The 500s: 500–509
500–509 · worldwide, all places
Moving through time
The western Roman Empire was gone, deposed in 476, and three successor kingdoms divided its lands: Clovis's Franks in Gaul, Theodoric's Ostrogoths in Italy, and petty British kings fighting Saxon settlers. Bishops and monks kept Latin learning alive in monasteries while kings who could not read signed their decrees.
Clovis was baptized around 508, binding the Franks to Catholic Christianity, and Theodoric ruled Italy from Ravenna in Roman style. Lawhead's Pendragon sets Arthur's reign in this fractured Britain, and Procopius's Secret History reports the scandals of Justinian's Constantinople from inside the court. Open the 500s on the StoryTerra map and explore its stories by place.
7 famous stories set in the 500s
Live snapshot of the top 7 most popular catalogue items (2026-09-05). Click any card to open this entry on the live map.
Browse 9 books and 1 movie set in the 500s (500–509).
Pendragon
At the dawn of his reign, a young king confronts his destiny—and must prove his greatness . . . or lose a realmArthur is King—but treachery runs rampant throughout the beleaguered Isle of the Mighty. Darkest evil…
La reina sin nombre
Una niña huérfana es acogida por los albiones, un pueblo que en el siglo VI habitaba los montes del noroeste de España. Conocida por ellos como Jana, aprenderá los secretos de las artes curativas de la mano del druida…
Dark Moon of Avalon
She is a healer, a storyteller, and a warrior. She has fought to preserve Britain’s throne. Now she faces her greatest challenge in turning bitter enemies into allies, saving the life of the man she loves . . . and…
The Secret History
Having dutifully written the official war history of Justinian's reign, Procopius turned round and revealed in The Secret History the other faces of the leading men and women of Byzantium in the sixth century.…
Bae Wolf
In the year 500 A.D. a jealous decapitating monster terrorizes the drunken revelers of Heorot. A fearless princess goes in search of a hero who can save her people. But that hero guards a secret more dangerous than any…
Isle of Destiny
"Here, woven into a rich magical tapestry is the never-before-told story of ancient Ireland...a spellbinding tale of love and intrigue, lust and murder, rivalry and quest...of a time and a place long ago and far away…
Historia de Lanzarote del Lago
La Historia de Lanzarote del Lago es sin duda la novela artúrica más importante de cuantas se escribieron en la Edad Media. Inicia el denominado Ciclo de la Vulgata, anónima recopilación en prosa concluida en 1230. La…
The 7 stories above are just a sample of the 10 in the catalogue for this entry. For the live 500–509 catalogue, use the button above — or browse the full Time hub. On the live map you can also filter by the exact time the stories take place — any year, decade or century, from BCE to the future.
Relevant picks from this decade
Gothic Transylvania — Journey into the misty Carpathians where history and myth intertwine — medieval fortresses, blood-soaked battles, and the legend of Vlad the Impaler… Explore Gothic Transylvania
Persian Iran: Ancient Empires — Journey through the vast Persian empires — from the rise of the Achaemenids under Cyrus the Great to the Parthians and Sassanids; grand palaces,… Explore Persian Iran: Ancient Empires
Keep exploring
70s CE · Time hub · Time hub · All places · 1000s