6th century BC

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(2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium)

The 6th century BC started on January 1, 600 BC and ended on December 31, 501 BC.

[edit] Overview

Monument 1, an Olmec colossal head at La Venta

• Mediterranean: Beginning of Greek philosophy, flourishes during the 5th century BC.
• The late Hallstatt culture period in Eastern- and Central Europe, the late bronze age in Northern Europe.
• East Asia: Chinese philosophy become the "religion" of China. Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism, and Moism flourish, the so called Spring and Autumn Period in China.
• Middle East: During the Persian empire, Zoroaster, aka Zarathustra, founded Zoroastrianism, a dualistic philosophy. This was also the time of the Babylonian captivity of the ancient Jews.
• India: The Buddha and Mahavira found Buddhism and Jainism, challenging Hinduism and the caste system.
• The decline of the Olmec civilization in America.

[edit] Events

Solon, creator of the Solonian Constitution of Athens which incorporated the first elements of formalised civil democracy in world history.

A Griffin enbelom, one of the symbols of the Persian Empire founded by Cyrus the Great

• 598 BC - Jehoiachin succeeds Jehoiakim as King of Judah.
• March 16, 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king.
• 595 BC - Psammetichus II succeeds Necho II as king of Egypt.
• 594 BC - Solon appointed archon of Athens; institutes democratic reforms.
• 590 BC - Egyptian army sacks Napata, compelling the Cushite court to move to a more secure location at Meroe near the sixth cataract. (Early history of Sudan)
• 589 BC - Apries succeeds Psammetichus II as king of Egypt.
• 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon begins siege of Jerusalem; the opera Nabucco sets the date at 587 BC.
• 587/586 BC - Jerusalem falls to the Babylonians, ending the Kingdom of Judah. The conquerors destroy the Temple of Jerusalem and exile the land's remaining inhabitants. Babylonian Captivity for the Jews began.
• 586 BC - reincarnation of King Ding of Zhou, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
• May 28, 585 BC - A solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Thales, while Alyattes II is battling Cyaxares. This leads to a truce. This is one of the cardinal dates from which other dates can be calculated.
• 585/584 BC - Astyages succeeds Cyaxares as King of the Medes.
• 585 BC - King Jian of Zhou becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
• 582 BC - Pythian Games founded at Delphi. (traditional date)
• 580 BC - Cambyses I succeeds Cyrus I as king of Anshan and head of the Achaemenid dynasty. (approximate date)
• 580 BC - Isthmian Games founded at Corinth. (traditional date)
• 579 BC - Servius Tullius succeeds the assassinated Lucius Tarquinius Priscus as king of Rome. (traditional date)
• 573 BC - Nemean Games founded at Nemea. (traditional date)
• 572 BC - Death of King Jian of Zhou, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
• 571 BC - King Ling of Zhou becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
• 570 BC - Amasis II succeeds Apries as king of Egypt.
• 568 BC - Amtalqa succeeds his brother Aspelta as king of Kush.
• 562 BC - Amel-Marduk succeeds Nebuchadnezzar as king of Babylon.
• 560 BC - Neriglissar succeeds Amel-Marduk as king of Babylon.
• 560/561 BC - Croesus becomes king of Lydia.
• 560 BC - Pisistratus seizes the Acropolis of Athens and declares himself tyrant. He is deposed in the same year.
• 550s BC - Carthage conquers Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica.
• 559 BC - King Cambyses I of Anshan dies and is succeeded by his son Cyrus II the Great.
• 558 BC - Hegesias removed as Archon of Athens.
• 558 BC - The Chinese state of Jin defeats its rival Qin in battle.
• 556 BC - Pisistratus is exiled from Athens to Euboea.
• 556 BC - Labashi-Marduk succeeds Neriglissar as king of Babylon.
• 556/555 BC - Nabonidus succeeds Labashi-Marduk as king of Babylon.
• 550 BC - Abdera is destroyed by the Thracians.
• 550 BC - Cyrus of Anshan overthrows Astyages of the Medes, establishing the Persian Empire.
• 547 BC -- Croesus, Lydian king, is defeated by Cyrus of Persia near the River Halys.
• 546 BC -- Cyrus of Persia completes his conquest of Lydia, and makes Pasargadae his capital.
• 544 BC -- People of Teos migrate to Abdera, Thrace to escape the yoke of Persia.
• 544 BC -- King Jing of Zhou becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
• 543 BC -- North Indian Prince Vijaya invades Ceylon and establishes a Sinhalese dynasty.
• 543 BC -- Pisistratus, tyrant of Athens, purifies the island of Delos (approximate date).
• 540 BC -- Greek city of Elea of southern Italy founded (approximate date).
