Decade · 490 – 499
The world in the 490s
From 490 to 499 the atlas holds 131 states standing at some time. 7 things began - Dál Riata, Ostrogothic Kingdom and Battle of Tolbiac among them - and 5 ended; 12 people were born and 14 died.
What began in the 490s
By kind, the best known first.
States 2
- Dál Riata · state · 498 – 843
- Ostrogothic Kingdom · state · 493 – 553
Wars and battles 5
- Battle of Tolbiac · battle · 496
- Basus War · war · 494 – 534
- Isaurian War · war · 492 – 497
- Franco-Visigothic Wars · war · 492 – 589
- Siege of Ravenna · battle · 490 – 493
What ended in the 490s
States 3
- Ostrogoths · state · 455 – 499
- Kingdom of Odoacer · state · 476 – 493
- Norse · state · 161 – 499
Wars and battles 2
- Isaurian War · war · 492 – 497
- Siege of Ravenna · battle · 490 – 493
Born and died
Born 12
- Jordanes · writer · 490 – 560
- Chlothar I · monarch · 498 – 561
- Amalasuintha · politician · 498 – 535
- Childebert I · monarch · 497 – 558
- Chlodomer · monarch · 495 – 524
- John Malalas · writer · 491 – 578
- Bumin Qaghan · military leader · 490 – 552
- Antonina · politician · 495 – 565
- Anjang of Goguryeo · politician · 498 – 531
- Emperor Jiemin of Northern Wei · ruler · 498 – 532
- Gao Huan · politician · 496 – 547
- Rhun ap Maelgwn · monarch · 492 – 582
Died 14
- Pope Gelasius I · writer · 410 – 496
- Odoacer · military leader · 433 – 493
- Zeno · monarch · 425 – 491
- Movses Khorenatsi · writer · 410 – 490
- Emperor Ninken · ruler · 449 – 498
- Licinia Eudoxia · politician · 422 – 493
- Jangsu of Goguryeo · monarch · 394 – 491
- Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei · monarch · 467 – 499
- Victor Vitensis · bishop · 440 – 490
- Emperor Wu of Southern Qi · military leader · 440 – 493
- Emperor Ming of Southern Qi · politician · 452 – 498
- Xiao Zhaowen · politician · 480 – 494
- Xiao Zhaoye · ruler · 473 – 494
- Kashyapa I · monarch · 448 – 495
States of the 490s
The states that stood at some time in the 490s, by region, the best known first, with who held the highest office in 490.
Europe45 states
- France · 481 – present
- San Marino · 301 – present
- Ancient Greece · 1201 BCE – 600 CE
- Huns · 106 – 673
- Goths · 100 – 1475
- Lombards · 480 – 586
- Francia · 481 – 843 · Clovis I, king of Franks since 481
- Ostrogoths · 455 – 499 · Theodoric the Great, King of the Ostrogoths since 471
and 37 more; every state of Europe.
Middle East and North Africa22 states
- Byzantine Empire · 285 – 1453 · Zeno, Byzantine emperor since 476 and Ariadne, Byzantine emperor since 476
- Troy · 3000 BCE – 500 CE
- Rhodes · 188 BCE – 1249 CE
- Sasanian Empire · 224 – 651 · Kavad I, King of Kings since 488
- Persian Empire · 550 BCE – 1979 CE · Kavad I, King of Kings since 488
- Kingdom of Aksum · 401 BCE – 960 CE · Ousas, Ethiopia, AKSUM since 486
- Ghana Empire · 100 – 1200
- Kingdom of Iberia · 299 BCE – 580 CE
and 14 more; every state of Middle East and North Africa.
South Asia22 states
- Gupta Empire · 320 – 550
- Chola dynasty · 300 BCE – 1279 CE
- Gandhara · 751 BCE – 535 CE
- Hephthalites · 408 – 670
- Pallava dynasty · 275 – 897
- Pandya dynasty · 300 BCE – 1650 CE
- Kingdom of Khotan · 56 – 1006
- Vakataka dynasty · 250 – 500 · Harishena, Vakataka king since 480
and 14 more; every state of South Asia.
East and Southeast Asia20 states
- Xiongnu · 301 BCE – 500 CE
- Silla · 57 BCE – 892 CE
- Goguryeo · 37 BCE – 668 CE · Jangsu of Goguryeo, wang since 413
- Champa · 192 – 1832 · Pham Dang Thang, king since 480
- Paekche · 18 BCE – 660 CE · Dongseong of Baekje, king since 479
- Rouran Khaganate · 330 – 555 · Yujiulü Doulun, khagan since 485
- Xianbei · 208 BCE – 670 CE
- Pyu city-states · 201 BCE – 1050 CE
and 12 more; every state of East and Southeast Asia.
Americas and Oceania5 states
- Maya civilization · 2001 BCE – 1521 CE
- Teotihuacan · 50 BCE – 704 CE
- Zapotec civilization · 6701 BCE – 1201 CE
- Tiwanaku polity · 300 – 1150
- United Provinces of New Granada · 181 – 1816
Location unknown17 states
- Northern and Southern dynasties · 420 – 589 · Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei, Emperor of China since 471 and Emperor Wu of Southern Qi, Emperor of China since 482
- Eastern Ye · 301 BCE – 500 CE
- Alchon Huns · 380 – 560 · Mehama, emperor since 461
- Langkasuka · 100 – 1500
- Licchavis of Nepal · 400 – 750
- Geumgwan Gaya · 43 – 532
- Oddiyana · 401 BCE – 1100 CE
- Varman dynasty · 350 – 655
and 9 more; every state of Location unknown.
Open in the atlas
- On the timeline, 470 – 519: every state, war and life of the 490s, region by region.
- On the map in 495: the borders of the year, its cities under their names of the year, and what happened where.
Wikidata (CC0) · data built 2026-10-07 · Pastlas v2.13.1, by Oleh Voronko. The published atlas and its data are for non-commercial use.