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Who was alive in 540?

198 well-known people were alive in 540, including Justinian I, Gregory I, Aryabhata. Here are the 80 most notable:

• Justinian I (482–565) — Eastern Roman Emperor who ruled from 527 to 565 (482-565)
• Gregory I (540–604) — 64th Bishop of Rome, Head of the Roman Catholic Church from 590 to 604
• Aryabhata (476–550) — Pioneer astronomer who formulated zero, quadratic rules, and earth's rotation.
• Benedict of Nursia (480–547) — founder of Christian monasticism, founder of the Benedictine order (480–547)
• Pelagius II (520–590) — Pope and Bishop of Rome (r. 579-590)
• Pelagius I (505–561) — pope
• John III (520–574) — pope
• Benedict I (525–579) — pope
• Belisarius (505–565) — 6th century Byzantine general instrumental in reconquest of much of the former Roman Mediterranean territories (505-565)
• Sabinian (530–606) — pope
• Boniface III (540–607) — pope
• Procopius (500–558) — 6th-century historian
• Maurice (539–602) — Byzantine Emperor (539-602)
• Jordanes (490–560) — Late Roman historian and writer, author of Getica
• Bodhidharma (440–540) — Indian-Chinese philosopher and Buddhist Monk
• Chlothar I (498–561) — King of the Franks
• Khosrow I (501–579) — Shahanshah of the Sasanian Empire from 531 to 579
• Theodora (500–548) — Byzantine empress from 527 to 548
• Justin II (520–578) — Emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 565 to 574 (520-578)
• Abu Talib ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (540–619) — leader of Banu Hashim, a clan of the Qurayshi tribe of Mecca (c.535-c.619)
• Cassiodorus (487–583) — 6th-century Roman senator and scholar
• Tiberius II Constantine (520–582) — Byzantine Emperor (520-582)
• Gregory of Tours (538–594) — Gallo-Roman historian and Bishop of Tours
• Columba (521–597) — 6th‑century Gaelic Irish missionary monk, Christian saint, pioneer of Celtic Christianity in Scotland and “Apostle of the Picts”
• Childebert I (497–558) — Frankish King
• Abd al-Muttalib (497–579) — Chief Leader of the Quraysh and grandfather of Muhammad (c.497–578)
• Chilperic I (537–584) — king of Neustria from 561 to 584 (537-584)
• Totila (510–552) — king of the Ostrogoths and King of Italy (541–552)
• Charibert I (520–567) — King of Paris
• Dionysius Exiguus (475–544) — Byzantine saint
• Brendan the Navigator (486–577) — Irish monastic saint
• John Malalas (491–578) — 6th-century Byzantine Greek chronicler
• Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (500–600) — Greek philosopher
• Agathias (536–582) — Byzantine poet and historian
• Guntram (532–592) — king of Burgundy from 561 to 592
• Narses (478–568) — Byzantine general
• Theudebert I (500–548) — Frankish King
• Varāhamihira (505–587) — 6th-century Hindu polymath, author of Brihat samhita
• Sigebert I (535–575) — Frankish king
• Clotilde (474–545) — saint and second wife of the Frankish king Clovis I
• Gelimer (480–553) — King of the Vandals
• Gildas (500–570) — 6th-century British monk, writer and saint
• Imru' al-Qais (501–544) — Arab king and poet (501–544)
• Venantius Fortunatus (530–609) — Italian saint-bishop, poet and hymnwriter (c. 530-c. 600/609)
• Saint David (512–589) — patron saint of Wales
• Radegund (518–587) — Frankish queen consort
• Alboin (526–572) — King of the Lombards
• Vitiges (475–541) — king of the Ostrogoths and King of Italy (536–540)
• Liuvigild (519–586) — Visigothic king
• Hormizd IV (540–590) — The 23th Sassanid Emperor (579–590)
• Damascius (450–550) — 6th-century Greek Neoplatonist philosopher
• John Philoponus (490–570) — Byzantine philologist and philosopher (c. 490–c. 570)
• Theudebald (534–555) — King of Rhiems
• Theudis (480–548) — King of the Visigoths
• Simplicius of Cilicia (480–560) — 6th-century Greek pagan philosopher
• Romanos the Melodist (490–556) — Greek hymnographer
• Stephanus of Byzantium (501–600) — 6th-century Byzantine grammarian and geographer
• Antarah ibn Shaddad (525–608) — Arabian warrior and poet
• Tribonian (475–542) — Byzantine jurist (c. 485–542)
• Priscian (500–600) — 6th-century Latin grammarian
• Kinmei (509–571) — 29th Emperor of Japan
• Bidatsu (538–585) — Emperor of Japan
• Scholastica (480–543) — Italian saint
• Theudigisel (500–549) — King of the Visigoths
• Cynric of Wessex (450–560) — King of Wessex
• Evagrius Scholasticus (536–594) — 6th century Syrian scholar and intellectual
• Ildibad (450–541) — king of the Ostrogoths and King of Italy (540–541)
• Eraric (450–541) — king of the Ostrogoth and King of Italy (541)
• Bumin Qaghan (490–552) — founder of the Turkic Khaganate
• Zhiyi (538–597) — Chinese Buddhist monk and founder of Tiantai tradition (538–597)
• Galswintha (540–568) — consort (0540-0568)
• Daṇḍin (501–) — A Sanskrit grammarian and author of prose romances, famously celebrated for his "Padalalitya" (fluidity and beauty of words).
• Eutocius of Ascalon (480–) — Byzantine mathematician
• Agathangelos (500–600) — 5th century Armenian historian and writer
• Zuhayr (520–609) — Arabian poet
• Caesarius of Arles (470–542) — Merovingian archbishop and saint
• Dignāga (480–540) — Indian Buddhist philosopher and logician (c.480–c.540)
• Dorotheus of Gaza (510–565) — ancient Greek monk
• Leander of Seville (534–600) — bishop of Seville
• Ida (450–559) — King of the Anglian kingdom of Bernicia

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