885

Year 885 (DCCCLXXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

This article is about the year 885. For the Thyratron tube, see 885 Tube.

Millennium:	1st millennium
Centuries:	8th century 9th century 10th century
Decades:	860s 870s 880s 890s 900s
Years:	882 883 884 885 886 887 888

885 in various calendars

Gregorian calendar	885 DCCCLXXXV
Ab urbe condita	1638
Armenian calendar	334 ԹՎ ՅԼԴ
Assyrian calendar	5635
Balinese saka calendar	806–807
Bengali calendar	292
Berber calendar	1835
Buddhist calendar	1429
Burmese calendar	247
Byzantine calendar	6393–6394
Chinese calendar	甲辰年 (Wood Dragon) 3581 or 3521     — to — 乙巳年 (Wood Snake) 3582 or 3522
Coptic calendar	601–602
Discordian calendar	2051
Ethiopian calendar	877–878
Hebrew calendar	4645–4646
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat	941–942
- Shaka Samvat	806–807
- Kali Yuga	3985–3986
Holocene calendar	10885
Iranian calendar	263–264
Islamic calendar	271–272
Japanese calendar	Gangyō 9 / Ninna 1 (仁和元年)
Javanese calendar	783–784
Julian calendar	885 DCCCLXXXV
Korean calendar	3218
Minguo calendar	1027 before ROC 民前1027年
Nanakshahi calendar	−583
Seleucid era	1196/1197 AG
Thai solar calendar	1427–1428
Tibetan calendar	阳木龙年 (male Wood-Dragon) 1011 or 630 or −142     — to — 阴木蛇年 (female Wood-Snake) 1012 or 631 or −141

Count Odo defends Paris during the siege

Map of Paris (Île de la Cité) in 9th century

Events

By place

Europe

• Summer – Emperor Charles the Fat summons a meeting of officials at Lobith (modern Netherlands), and accuses Hugh, an illegitimate son of former king Lothair II, and his vassal Godfrid (the Sea King), of plotting against him. Hugh is blinded, and exiled to the Abbey of Saint Gall (modern Switzerland). Godfrid is killed by a group of Frisian and Saxon nobles, at the connivance of Henry of Franconia. The local count, Gerolf, takes over the West Frisian coastline from the Danish, after the murder.
• Summer – Charles the Fat designates his illegitimate son Bernard as his heir, ignoring the claims of his nephew, Arnulf of Carinthia (illegitimate son of Carloman of Bavaria), and Charles the Simple (5-year-old son of King Louis the Stammerer). The Frankish bishops protest, so Charles summons Pope Adrian III to an assembly in Worms, to resolve the issue. Adrian leaves Rome in the hands of Bishop John of Pavia. He heads to Germany, but dies on the way — just after crossing the River Po.[1]
• November 25 – Siege of Paris: Viking forces, under the Norse chieftains Sigfred and Sinric, sail up the River Seine for eastern France, with a fleet of 300 longships (10,000 men). They appear before Paris, and offer to spare the city if they are allowed free passage, by paying them tribute (Danegeld). Their request is denied.
• November 27 – The Vikings begin the siege of Paris, by attacking the northeast tower with ballistae, mangonels and catapults. All Viking attacks are repulsed by Odo, Count of Paris, who defends the city with a small garrison (about 200 men). Sigfred decides to withdraw, and builds a camp on the right side of the river bank. Meanwhile he mines the city, and scours the countryside for provisions.

Britain

• King Alfred the Great summons Asser, a relative of Bishop Nobis of St. David's, to the English court. He agrees to spend six months of the year in the king's service. Asser helps to negotiate the recognition of Alfred, as overlord of the Welsh kings.
• Danish Vikings embark in Kent, and besiege Rochester. By improving the defences of the major towns, the city holds out long enough for Alfred the Great to organize an army. He forces the Vikings to flee back across the Channel, to the Continent.
• Kings Hyfaidd of Dyfed, Elisedd of Brycheiniog and Hywel of Glywysing, being harassed by the armies of King Anarawd, seek the protection of Alfred the Great, and submit to his overlordship. Anarawd seeks an alliance with King Guthred of York.

Arabian Empire

• Battle of Tawahin: Muslim forces (4,000 men) of the Abbasid Caliphate, under Al-Mu'tadid, are defeated near Ramlah (modern Israel) by Khumarawayh, ruler of the Tulunid Dynasty. This ends the Abbasid attempt to recover Syria from the Tulunids. A large part of the Abbasid army is captured, and transported to Egypt. Khumarawayh aims for reconciliation with the caliphal government, and allows the soldiers who want to return to modern-day Iraq to depart without ransom, while offering the rest the opportunity to settle in Egypt.[2][3]

By topic

Religion

• July – Pope Adrian III dies after a 1½ reign near Modena (Lombardy), while en route to an Imperial Diet, summoned by Charles the Fat at Worms. He is succeeded by Stephen V, as the 110th pope of the Catholic Church.

Births

• February 6 – Daigo, emperor of Japan (d. 930)
• December 2 – Zhuang Zong, emperor of Later Tang (d. 926)
• Atto of Vercelli, Lombard bishop (d. 961)
• Eberhard III, duke of Franconia (d. 939)
• Eric I (Bloodaxe), Norwegian Viking ruler (d. 954)
• Fujiwara no Onshi, empress of Japan (d. 954)
• Gao Xingzhou, Chinese general (d. 952)
• Ibn Muqla, Muslim official and vizier (or 886)
• Li Congke, emperor of Later Tang (d. 937)
• Reccared, Galician clergyman (d. 923)
• Zhao Ying, Chinese chancellor (d. 951)

Deaths

• July 25 – Ragenold, margrave of Neustria
• Adrian III, pope of the Catholic Church
• Chen Ru, Chinese warlord and governor
• Gerebald, bishop of Chalon-sur-Saône
• Godfrid (the Sea King), duke of Frisia
• Liutgard of Saxony, Frankish queen
• Methodius, Byzantine missionary and bishop (b. 815)
• Mihira Bhoja, king of the Gurjara-Pratihara Dynasty (b. 836)
• Muiredach mac Brain, king of Leinster (Ireland)
• Sulayman ibn Wahb, Muslim official and vizier
• Zhu Jingmei, Chinese eunuch and military leader

References

1. Reuter, pp 116–117. AF(M), 885 (pp 98&99 and nn6&7) and AF(B), 885 (p. 111 and n2).
2. Haarmann 1986, p. 49. sfn error: no target: CITEREFHaarmann1986 (help)
3. Sobernheim 1987, p. 973. sfn error: no target: CITEREFSobernheim1987 (help)