View source for 997

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2011}}
{{About year|997|the car|Porsche 997}}
{{Year nav|997}}
{{M1 year in topic}}
[[File:Skylitzes-Ouranos kills Bulgarians.jpg|upright=1.35|thumb|The [[Bulgars]] are put to flight at the [[Battle of Spercheios]] (Chronicle of [[John Skylitzes]]).]]
Year '''997''' ('''[[Roman numerals|CMXCVII]]''') was a [[common year starting on Friday]] of the [[Julian calendar]].

== Events ==
<onlyinclude>

=== By place ===

==== Japan ====
* [[1 February]]: Empress Teishi gives birth to Princess Shushi - she is the first child of the emperor, but because of the power struggle between Michinaga and Korechika, the empress is not allowed to go to the palace.

* [[18 May]]: The imperial court decides to pardon Korechika and Takaie, under the illness of Teishi.

==== Byzantine Empire ====
* [[July 16]] &ndash; [[Battle of Spercheios]]: [[Byzantine]] forces, under General [[Nikephoros Ouranos]], defeat the Bulgarians at the [[Spercheios River]] in [[Greece]]. During a night battle, the Bulgarian co-ruler [[Samuel of Bulgaria|Samuel]] is wounded; he and his son [[Gavril Radomir]] evade capture, by feigning death among the bodies of their slain soldiers. Samuel sets off to [[first Bulgarian Empire|Bulgaria]], and retreats with the remnants of his army, into the [[Pindus Mountains]]. Ouranos returns to [[Constantinople]], with 1,000 heads of Bulgarian soldiers and 12,000 captives.<ref>Paul Stephenson (2003). ''The Legend of Basil the Bulgar-Slayer'', Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN|0-521-81530-4}}.</ref>

==== Europe ====
* [[Almanzor|Al-Mansur]], the ''[[de facto]]'' ruler of [[Al-Andalus]], assaults and partially destroys the city of [[Santiago de Compostela]]. He is accompanied in his raid by Christian [[Portugal|Portuguese]] lords, who all receive a share of the booty. On their way, they sack the cities of [[Zamora, Spain|Zamora]] and [[León, Spain|León]].<ref>Collins, Roger (1983). ''Early Medieval Spain'', p. 199. New York: St. Martin's Press. {{ISBN|0-312-22464-8}}.</ref>
* Summer &ndash; [[Roman of Bulgaria]] dies in captivity in Constantinople. He is succeeded by his brother Samuel (a member of the [[Cometopuli dynasty]]) who takes the Bulgarian title of ''[[tsar]]''. He possibly receives his 'imperial crown' from [[Pope Gregory V|Gregory V]] (approximate date).
* King [[Stephen Držislav of Croatia]] dies after a 28-year reign. His three sons, [[Svetoslav Suronja|Svetoslav]], [[Krešimir III]] and [[Gojslav]], open a violent contest for the throne, weakening the kingdom and allowing Samuel to encroach on the Croatian possessions along the [[Adriatic]].
* Winter &ndash; Emperor [[Otto III]] travels to [[Kingdom of Italy (Holy Roman Empire)|Italy]], leaving the government of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] in the hands of his aunt, [[Matilda of Quedlinburg]]. He is accompanied by Bishop [[Pope Sylvester II|Gilbert of Aurillac]], his teacher and advisor.
* [[Trondheim]] is founded by King [[Olav Tryggvason]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adressa.no/nyheter/trondheim/article3207238.ece|title=Hva husker du fra 1000-årsjubileet?|publisher=Adressa|language=no|author=Christine Schefte|date=20 June 2012|access-date=5 March 2016}}</ref> This will function as the main city and capital of [[Norway]], until [[Bergen]] is founded in [[1070]].

==== Scotland ====
* King [[Constantine III of Scotland|Constantine III]] dies after a 2-year reign, possibly murdered by a dynastic conflict between two rival lines of royalty. He is succeeded by [[Kenneth III]] as sole ruler of [[Alba]] ([[Kingdom of Scotland|Scotland]]).

==== Central Asia ====
* [[Sabuktigin]], founder of the [[Ghaznavid dynasty]], dies after a 20-year reign. He is succeeded by his son [[Ismail of Ghazni|Ismail]] as emir of Ghazna. But many in the court favor his elder brother [[Mahmud of Ghazni|Mahmud]].

==== China ====
* [[May 8]] &ndash; Emperor [[Emperor Taizong of Song|Tai Zong]] ('''Zhao Jiong''') dies at [[Kaifeng]] after a 21-year reign. He is succeeded by his son [[Emperor Zhenzong|Zhen Zong]] as the third ruler of the [[Song dynasty]].

