Timeline of Ancient Greece

This is a Timeline of Ancient Greece.

BC

Dating up to the Late Archaic Period mostly based on Diodorus Siculus and Jerome's Chronicon. Description of events mostly taken from Pausanias and Herodotus.

Contents

1 Mythical Chronology of Greece 2 Iron Age - Early Archaic Period 3 Mid Archaic Period 4 Late Archaic Period 5 Classical Period 6 Hellenistic Period 1 See also

Mythical Chronology of Greece

1800-1103 

See separate page on Mythical Chronology of Greece

Iron Age - Early Archaic Period

1103 

The Dorians invade the Peloponnese. In a rigged lottery Cresphontes wins Messenia, Temenus gets Argos and Eurysthenes and Procles the sons of Aristodemus win rule of Sparta. The Ionians flee the Achaeans who flee the Dorian onslaught and seek refugee in Athens. Synoikismos of Athens, people of Attica were willing to transfer their allegiance to one city, Athens, because of Theseus

1092 

Codrus succeeds Melanthus as king of Athens. The Pelasgians are expelled from Athens and flee to Lemnos where they expel the Minyae. These Minyae help Theras colonise the island named after him.

1071 

Medon succeeds Codrus at Athens and creates the archonship. The Athenians found colonies with the Ionians in Caria and other parts of Asia led by Neileus the son of Codrus and Philistus the son of Pasicles.

1064 

In Messenia Cresphontes is murdered and the sons of Aristodemus help his youngest son Aeyptus win back the throne

1061 

Patreus the son of Preugenes founds city of Patrae in Achaea.

1052 

Gras the son of Echelas son of Penthilus son of Orestes occupies Aeolis.

1030 

The Spartan king Echestratus removes all the Cynurians of military age, alleging as a reason that freebooters from the Cynurian territory were harrying Argolis.

995 

Labotas becomes king of Sparta

979 

Spartans make war against the Argives for annexing the Cynurian territory which the Spartans had captured, and causing revolts among their subjects the Perioeci.

958-883 

Peace in Sparta.

940 

Homer writes his poems. (middle date given by Tatian)

c.900 

The Athenian navy is defeated by the Aegentans who then begin trading with Arcadia. (estimate based on reading of Herodotus and Pausanias, could be +/-100 years out)

883 

Charillus is made a ward of Lycurgus.

880 

Lycurgus collects together the works of Homer.

865 

Charillus devastates the land of the Argives and helps Archelaus to destroy Aegys then campaigns against Tegea in vain.

860 

Eumelus writes the history of Corinth.

825 

Teleclese conquers and reduces Amyclae, Pharis, and Geranthrae, cities of the Perioeciis

800 

Hesiod is murdered. (based on the date given by Herodotus, and the middle date givne by Jerome)

785 

The Spartan king Teleclese is murdered by the Messenians in the sanctuary of Artemis.

Mid Archaic Period

776 

The Olympics is revived at Elis in the 10th year of Theopompus king of Sparta.

762 

The provocation for the first Messenian war occurs when Euaephnus murders the son of Polychares in a dispute over stolen cattle and Polychares takes revenge on the Spartans.

758 

Androcles is murdered and Antiochus rules Messenia alone but soon dies and his son Euphaes is king. The Spartans attack Ampheia. The first Messenian war starts. (date disputed by Jerome, Pausanias and Diodorus, this estimae 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 rulling family to hold the office starting with Charops. (dating based on Pausanias)

754 

Polydorus becomes king of Sparta.

738 

The first Messenian war ends. (see above comment)

735 

Perdikkas flees from Argos to Macedonia and conquers the land.

734 

Polydorus sends colonists to Italy.

727-717 

Hippomenes archon of Athens kills his daughters adulterer by yoking him up to his chariot and then locks his daughter up with a horse until she dies. (Pausanias and Aristotle)

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 

Phidon 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 

Cypsilus subjects Corinth to tyranny

645-560 

Spartan wars with Tegea all unsuccessful

642 or 634 

Battus establishes a Greek colony in Cyrene in Lybia

632 

Cylon, Athenian noble, seizes Acropolis and tries to make himself king, fails

621 

Draco, Athenian lawgiver, issues code of laws where everything is punishable by death – Draconian

594 

Solon, Athenian statesman, becomes Archon, captures Salamis from Megarians, establishes Timocracy, rule by the richest, constitutional reforms, more vote and trade, abolishes slavery, Know Thyself

590 

Sappho, Greek poetess and priestess, flourishes on island of Lesbos

565 

Pisistratus, Athenian general, organizes Diakrioi, party of poor people

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, killed 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 afther the death of Hipparchus

511 

Hippias is killed

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

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. 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 Persain 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, Atheinian 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 

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 and Peloponnesian War at his death (History of the Peloponnesian War)

399 

Socrates, Greek philosopher, condemned to death for corrupting youth

347 

Plato, Greek philosopher, founds Academy

342 

Aristotle, Greek philosopher, begins teaching Alexander, son of Philip of Macedon

338 

Philip of Macedon defeats Athens and Thebes in last struggle for Greek Independence at Chaeronea Aug 2

Hellenistic Period

336 

Alexander succeeds father, who was assassinated at the wedding feast of his daughter

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 army is tired so doesn't pursue it

323 

Alexander dies, his generals vie for power in Wars of the Diadochi Antigonus- Macedonia, Antipater- Macedonia, Seleucus- Babylonia and Syria, Ptolemy- Egypt, Eumenes- Macedonia, Lysimachus, later Antipaters 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

See also

• Hellenic civilization