He was a savvy political leader and a shrewd military commander, allying with neighbors of his longtime enemies, the Gepidae, to take them down, and launching a highly successful invasion of Italy. But he was a really, really bad husband. Find out what lost Alboin a shot at Best Husband of the Year for 567 in his Who's Who Profile.

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For some time now scholars have been fairly certain that the plague that struck the Eastern Roman Empire in the 6th century, known to some as Justinian's Plague, was the same disease that struck Europe in the 14th-century Black Death. Now this theory has been confirmed by DNA analysis of the remains of 6th-century plague victims, which revealed the presence of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that manifests itself as bubonic, pneumonic, and septicemic plague.

The dreadful epidemic of the 6th century had far-reaching repercussions for Eastern Rome, although the theory that it heralded the end of the empire is not universally shared.

Find out more in the article by Mark Prigg at the Daily Mail.

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While surveying the area in order to extend a highway, workers in southern Israel uncovered the remains of a village dating to the early Byzantine era. It soon became apparent that it was located on what had been an important travel route. And then the mosaics were uncovered. Described as "spectacular" and "stunning," the mosaics are a combination of birds, fruit, and intricate geometric patterns.

Find out more about the discovery in these articles:

• Byzantine Mosaics Uncovered In Southern Israel
  Feature by Carlo Davis at the Huffington Post includes a video and a slide show.
  
  
• Impressive 1,500-year-old mosaic exposed
  Article at Ynet News includes a video and two photos.
  
  
• Mosaic from Byzantine era found in Israeli road work site
  Blog at NBC News includes some large, vivid images.
  
  
• Stunning Byzantine mosaic uncovered in Israel
  Item by Jeanna Bryner at Fox News includes two photos.

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He is perhaps best known for the role he played in ushering Christianity into Anglo-Saxon England, thanks in large part to his very Catholic wife. But he also wrote the earliest extant English law code. He was King Ethelbert I of Kent.

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