# 973

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Year **973** (**[CMLXXIII](/source/Roman_numerals)**) was a [common year starting on Wednesday](/source/Common_year_starting_on_Wednesday) of the [Julian calendar](/source/Julian_calendar).

## Events

<onlyinclude>

### By place

#### Byzantine Empire

- Spring – The [Byzantine](/source/Byzantine_Empire) army, led by General [Melias](/source/Melias_(Domestic_of_the_Schools)) ([Domestic of the Schools](/source/Domestic_of_the_Schools) in the East), continues the operations in [Upper Mesopotamia](/source/Upper_Mesopotamia).
- [July](/source/July): Melias moves against [Amida](/source/Amida_(Mesopotamia)) (modern [Turkey](/source/Turkey)). He defeats the [Arabs](/source/Arabs) outside the walls, and begins to lay [siege](/source/Siege) to the city. After a few days, a violent wind and a thick dust spreads over the Byzantine camp. Covered by the dust, the Arabs attack and rout the Byzantines. Many of them are slaughtered and some, including Melias, are taken prisoner. Previous Byzantine gains in the area are lost. The wounded Melias dies later in captivity.

#### Europe

- [May 7](/source/May_7) – Emperor [Otto I](/source/Otto_I,_Holy_Roman_Emperor) (**the Great**) dies at [Memleben](/source/Memleben) in [Thuringia](/source/Thuringia) (modern [Germany](/source/Germany)) after a 37-year reign. He is succeeded by his 18-year-old son [Otto II](/source/Otto_II,_Holy_Roman_Emperor) (**the Red**), who becomes [absolute ruler](/source/Autocracy) of the [Holy Roman Empire](/source/Holy_Roman_Empire). His mother [Adelaide](/source/Adelaide_of_Italy) will exert great influence on Otto, although her lavish [philanthropies](/source/Philanthropy) will be a source of contention. Otto's succession leads to conflicts in the south German duchies and in [Lotharingia](/source/Lotharingia).[1]

#### Britain

- [Edgar I](/source/Edgar_the_Peaceful) (**the Peaceful**) is crowned king during a royal [ceremony](/source/Ceremony) at [Bath](/source/Bath,_Somerset) by Archbishop [Dunstan](/source/Dunstan). In a [council at Chester](/source/King_Edgar's_council_at_Chester), [Lothian](/source/Lothian) (a region of the [Lowlands](/source/Scottish_Lowlands)) is ceded to [Scotland](/source/Kingdom_of_Scotland), in return for [fealty](/source/Fealty) from King [Kenneth II](/source/Kenneth_II_of_Scotland).
- Edgar I marches with his army north to [Chester](/source/Chester). His navy meets him there via the [Irish Sea](/source/Irish_Sea). This show of strength persuades the 'Northern Kings' to submit to his [overlordship](/source/Overlord) (approximate date).

#### Africa

- Caliph [Al-Mu'izz](/source/Al-Mu'izz_li-Din_Allah) transfers the royal residence of the [Fatimid Caliphate](/source/Fatimid_Caliphate) from [El-Mansuriya](/source/Mansouria,_Tunisia) (modern [Tunisia](/source/Tunisia)) to the newly founded city of [Cairo](/source/Cairo) in [Egypt](/source/Egypt_in_the_Middle_Ages). Egypt becomes the autonomous centre of the Fatimid Caliphate. He leaves general [Buluggin ibn Ziri](/source/Buluggin_ibn_Ziri) to govern the Western [North African](/source/North_Africa) territories, which will become the province of [Al-Maghreb](/source/Maghreb) (meaning **the West**).

### By topic

#### Commerce

- [Cloves](/source/Clove), [ginger](/source/Ginger), [black pepper](/source/Black_pepper), and other Eastern spices are available for purchase in the marketplace at [Mainz](/source/Mainz). The spices are brought to the city by [Jewish](/source/Jews) traveling [merchants](/source/Merchant), known as the [Radhanites](/source/Radhanite), who have contacts in the international [trade](/source/Trade) between the [Christian](/source/Christianity) and [Islamic](/source/Islam) world (approximate date).

#### Religion

- [January 19](/source/January_19) – [Pope Benedict VI](/source/Pope_Benedict_VI) is consecrated as the 134th [pope](/source/Pope) of the [Catholic Church](/source/Catholic_Church). He is installed at [Rome](/source/Rome) with the approval of Otto I and becomes a [puppet ruler](/source/Puppet_ruler) of the Holy Roman Empire. The Roman aristocracy resents Otto's dominance in Roman civil and [ecclesiastical](/source/Ecclesiology) affairs.[2]
- In the Council of [Winchester](/source/Winchester), Edgar I accepts a 'Monastic Agreement' (called the *[Regularis Concordia](/source/Regularis_Concordia_(Winchester))*). The document is compiled by Bishop [Æthelwold](/source/%C3%86thelwold_of_Winchester) and serves as a rule for how [monastic life](/source/Christian_monasticism) should be performed.

