Timeline of ancient Greece

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This is a timeline of ancient Greece.

All dates are BCE.

Contents

[edit] Aegean civilization (Bronze Age)

[edit] Mainland Greece

Main article: Helladic period
  • Early Helladic EH 2800-2100 BCE
  • Middle Helladic MH 2100-1500 BCE
  • Late Helladic LH 1500-1100 BCE

[edit] Crete

Main article: Minoan civilization
  • Early Minoan EM 3650-2160 BCE
  • Middle Minoan MM 2160-1600 BCE
  • Late Minoan LM 1600-1170 BCE

[edit] Cyclades

Main article: Cycladic civilization
  • Early Cycladic 3300-2000 BCE
  • Kastri = EH II-EH III (ca. 2500-2100) BCE
  • Convergence with MM from ca. 2000 BCE

[edit] Mycenaean Age

Eruption of Thera (Santorin Island) volcano dated probably between 1660 to 1613 BCE.

[edit] Dark Age

From 1100 BC to the 8th century BC

[edit] Archaic Period

776 
Traditional date for the first historic Olympic games.
757 
The first Messenian war starts. (date disputed by Jerome, Pausanias and Diodorus; this estimate is based on a reading of Diodorus' Spartan king lists and Pausanias' description of the war)
757 
Office of Archon reduced to 10 years. Members of the ruling family to hold the office starting with Charops. (dating based on Pausanias)
754 
Polydorus becomes king of Sparta.
738 
Alternate date for the end of the first Messenian war.
735 
Perdiccas flees from Argos to Macedonia and conquers the land.
734 
Polydorus sends colonists to Italy.
727-717 
Hippomenes, archon of Athens, who killed his daughter's adulterer by yoking him up to his chariot and then locks his daughter up with a horse until she dies. (Pausanias and Aristotle)
c. 725 
Lelantine War between Chalcis and Eretria. Many Greek cities are allied with one or the other. Dates before this point uncertain.
719 
Polydorus The king of Sparta is murdered by Polymarchus.
716 
The reign of the Heraklids over Lydia is ended when Candaules, known as Myrsilus to the Greeks, is murdered by Gyges because of his wife’s anger.
690 
Pheidon becomes tyrant of Argos
687 
Annual office of Archon established. Any Athenian citizen can be elected to office if they meet the requirements. Creon elected first annual archon. (dating based on Pausanias)
685 
The second Messenian war begins
665 
The second Messenian war ends
656 
Cypselus subjects Corinth to tyranny
645-560 
Spartan wars with Tegea all unsuccessful
642 or 634 
Battus establishes a Greek colony in Cyrene in Libya
632 
Cylon, Athenian noble, seizes Acropolis and tries to make himself king, fails
630 
Formal pederasty is introduced, first in Crete, as a means of population control and an educational modality
621 
Draco, Athenian lawgiver, issues code of laws where everything is punishable by death – Draconian
594 
Solon, Athenian statesman, becomes Archon pre-582BC (cf. ML6 (death of Kypselos 585BC) and Plutarch Sol. 14), captures Salamis from Megarians- later, when member of the Areopagus is appointed to effect social reforms in order to preserve order in Athens, which include the abolishment of the security of debts on the debtor's person (Aristotle Ath. Pol. 6), returning exiled Athenian slaves (Solon fr. 4 in Ath. Pol. 12), changing the value of weights and measures to the Korinthian standard, prohibiting the export of grain from Attica and encouraging the planting of olives (Plut. Sol. 22-4), established the property classes (Ar. Ath. Pol. 7) and the council of 400 (Ar. Ath. Pol. 8)
590 
Sappho, Greek poetess and priestess, flourishes on island of Lesbos
569 
Pythagoras was born.
565 
Peisistratos, Athenian general, organizes Diakrioi, party of poor people
546 
Pythagoras founded science and philosophy.
510 
Pythagoras founded his own school.
500 
Pythagoras died in Crotona, Italy, when he was in Metapontum.

