1200s BC

Millennia:	2nd millennium BC
Centuries:	14th century BC - 13th century BC - 12th century BC
Decades:	1230s BC 1220s BC 1210s BC - 1200s BC - 1190s BC 1180s BC 1170s BC
Years:	1209 BC 1208 BC 1207 BC 1206 BC 1205 BC 1204 BC 1203 BC 1202 BC 1201 BC 1200 BC
Categories:	Births - Deaths - State leaders - Sovereign states Establishments - Disestablishments

[edit] Events and trends

1204 BC — Theseus, legendary King of Athens, is deposed after a reign of 30 years and succeeded by Menestheus, great-grandson of Erichthonius II of Athens and second cousin of Theseus' father Aegeus. Menestheus is reportedly assisted by Castor and Polydeuces of Sparta, who want to reclaim their sister Helen from her first husband Theseus. Theseus seeks refuge in Skyros, whose King Lycomedes is an old friend and ally. Lycomedes, however, considers his visitor a threat to the throne and proceeds to assassinate him. (Other accounts place these events a decade earlier. See 1210s BC.)
c. 1200 BC — The Cimmerians start settling the steppes of southern Russia? (Undocumented conjecture).
1200 BC — Olmec civilization in Mesoamerica started.
1200 BC — Collapse of Hittite power in Anatolia with the destruction of their capital Hattusa.
c. 1200 BC - Chariots appear in Ancient China.
c. 1200 BC - Earliest writing that survived exists in Ancient China.
c. 1200 BC - Aramaic Nomads and Chaldeans become a big threat to the former Babylonian and Assyrian Empire.
c. 1200 BC - Massive migrations of people around the Mediterranean and the Middle-East. See Sea People for more information.