Boxing added to Olympics
671 B.C. Assyrians capture part of Egypt
663 B.C. Assyria peaks out
660 B.C. Byzantium (Istanbul) established
650 B.C. First reference of triremes (three rows of oars)
640 B.C. Kingdom of Macedonia started
625 B.C. King Cyaxares unites Median tribes
624 B.C. Horse racing added to Olympics
616 B.C. Etruscan king Tarquinius Priscus rules Rome
612 B.C. Medes and Babylonians sack Nineveh, and
Assyrian empire falls
610-545 B.C. Greek scientist/philosopher Thales of
Miletus teaches value of using reason and
observation to understand the world
609 B.C. Necho II is Pharaoh of Egypt, Necho canal
links Nile with Red Sea
605-562 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar II extends his empire and
builds the Hanging Gardens
600 B.C. Greek colony of Poseidonia (Paestum), Italy
600 B.C. Greek colony of Massilia (Marseilles)
600-509 B.C. Estruscan dominance of Rome
600 B.C. Chinese practice cultivating crops in rows
and hoeing intensively -- not practiced in
Europe widely until 18th century
594 B.C. The archon named Solon brings BIG social
reform to Athens. Archons were among chief
magistrates of Athens. Solon brought laws
which ended enslavement for debt, intro-
duced right of appeal, amended methods for
contracts and taxation, and reduced powers
of hereditary aristocracy over the poor --
setting stage for later class struggles.
His name became term commonly used to
describe any wise lawgiver.
586 B.C. Chaldeans under Nebuchadnezzar II destroy
Jerusalem, and take Jews into captivity
585 B.C. Greek scientist/philosopher Thales of
Miletus predicts solar eclipse
563-483 B.C. Buddha
561 B.C. Peisistratus is tyrant of Athens, meaning
one who rules without legal warrant, but
not necessarily good or evil ruler
556-539 B.C. Nabonidus, King of Babylon, is first known
archaeologist (he didn't have to dig far)
551 B.C. Birth of Confucius, Chinese philosopher who
taught you should treat others as you would
be treated
551-478 B.C. Confucius
550 B.C. Lao-Tzu outlines philosophy of Taoism
550 B.C. First Greek plays
539 B.C. Cyrus the Great (Persian) conquers Babylon
537 B.C. Persians free Jews from Babylonian rule
530 B.C. Cyrus the Great killed in battle
525 B.C. Persians under Cambyses II (son of Cyrus)
whip Egypt
512 B.C. Darius I (Persian) conquers Byzantium (do
you think he called himself "the first"?)
510 B.C. Spartan king Cleomenes I overthrows
Athenian tyrant Hippias
509 B.C. Rome becomes republic after throwing out
the last king
507 B.C. Cleisthenes gives democracy to Athens
500 B.C. First record of use of bow and arrow in
North America, perhaps brought from Asia
500 B.C. "The Art of War," by Sun Tzu, mentions
powerful crossbows firing arrows
500 B.C. Persian Empire near its peak
499-448 B.C. Greek-Persian War
494 B.C. Spartan king Cleomenes I defeats city of
Argos
493 B.C. Rome allied with Latin League, the group
of cities in the Latium district around
Rome
490 B.C. Corinth foils plan of Spartan king
Cleomenes I to reinstall Hippias as
tyrant of Athens (apparently Cleomenes
thought Hippias would be easier to handle
than a democratic Athens)
490 B.C. Greeks bust Persian chops at Marathon
490 B.C. Battle of Marathon: 24,000 Persians vs 10,000
Greeks; 6,400 Persian dead, 192 Athenians dead
490-486 B.C. Massive Persian preparations for going
after Greece again
486 B.C. Egypt revolts against Persia, delaying
Darius' rematch with Greece
485 B.C. Darius dies and Xerxes, his son, is king
of Persia
484 B.C. Persians put down Egyptian revolt
480 B.C. Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus
active
480 B.C. Carthaginian sea captain, Hanno, explores
coast of West Africa with his fleet
480 B.C. Greek philosopher Pythagoras of Samos dies
(but left us his theorem)
480 B.C. Xerxes builds bridge across Hellespont, using
774 anchored boats
480 B.C. Greeks get big navy win over Persians at
Salamis, and Xerxes has a ringside seat
480 B.C. Persians squeak by Thermopylae, beat
Greeks, and loot and burn Athens (sounds
like a soccer game, with fans)
480 B.C. Xerxes goes back to Persia, leaving
Mardonius to mop up the Greek war
479-431 B.C. Golden Age of Athens