[edit] Late Archaic Period

561 
Pisistratus takes power in Athens for first time,
555 
Pisistratus driven out by Lycurgus who leads nobles
549 
Pisistratus restored by help of Megacles
546 
Croesus, rich king of Lydia, captured at Sardis by Persians
542 
Pisistratus expelled, makes fortune from Thracian mines
532 
Pisistratus restored by Thessaly and Lygdamos of Naxos
527 
Pisistratus dies, succeeded by sons Hippias and Hipparchus
525 
Persian Darius I, son-in-law of Cyrus the Great takes Egypt
515 
Hippias becomes sole ruler after the death of Hipparchus
508 
Hippias is forced to leave Athens.
507 
Cleisthenes, Greek reformer, takes power, increases democracy
490 
Themistocles and Miltiades, Athenians, defeat Darius at Marathon, Phidippides runs with news
484 
Aeschylus, Athenian playwright, wins Athenian Prize

[edit] Classical Period

480 
Leonidas, Spartan, makes sacrifice of 300 Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae so main force can escape, Xerxes son of Darius is leading the Persians
480 
Simultaenous with Thermopylae, the Greeks and Persians fight to a draw in the naval Battle of Artemisium
480 
Battle of Salamis - Themistocles, Athenian general, lures Persians into Bay of Salamis, Xerxes loses and goes home, leaves behind Mardonius
479 
Pausanias, Greek general routs Mardonius at the Battle of Plataea
479 
Battle of Mycale frees Greek colonies in Asia. After the Battle of Salamis, Athens set up the Delian League, treasury on island of Delos, a confederacy of cities around the Aegean Sea. It was intended as a military defense association against Persia but was turned into an empire, collecting tribute and deciding policy of its associates. Sparta formed rival Peloponnesian League
476-462 
Cimon elected general each year, he was victorious over Persia and then enforced military power on Delian League
474 
Pindar, Greek poet moves to Thebes from court at Syracuse
471 
Themistocles ostracized
468 
Sophocles, Greek playwright, defeats Aeschylus for Athenian Prize
461 
Cimon ostracized
457 
Pericles, Athenian statesman begins Golden Age, he was taught by Anaxagoras, who believed in dualistic Universe and atoms
456 
Aeschylus dies
449 
Herodotus, Greek Historian, writes History of Greco-Persian War from 490-479
448 
Ictinus and Callicrates, Greek architects rebuild Acropolis from Persian destruction
441 
Euripides, Greek playwright, wins Athenian prize
440 
Heraclitus, Greek philosopher, believes everything is mutable
435 
Phidias, Greek sculptor, completes Zeus at Elis 1 of 7 wonders
433 
Corinth, Sparta, Megara and Aegina ally against Corfu, Athens, Rhegium, and Leontini
432 
End of Golden Age, Peloponnesian Wars begin Athens under Pericles blockades Potidaea (Battle of Potidaea), Corfu declares war on Corinth (Battle of Sybota)
431 
Sparta led by Archidamus II sets out to destroy Athens thus starting the Peloponnesian War
431 
Empedocles, Greek doctor, believes body has 4 humors.
430 
Failed peace mission by Athens, bubonic plague year, Sparta takes no prisoners
430 
Leucippus, Greek philosopher, believes every natural event has natural cause. Athenian Plague appears in Athens.
429 
Phormio, Athenian admiral, wins the Battle of Chalcis
429 
Pericles dies of Athenian Plague, possibly typhus or bubonic plague
429 
Hippocrates, Greek doctor, believes diseases have physical cause
428 
Plato born.
428 
Mitylene rebels, chief city of Lesbos
427 
Archidamus II dies, Alcidas, Greek admiral sent to help Lesbos, raids Ionia and flees after seeing Athenian might Athenian Plague returns
427 
Mitylene surrenders to Athens, Plataeans surrender to Athens
427 
Aristophanes, Greek playwright, wins Athenian Prize
426 
Corfu secures island for Athens
426 
Demosthenes, Athenian general, and Cleon, Athenian demagogue, revitalizes Athenian forces, makes bold plans opposed by Nicias, his first military campaign barely succeeds
425 
Athenian fleet bottles up Spartan navy at Navarino Bay, Nicias resigns
424 
Syracuse sends Athenians home
424 