• 540 BC -- Persians conquer Lycian city of Xanthos now in southern Turkey (approximate date).
• 539 BC - Babylon is conquered by Cyrus the Great, defeating Nabonidus.
• c. 538 BC - Return of some Jews from Babylonian exile who build the Second Temple about seventy years after the destruction of the First Temple, from 520 BC–516 BC.
• 537 BC - Jews transported to Babylon are allowed to return to Jerusalem, bringing to a close the Babylonian captivity.
• 536 BC - According to tradition, the Biblical prophet Daniel receives an angelic visitor. see Daniel 10:4
• 534 BC - Lucius Tarquinius Superbus becomes king of Rome.
• 534 BC - Competitions for tragedy are instituted at the City Dionysia festival in Athens.
• 530 BC - Cambyses II succeeds Cyrus as King of Persia.
• 528 BC - Gautama Buddha attained Enlightenment, and began his ministry. Gautama Buddha founds Buddhism in India. It becomes a major world religion.
• 526 BC - Psammetichus III succeeds Amasis II as king of Egypt.
• 525 BC - Cambyses II, ruler of Persia, conquers Egypt, defeating Psammetichus III. This is considered the end of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty, and the start of the Twenty-seventh Dynasty.
• 522 BC - Smerdis succeeds Cambyses II as ruler of Persia.
• 522 BC - Babylon rebels against Persian rule.
• 521 BC - Darius I succeeds Smerdis as ruler of Persia.
• 521 BC - The Babylonian rebellion against Persian rule is suppressed.
• 520 BC - King Dao of Zhou becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China but dies before the end of the year.
• 520 BC - Cleomenes I succeeds Anaxandridas as king of Sparta. (approximate date).
• 519 BC - King Jing of Zhou becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
• 516 BC - Indian subcontinent - Occupation of Punjab is completed by the Persian King Gustasp.
• March 12, 515 BC - Construction is completed on the Temple in Jerusalem.
• 514 BC - King Helu of Wu establishes "Great City of Helu", the ancient name for Suzhou, as his capital in China.
• 513 BC - Darius the Great subdues the Getae and east Thrace in his war against the Scythians.
• 510 BC - Hippias, son of Pisistratus and tyrant of Athens, is expelled by a popular revolt supported by Cleomenes I, King of Sparta and his forces.
• 510 BC - End of reign of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, last king of the traditional seven Kings of Rome.
• 510 BC - Establishment of the Roman Republic.
• 510 BC - Demaratus succeeds Ariston as king of Sparta. (approximate date)
• September 13, 509 BC - The temple of Jupiter on Rome's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September.
• 508 BC - Office of pontifex maximus created in Rome.
• 507 BC - Cleisthenes, Greek reformer, takes power and increases democracy.
• 506 BC - Battle of Bai ju: Forces of the Kingdom of Wu under Sun Tzu defeat the forces of Chu.
• 505 BC - First pair of Roman consuls elected.
• December 4, 502 BC - Solar eclipse darkens Egypt. (computed, no clear historical record of observation)
• 502 BC - The Latin League defeats the Etruscans under Lars Porsenna at Aricia.
• 502 BC - Naxos rebels against Persian domination sparking the Ionian Revolt.
• 501 BC - Cleisthenes reforms democracy in Athens.
• 501 BC - Naxos is attacked by the Persian Empire.
• 501 BC - In response to threats by the Sabines, Rome creates the office of dictator.
• 501 BC - Confucius is appointed governor of Chung-tu.
• 501 BC - Gadir (present-day Cádiz) is captured by Carthage. (approximate date)
• 500 BC - Bantu-speaking people migrate into south-west Uganda from the west. (approximate date)
• 500 BC - Refugees from Teos resettle Abdera.
• 500 BC - Darius I of Persia proclaims that Aramaic be the official language of the western half of his empire.
• 500 BC - Signifies the end of the Nordic Bronze Age civilization in Oscar Montelius periodization system and begins the Pre-Roman Iron Age.
• 500 BC - Foundation of first republic in Vaishali Bihar India.
• 500s BC - The Gutaii tribe began around this time, in Middle and Southern Africa.
• Persians began to seize power.
• Persians dominate eastern Mediterranean.
• The Persians under Darius I and later Cyrus invade Transoxiana.
• Carthage's merchant empire slowly dominates the western Mediterranean.
• Tao Te Ching written (traditional date).
• Confucius formulates his ethical system of Confucianism, which proves highly influential in China.
• The Sinhalese emigrate to Sri Lanka.
• Apparent writing of the Book of Psalms.
• The prophet Lehi, according to the Book of Mormon, leaves Jerusalem and settles in North America.
• Abkhazia is colonized by the Greeks.
• The celtic Bruthin or Priteni, invade Britain and Ireland the British Isles some time before the 5th century BC.
• Emergence of the Proto-Germanic Jastorf culture.
• Temple B, Selinus, Sicily, is built.

