

Births

 * Athalaric, king of the Ostrogoths (d. 534)
 * Ciarán of Clonmacnoise, Irish bishop (d. 546)

Deaths

 * Gundobad, king of the Burgundians
 * Hygelac, king of the Geats (approximate date)
 * John, Coptic Orthodox patriarch of Alexandria
 * Oisc, king of Kent (approximate date)