Timelines of Ancient Greece
Rise of City States
Rise of Persian Empire
Persian War
Athenian Empire
Decline of Greece
Hellenistic Age
Rise of the Greek City States (800 to 500 B.C.)
Date B.C. | Event |
884 | Lycurgus establishes the laws of Sparta. |
776 | First Olympiad. |
668 | Spartan conquest of Messenia (Messenian War) |
621 | Draco writes down the laws of Athens. |
594 | Solon revises the laws of Athens to relieve debtors. |
560 | Pisistratus reigns as tyrant; establishes Athens as a cultural center. |
540 | Pythagoras, renowned mathematician and philosopher, teaches in Samos. |
532 | Polycrates reigns as tyrant of Samos. |
516 | Darius the Great invades Scythia, but is driven back to Thrace. |
510 | Hippias, tyrant of Athens, is banished from the city |
509 | Cleisthenes makes democratic reforms to laws of Athens. |
Rise of the Persian Empire (600 to 500 B.C.)
Date B.C. | Event |
605-562 | Reign of Nebuchadnezzar as King of Babylonia |
560-546 | Reign of Croesus as King of Lydia |
585-549 | Reign of Astyages as King of Medes |
570-526 | Reign of Amasis II as Pharaoh of Egypt |
559 | Cyrus the Great ascends to throne of Persia, a small, vassal state. |
549 | Cyrus rebels against his grandfather Astyages; unites kingdoms of Persia, Medes. |
546 | Cyrus beseiges Sardis and conquers Lydia. |
539 | Cyrus beseiges Babylon and conquers Babylonian empire. |
529 | Cyrus dies in on a campaing in Scythia, Cambyses II ascends the throne. |
526 | Cambyses II, son of Cyrus, conquers Egypt. |
522 | Smerdis the Magi usurps the throne of Persia on death of Cambyses. |
521 | Darius the Great siezes throne from Smerdis, marries daughter of Cyrus. |
521 | Babylon revolts against Darius, but is reconquered. |
512 | Darius campaigns in Scythia, saved by Histiaeus. |
500 | Rebellion of Greek colonies in Ionia. |
Persian War (500 to 460 B.C.)
Date B.C. | Event |
499-493 | Ionian Revolt—Athens supports Ionian Greek's rebellion against Persia. |
493 | Mardonius leads Persia's first, failed invasion of Greece. |
490 | Persia's second invasion of Greece foiled by Athens' victory at Marathon. |
481-479 | Persia's third and largest invasion of Greece led by Xerxes. |
480 | Battle of Thermopylae—three hundred Spartans perish holding the pass. |
480 | Battle of Salamis—great naval victory for Greece destroys Persian fleet. |
479 | Battle of Plataea—Persian driven from occupied territories of mainland Greece. |
478 | Death of Pausanias, hero of Plataea. |
460 | Death of Themistocles, hero of Salamis. |
Athenian Empire (477 to 404 B.C.)
Date B.C. | Event |
477 | Formation of Delian League under the leadership of Athens. |
466 | Delian Navy, under Cimon, destroys the Persian fleet at Eurymedon River |
459-445 | First Peloponnesian War: conflict between Athens and non-aligned cities. |
456 | The long walls of Athens completed. |
453 | Treasure of the Delian League moved to Athens. |
445 | "Peace of Pericles" leads to 14 years of peace between Spartan allies and Athens. |
447-438 | Construction of the Parthenon to serve as temple and treasury. |
445-431 | Pericles leads Athens during the "Golden Age" of the Athenian Empire. |
431 | Beginning of the Peloponnesian War. |
430 | The plague at Athens. |
428 | The revolt of Mytilene. |
427 | Destruction of Plataea by Sparta. |
421-415 | "Peace of Nicias" provides 6 year break in hostilities |
415 | Expedition to Sicily led by Nicias and Alcibiades ends in disaster for Athens. |
405 | Loss of the Athenian fleet at the Battle of Aegos Potami. |
404 | Athens surrenders to Sparta. |
Decline of Greece (404 to 338 B.C.)
Date B.C. | Event |
401 | Battle of Cunaxa: Xenophon begins the Retreat of the 10,000. |
399 | Prosecution and death of Socrates. |
393 | Long walls of Athens rebuilt. |
382 | Spartans capture Theban citadel. |
387 | The Peace of Antalcidas ends the Corinthian War. |
379 | Spartans are expelled from Thebes. |
385 | Plato founds his Academy in Athens |
371 | Battle of Leuctra destroys Spartan supremacy in Greece. |
362 | The death of Epaminondas at the Battle of Mantinea ends Theban supremacy. |
357 | The Sacred War begins: Philip of Macedonia begins meddling in Greek affairs. |
357–356 | Athenian Social War disrupts Athens' effort to rebuild its empire. |
340 | Timoleon frees Syracuse and drives Carthage out of Sicily at the Battle of Crimesus. |
Hellenistic Age (338 to 146 B.C. )
Date B.C. | Event |
338 | Philip of Macedonia conquers Greece at the Battle of Chaeronea. |
336-323 | Reign of Alexander the Great as king of Macedonia and conqueror of Persia. |
335 | Alexander destroys Thebes. |
334 | Alexander invades Persia. Battle of the Granicus delivers Asia Minor. |
333 | Alexander cuts Gordian Knot; Victory at Battle of Issus delivers Syria. |
332 | Macedonian victory at the Siege of Tyre. Egypt opens its doors to Alexander. |
331 | Alexander meets Darius III in Battle of Arbela—conquers all of Persia. |
327 | Alexander invades central Asia and conquers India at the Battle of Hydaspes. |
323 | Death of Alexander, and the division of his Empire. |
322 | Death of Demosthenes the orator. |
321–280 | Wars of the Diadochi rage between Alexander's successors for control of his Empire |
302 | Division of Alexander's empire among his generals settled at the Battle of Ipsus. |
280 | The Achaean League of city-states on the Peloponnese instituted. |
280 | Pyrrhus defeats Romans at the Battle of Heraclea, but is later driven from Italy. |
183 | Achaean League under Philopoemen defeats the tyrant of Sparta. |
198–168 | Roman Macedonian Wars increase Rome's influence in the east. |
168 | Romans conquer Macedonia at the Battle of Pydna. |
146 | The Achaean League resists Roman domination and is defeated. The Romans destroy Corinth. |
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