[edit] Significant persons

• Mahavira of Vaishali, founder of Jainism, (599 BC–527 BC).
• 580s BC - Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylon.
• Anaximenes of Miletus, Greek philosopher (585 BC-525 BC).
• Pythagoras of Samos, Greek mathematician. See Pythagorean theorem. (582 BC–496 BC).
• 580 BC - Death of Cyrus I of Anshan (approximate date).
• Cyrus the Great, king of Persia (576 BC–July, 529 BC, reigned 559 BC–July, 529 BC).
• May, 563 BC - Birth of Siddhartha Gautama, later known as Gautama Buddha in Lumbini, Nepal. Died May, 483 BC.
• 563 BC - Queen Maya, mother of Siddhartha Gautama, dies seven days after giving birth.
• 562 BC - Death of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (approximate date).
• Pisistratus, Tyrant of Athens in 561 BC, 559 BC–556 BC and 546 BC–528 BC. Died 527 BC.
• Solon of Athens, one of the Seven Sages of Greece (638 BC–558 BC).
• 556 BC - Birth of Simonides of Ceos (approximate date).
• Stesichorus of Sicily, lyric poet (c. 640 BC–555 BC).
• Confucius, founding figure of Confucianism (551 BC–479 BC).
• Thales, Greek mathematician (635 BC–543 BC). Predicts solar eclipse in 585 BC.
• Darius I, King of Persia (born 549 BC; reigned 521–485 BC).
• 547 BC - Death of Croesus.
• 546 BC - Death of Anaximander, Greek philosopher (approximate date).
• 545 BC - Death of King Ling of Zhou, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
• 543 BC((To be verified)) - Death of Gautama Buddha (traditionally in Thailand and elsewhere - basis of the Thai solar calendar).
• 540 BC - Amyntas I becomes king of Macedonia (approximate date).
• 539 BC/538 BC - Death of Nabonidus, the last King of Babylon.
• 535 BC - Birth of Heraclitus of Ephesus, Greek philosopher (approximate date)

.

• Aeschylus, author of Greek tragedies, (525 BC - 456 BC).
• 525 BC - Psammetichus III, the last Pharaoh of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt, died.
• 522 BC - Pindar, Greek poet, was born.
• March, 521 BC - Cambyses II, ruler of ancient Persia, died (suicide).
• October, 521 BC - Smerdis, ruler of ancient Persia, died.
• 519 BC - Xerxes I of Persia was born (approximate date).
• Epimenides of Knossos, a famous Cretian seer and philosopher-poet, associated with the Epimenides paradox.
• Lehi, legendary figure, first prophet recorded in the Book of Mormon.
• Sun Tzu, author of The Art of War.

[edit] Inventions, discoveries, introductions

• First archaeological surveys of the Arabian peninsula by Babylonian king Nabonidus.