=== By topic ===

==== Religion ====
* Spring &ndash; Pope [[Pope Gregory V|Gregory V]] is exiled during a rebellion led by [[Crescentius II]] ('''the Younger'''), patrician (the ''de facto'' ruler) of [[Rome]]. The Crescentii family appoints Giovanni Filagato (former tutor of Otto III) as an [[antipope]] under the name [[Antipope John XVI|John XVI]] (or XVII), until [[998]].
* [[April 23]] &ndash; [[Adalbert of Prague|Adalbert]], exiled bishop of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Prague|Prague]], organises a mission to convert the [[Old Prussians]] in north-east [[Greater Poland|Poland]]. On his way, Adalbert is murdered by [[Paganism|pagans]] on the [[Baltic Sea|Baltic]] coast. His body is bought back for its weight in [[gold]] by Duke [[Bolesław I the Brave|Bolesław I]] ('''the Brave''').<ref>Richard Brzezinski (1990). ''History of Poland'': The Piast Dynasty - Bolesław the Brave, p.16. {{ISBN|83-7212-019-6}}.</ref>
* The first documented reference of [[Gdańsk]] is made by Adalbert. During his mission he [[Baptism|baptises]] the inhabitants of the city called ''Gyddannyzc''.
</onlyinclude>

== Births ==
* [[Alan III]] ('''de Bretagne'''), duke of [[Duchy of Brittany|Brittany]] (d. [[1040]])
* [[Bertha of Milan]], Lombard duchess and [[regent]] (approximate date)
* [[Godfrey III, Duke of Lower Lorraine|Godfrey III]], duke of [[Lower Lorraine]] (approximate date)
* [[Gusiluo]], Tibetan religious leader of [[Buddhism]] (d. [[1065]])
* [[Gytha Thorkelsdóttir]], Danish [[Nobility|noblewoman]] (approximate date)
* [[Ibn al-Wafid]], Andalusian [[pharmacologist]] (d. [[1074]])
* [[Rhys ap Tewdwr]], king of [[Deheubarth]] (d. [[1093]])

== Deaths ==
* [[April 23]] &ndash; [[Adalbert of Prague]], Bohemian bishop 
* [[May 8]] &ndash; [[Emperor Taizong of Song|Tai Zong]], Chinese emperor (b. [[939]]) 
* [[July 23]] &ndash; [[Nuh II]], Samanid [[emir]] (b. [[963]])
* [[August 20]] &ndash; [[Conrad I, Duke of Swabia|Conrad I]], duke of [[Duchy of Swabia|Swabia]]
* [[October 6]] &ndash; [[Minamoto no Mitsunaka]], Japanese [[samurai]] (b. [[912]])
* [[November 29]] &ndash; [[Seongjong of Goryeo|Seongjong]], Korean king (b. [[961]])
* [[Abu Bakr Ibn Al-Qutia]], Andalusian historian
* [[Constantine III of Scotland|Constantine III]], king of [[Alba]] ([[Kingdom of Scotland|Scotland]])
* [[Géza, Grand Prince of the Hungarians|Géza]] (or '''Gejza'''), Grand Prince of [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungary]]
* [[Gonzalo Menéndez]], Portuguese nobleman 
* [[Gonzalo Sánchez of Aragon|Gonzalo Sánchez]], count of [[County of Aragon|Aragon]] ([[Spain]])
* [[Ibn Battah al-Ukbari]], Arab theologian (b. [[917]])
* [[Idwal ap Meurig]], king of [[Kingdom of Gwynedd|Gwynedd]] ([[Wales]])
* [[Máel Coluim, King of Strathclyde|Máel Coluim]], king of [[Kingdom of Strathclyde|Strathclyde]] (Scotland)
* [[Waldrada of Tuscany]], dogaressa of [[Republic of Venice|Venice]]
* [[Ma'mun I ibn Muhammad]], ruler of [[Khwarezm]]
* [[Roman of Bulgaria|Roman]], ruler (''[[tsar]]'') of the [[First Bulgarian Empire|Bulgarian Empire]]
* [[Sabuktigin]], founder of the [[Ghaznavid dynasty]]
* [[Stephen Držislav]] ('''Dirzislaus'''), king of [[Kingdom of Croatia (925–1102)|Croatia]]
* [[Tailapa II]], ruler of the [[Western Chalukya Empire]]
* [[Teresa Ansúrez]], queen and regent of [[Kingdom of León|León]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category-inline}}

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