Pagondas of Thebes crushes Athenian army at the Battle of Delium, Brasidas a Spartan general makes a successful campaign, Cleon exiles Thucydides for 20 years for arriving late
423 
Truce of Laches supposed to stop Brasidas but doesn't, Nicias leads Athenian forces in retaking Mende
422 
Cleon meets Brasidas outside of Amphipolis, both are killed (Battle of Amphipolis)
421 
Peace of Nicias brings temporary end to war, but Alcibiades, a nephew of Pericles, makes anti-Sparta alliance
420 
Quadruple alliance of Athens, Argos, Mantinea, and Elis confronts Spartan-Boeotian alliance
419 
King Agis, ruler of Sparta, attacks Argos, makes treaty
418 
Battle of Mantinea, greatest land battle of war, gives Sparta victory over Argos, which broke treaty, Alcibiades thrown out, alliance broken
416 
Alcibiades makes plans, is restored to power
415 
Hermai are mutilated in Athens, Alcibiades accused, asks for inquiry, told to set sail for battle (Sicilian Expedition), is condemned to death in absentia, he defects to Sparta
414 
Lemachus, Athenian commander killed at Syracuse
413 
Nicias and Demosthenes killed at Syracuse
412 
Alcibiades is thrown out of Sparta, conspires to come back to Athens
411 
Democracy ends in Athens by Antiphon, Peisander, and Phrynichus, overthrown by Theramenes, Constitution of the 5000, Athenian navy recalls Alcibiades, confirmed by Athenians
410 
After several successes, Athenian demagogue Cleophon rejects Sparta peace overtures
409 
Byzantium recaptured by Alcibiades for Athens
408 
Alcibiades reenters Athens in triumph, Lysander, a Spartan commander, builds fleet at Ephesus
407 
Lysander begins destruction of Athenian fleet, Alcibiades stripped of power
406 
Callicratides, Spartan naval leader, loses Battle of Arginusae over blockade of Mitylene harbor, Sparta sues for peace, rejected by Cleophon
405 
Lysander captures Athenian fleet, Spartan king Pausanius lays siege to Athens, Cleophon executed, Corinth and Thebes demand destruction of Athens
404 
Athens capitulates Apr 25 Theramenes secures terms, prevents total destruction of Athens, Theramenes and Alcibiades are killed
401 
Thucydides, Greek historian, leaves account of Golden Age of Pericles and Peloponnesian War at his death (History of the Peloponnesian War)
399 
Socrates, Greek philosopher, condemned to death for corrupting youth.
387 
Peace of Antalcidas concluded between the Greeks and the Persians.
347 
Plato, Greek philosopher, founder of Academy, dies.
342 
Aristotle, Greek philosopher, begins teaching Alexander, son of Philip of Macedon
338 
Philip of Macedon defeats Athens and Thebes at Chaeronea Aug 2 and establishes League of Corinth in winter of 338 BC/337 BC .
336 
Alexander succeeds father, who was assassinated by Pausanias of Orestis
333 
Alexander defeats Persians at Battle of Issus, Oct, but Darius III escapes
332 
Alexander conquers Egypt
331 
at Battle of Gaugamela Oct 1, Alexander ends Achaemenid Dynasty and takes Persian Empire
330 
Democritus, Greek philosopher, develops Atomic theory, believes cause and necessity, nothing comes out of nothing
329 
Alexander conquers Samarkand
327 
Alexander invades Northern India, but his army is despondent and refuses to march further eastwards.

[edit] Hellenistic Period

323 
Alexander dies, his generals vie for power in Wars of the Diadochi:Antigonus- Macedon, Antipater- Macedon, Seleucus- Babylonia and Syria, Ptolemy- Egypt, Eumenes- Macedon, Lysimachus, later Antipater's son Cassander also vies for power
316 
Menander, Greek playwright, wins Athenian prize
300 
Euclid, Greek mathematician, publishes Elements, treating both geometry and number theory (see also Euclidean algorithm)
295 
Athens falls to Demetrius, Lachares killed
265 
Archimedes, Greek mathematician, develops screw, specific gravity, center of gravity; anticipates discoveries of integral calculus.

[edit] Notes

1 Wasson, Ruck, Hofmann, The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries, Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1978. ISBN 0-15-177872-8.'''Italic text