</onlyinclude>

## Births

- [May 6](/source/May_6) – [Henry II](/source/Henry_II,_Holy_Roman_Emperor), emperor of the [Holy Roman Empire](/source/Holy_Roman_Empire) (d. [1024](/source/1024))
- [September 4](/source/September_4) – [Al-Biruni](/source/Al-Biruni), Persian physician and [polymath](/source/Polymath) (d. [1048](/source/1048))
- [Adelaide I](/source/Adelaide_I,_Abbess_of_Quedlinburg), German princess and [abbess](/source/Abbess) (approximate date)
- [Abul 'Ala Al-Ma'arri](/source/Al-Ma'arri), Syrian [philosopher](/source/Philosopher) and poet (d. [1057](/source/1057))
- [Hisham III](/source/Hisham_III_of_C%C3%B3rdoba), Umayyad caliph of [Córdoba](/source/Caliphate_of_C%C3%B3rdoba) (d. [1036](/source/1036))
- [Murasaki Shikibu](/source/Murasaki_Shikibu), Japanese [poet](/source/Japanese_poetry) and [lady-in-waiting](/source/Lady-in-waiting) (or [978](/source/978))
- [Qadi 'Abd al-Wahhab](/source/Qadi_'Abd_al-Wahhab), Abbasid scholar and jurist (d. [1031](/source/1031))

## Deaths

- [January 14](/source/January_14) – [Ekkehard I](/source/Ekkehard_I), Frankish monk and poet
- [March 26](/source/March_26) – [Guntram](/source/Guntram_the_Rich) (**the Rich**), Frankish [nobleman](/source/Nobility)
- [March 27](/source/March_27) – [Hermann Billung](/source/Hermann_Billung), Frankish nobleman
- [May 7](/source/May_7) – [Otto I](/source/Otto_I,_Holy_Roman_Emperor), emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (b. [912](/source/912))
- [May 15](/source/May_15) – [Byrhthelm](/source/Byrhthelm_(bishop_of_Wells)), bishop of [Wells](/source/Diocese_of_Bath_and_Wells) ([Somerset](/source/Somerset))
- [July 4](/source/July_4) – [Ulrich](/source/Ulrich_of_Augsburg) (or **Oldarici**), bishop of [Augsburg](/source/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Augsburg) (b. [893](/source/893))
- [July 19](/source/July_19) – [Kyunyeo](/source/Kyunyeo), Korean monk and [poet](/source/Korean_poetry) (b. [917](/source/917))
- [September 12](/source/September_12) – [Nefingus](/source/Nefingus), bishop of [Angers](/source/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Angers)
- [November 12](/source/November_12) – [Burchard III](/source/Burchard_III,_Duke_of_Swabia), Frankish nobleman
- [December 18](/source/December_18) (or [972](/source/972)) – [Eberhard IV](/source/Eberhard_IV_of_Nordgau), Frankish nobleman (or [972](/source/972))
- [Abu'l-Abbas Ismail](/source/Abu'l-Abbas_Ismail), Abbasid official and statesman
- [Cathal mac Tadg](/source/Cathal_mac_Tadg), king of [Connacht](/source/Connacht) ([Ireland](/source/Ireland))
- [Conchobar mac Tadg](/source/Conchobar_mac_Tadg), king of Connacht
- [Geibennach mac Aedha](/source/Geibennach_mac_Aedha), king of [Uí Maine](/source/U%C3%AD_Maine) (Ireland)
- [Guo Zongxun](/source/Guo_Zongxun), emperor of [Later Zhou](/source/Later_Zhou) (d. [953](/source/953))
- [Hrotsvitha](/source/Hrotsvitha), German [canoness](/source/Canoness) and poet (approximate date)
- [Jawdhar](/source/Jawdhar), Fatimid general and chief minister
- [Karka II](/source/Karka_II), ruler of the [Rashtrakuta Empire](/source/Rashtrakuta_dynasty) ([India](/source/India))
- [Melias](/source/Melias_(Domestic_of_the_Schools)), Byzantine general (approximate date)
- [Reginar III](/source/Reginar_III,_Count_of_Hainaut), Frankish nobleman (approximate date)
- [Richar](/source/Richar,_Duke_of_Lower_Lorraine) (or **Richer**), Frankish nobleman
- [Werner](/source/Werner,_Count_of_Valenciennes) (or **Warin**), Frankish nobleman

## References

1. Reuter, Timothy (1999). *The New Cambridge Medieval History, Volume III*, p. 254. ISBN 978-0-521-36447-8.

1. Roger Collins (2009). *Keepers of the keys of heaven: A History of the Papacy*, p. 187 (Basic Books).

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [973](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/973) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/973?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.