800 BC to 300 BC
800 - 700 BC
The first Olympic games in 776 BC. The foundation of the city of Rome on April 21, 753 BC. The first Greek colony - Cumae is established northwest of Naples ca. 750 BC. Iliad and Odyssey are written by Homer about 750 BC. The First Messenian War ca. 743-724 BC. Syracuse is founded by Greek settlers from Corinth in 733 BC. Assyrians under Sargon II conquer the Kingdom of Israel about 722 BC. Niniveh is made capital of the Assyrian Empire in 705 BC.
700 - 600 BCDestruction of the city of Babylon by Assyrians in 689 BC. Foundation of Japan by the legendary Emperor Jimmu on February 11, 660 BC. Assurbanipal destroys the Elamite capital Susa in 647 BC. The Neo-Babylonian Empire is established by Nabopolassar in 626 BC. The Draconian constitution ca. 624 BC. Collapse of the Assyrian Empire in 614 BC. Josiah, King of Judah is killed in the Battle of Megiddo in 609 BC. Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar II defeats the Egyptians in the Battle of Carcemish ca. 605 BC. Lydia under Alyattes II (ca. 619-560 BC) becomes the leading power in Asia Minor. Emergence of Taoism in China.
600 - 500 BCMarseille is founded by the Greek settlers about 600 BC. Ancient Greek poet Sappho dies about 600 BC. Solonian Constitution about 594/593 BC. Deportation of the Jews (known as the Babylonian captivity) by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. The founder of Buddhism, Siddartha Gautama is born ca. 563 BC. Peloponnesian League about 550 BC. The Persian Empire is founded by Cyrus the Great about 550 BC. Greek philosopher Thales of Miletus dies ca. 547 BC. Cyrus the Great conquers the Neo-Babylonian Empire in 539 BC. The Greeks from Phocaea are defeated by the Carthaginians in the Battle of Alalia ca. 535 BC. Rome becomes a republic in 509 BC.
500 - 400 BCAthenian democracy ca. 500 BC. Themistocles is elected archon in 493 BC. The citizens of Athens defeat the Persians in the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC. Darius I of Persia dies in 486 BC. The Persians led by Xerxes I defeat the Greek-city states under the command of Leonidas in the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. The Greek-city states under the command of Themistocles decisively defeat the Persians in the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC. The founder of Confucianism, Chinese philosopher Confucius dies in 479 BC. Xerxes I of Persia is murdered in 465 BC. Beginning of the First Peloponnesian War in 457 BC. Peace of Callias ends the Persian Wars in 440 BC. Pericles is elected strategos of Athens in 440 BC. Construction of Parthenon in Athens is completed in 432 BC. Beginning of the Second Peloponnesian War in 431 BC. Greek historian Herodotus dies in 430 BC. Ancient Greek writer Sophocles dies ca. 406 BC. The Peloponnesian Wars end with surrender of Athens in 404 BC.
400 - 300 BCSocrates is sentenced to death in 399 BC. Roman dictator Marcus Furius Camillus captures the Etruscan city of Veii. Ancient Greek comic poet Aristophanes dies in 385 BC. Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates dies ca. 370 BC. Greek philosopher Plato dies ca. 348 BC. Peace of Philocrates ends the war between Athens and the Kingdom of Macedon in 346 BC. Artaxerxes III of Persia conquers Egypt in 343 BC. The Romans defeat the Latin League in the Latin War in 340 BC. Philip of Macedon defeats Athens and its allies in the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC. Philip of Macedon is murdered in 336 BC and is succeeded by his Alexander III of Macedon commonly known as Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great launches his expedition against the Persian Empire in 334 BC capturing Syria, Tyre, Jerusalem, Egypt and Persian Empire by 330 BC. Alexander's army refuses to continue the march eastward at the Hyphasis River, India in 325 BC. Alexander the Great dies in Babylon without an heir on June 13, 323 BC. Establishment of the Maurya Empire in 322 BC. Alexander's generals Ptolemy, Cassander, Lysimachus and Seleucus divide the Empire of Alexander the Great among themselves in 321 BC.