THE GREEKS

THE REST OF HERODOTUS’ WORLD

c.1200 Trojan War.

c.900 Dorian Invasion of Greece (so-called ‘return of the Heraclidae’).

c.750–700 The Homeric poems.

c.700 Lelantine War.

c.700 Deioces founds the Median dynasty.

c.700–650 Reforms at Sparta.

c.683/2 Annual archonship in Athens begins.

c. 680–645 Gyges’ reign in Lydia—founder of the Mermnad dynasty, which lasts until 546 and the fall of Croesus.

664–526 Sake Dynasty (26th Dynasty) in Egypt:

664–610 Psammetichus I in Egypt

(660s onwards Greeks settle in Egypt. c.620 Greek settlement at Naucratis.)

610–595 Nekos II of Egypt
595–589 Psammetichus II
589–570 Apries of Egypt
570–526 Amasis

c. 657–587 Cypselid tyranny at Corinth:
657–627 Cypselus
627–587 Periander

c.650–620 Spartan conquest of Messene in Second Messenian War.

c.632 Cylon attempts to seize the Athenian Acropolis. Origin of the ‘Alcmaeonid curse’.

c.630 Foundation of Cyrene. Dynasty of Battiads rule until c.440.

625–585 Cyaxares’ reign in Media.

612 Cyaxares captures Nineveh—Fall of the Assyrians.

580s War between Cyaxares and Alyattes of Lydia.

c.612–550 Sappho, poet of Lesbos.

597–538 ‘Jewish Captivity’ in Babylon.

c.600–570 Tyranny of Cleisthenes of Sicyon.

594/3 Solon archon of Athens.

585–550 Astyages’ reign in Media.

c.561 Pisistratus’ first tyranny at Athens.

c. 560–550 Sparta successful in war with Tegea. Spartan-Tegean alliance.

560–546 Croesus’ reign in Lydia—conquest of the Ionian Greeks.

c.546 Battle of the Champions between Argos and Sparta (at Thyreatis) further consolidates Sparta’s place as leading Peloponnesian state.

c.547–6 Croesus disastrously attacks Persia. End of the Lydian empire.

c.555 Elder Miltiades in Chersonese.

546–527 Pisistratus’ third tyranny in Athens.

557–530 Reign of Cyrus of Persia.

c.550 Cyrus and Persians revolt and conquer Medes under Astyages.

c.545 Ionians revolt from Cyrus. Revolt suppressed by Harpagus.

547–6 Cyrus conquers Croesus of Lydia.

539 Cyrus conquers Babylon, the great Assyrian city.

c.530 Cyrus attempts to conquer the Massagetae but fails and dies.

c.535 Battle of Alalia between Carthage and the Etruscans.

535–522 Polycrates tyrant of Samos.
Alliance of Samos and Amasis of Egypt.
Sparta and Samian exiles attack Samos unsuccessfully.
Polycrates murdered by Oroetes.

530–522 Reign of Cambyses
Conquest of Egypt by Persians.
Abortive Persian invasion of Ethiopia.
Madness of Cambyses.

521–515 Syloson and Maeandrius in Samos.

522/1 Revolt of Magi. Death of Cambyses.
Conspiracy of the seven nobles and accession of Darius.

527–510 Tyranny of Hippias in Athens.

521–486 Reign of Darius. Reorganization of Persian Empire and administration.

514 Murder of Hipparchus.

Reconquest of Babylon following its revolt.

c.520–490 Reign of Cleomenes in Sparta.

c.513 Darius’ expedition against Scythia.

c.513 Persian expedition against Cyrene.

512–510 Megabazus subdues parts of Thrace.

c.510 Persians demand submission of Macedon—Persian ambassadors are killed.

510 Dorieus in Italy. Destruction of Sybaris in southern Italy by Croton.

c.510 Athenian-Aeginetan war begins—lasts intermittently until 481.

510 Expulsion of Hippias from Athens thanks to help from Cleomenes and Alcmaeonid plotting.

508/7 Reforms of Cleisthenes at Athens.

507 Isagoras appeals to Cleomenes; Cleisthenes briefly driven out, but soon returns. Athens sends envoys to Sardis.

506 Attempt by Cleomenes to overthrow Cleisthenes blocked by Demaratus and Corinth.

c.506 Athens is successful against Thebes and Chalcis, which had helped Cleomenes. Thebes now joins Aegina against Athens.

505/4 Spartans attempt to reinstate Hippias in Athens—fail because of Corinthian opposition.

c.500 Hippias stirs Persia against Athens.
Enmity of Athens and Persia.

c. 500/499 Failed expedition of Artaphrenes and Persians against Naxos.

499–494 The Ionian Revolt.
499 Aristagoras appeals to
Sparta and Athens.
Athens sends aid to rebels (as does Eretria).
498 Burning of Sardis by rebel Ionians. Athens leaves the rebel alliance.
494 Ionian defeat at battle of Lade. Fall of Miletus.
493 Persian reprisals against Ionians. Persians encroach upon Chersonese, previously governed by Miltiades, who flees to Athens.
Earlier Miltiades had taken Lemnos for Athens.

c.492. Prosecution of Phrynichus for production of his Fall of Miletus.

493/2 Mardonius unsuccessfully attempts Persian military advance into Europe—storm off Mount Athos.

c.498–454 Reign of Alexander I of Macedon.

c.491 Gelon to power in Gela in Sicily.

485 Gelon takes Syracuse.

c.494 Spartan victory under Cleomenes against Argos at Sepeia.

c.491 Cleomenes plots to remove other Spartan king Demaratus. Demaratus flees to Persia. Leotychidas becomes king in his place (491–469).

491 Athens refuses demand to submit to Persia and appeals to Cleomenes against Aegina.

c.490 Madness and death of Cleomenes of Sparta. Leonidas becomes king (490–480).

490 Persian attack on Greece; aimed at Eretria and Athens which had helped Ionians in their revolt.

490 Datis and Artaphrenes head Persian expedition against Greece. Fall of Eretria. Persians land in Attica. Athenian victory at Marathon.

490/489 Miltiades fails to capture Paros.

489 Death of Miltiades.

c.486 Egypt in revolt from Persia, delaying Persian retaliation against Greece. Death of Darius.

486–465 Reign of Xerxes.
c.485 Xerxes puts down Egyptian revolt.
c.484 Babylon in revolt from Persia.

483/2 Athenian fleet built by Themistocles with silver from mines at Laurium.

484–1 Xerxes prepares for invasion of Greece.

481 Greek League formed. Athens and Aegina put an end to their hostilities.

480–479 Xerxes’ expedition against Greece.
480 Battles of Thermopylae and Artemisium. Destruction of Athens. Greek victory at Salamis. Xerxes returns to Persia. Mardonius remains.
479 Greek victories at Plataea and Mycale. Persians leave Greece.

480 Gelon of Syracuse defeats Carthage at Himera.

479 Ionian islands join Greek League.
Greeks take Sestus.

478 Athenians rebuild walls.

478/7 Foundation of the Delian League under Athenian leadership.

472 Aeschylus’ Persians.

465 Xerxes dies amid palace intrigue.

465–424 Reign of Artaxerxes in Persia.

459–446 The First Peloponnesian War.

c.444/3 Foundation of Thurii.

431–404 The Second Peloponnesian War.