Timeline of Athenian Hisory

1066

position of archon replaced the monarch

752

archon position limited to ten years

683

archon position changed from one to nine members elected every year

632

attempted tyranny by Cylon

620

Draco's harsh laws began

594

Solon became archon and began democratic reforms

560

Peisistratus tyranny began

556

Peisistratus was forced by opponents to leave Athens

525

Cleisthenes Archon

498

Athenians defeated by Persians near Ephesus

493

Themistocles archon

490

Persians defeated at battle of Marathon

487

archon began to be selected by lot

486

Xerxes became King of Persia

483

Themistocles convinced Assembly to use profits from silver mines to create navy

481

Hellenic League formed because of Persian threat

480

Persians defeated the Spartans at Thermopylae

Athens evacuated

Persians defeated at naval battle of Salamis

Persians forced to withdraw from Greece

479

Persian defeated by Greeks at battle of Mycale

478

Delian League under Athenian leadership formed

476

naval campaign by Cimon began and continued for next three years

471

Themistocles ostracized from Athens

467

Persians defeated by Cimon

463

Cimon prosecuted by Pericles (was later acquitted)

462

democratic reforms by Pericles

461

Cimon ostracized

460-446

first Peloponnesian War

458-456

Long wall built connecting Athens to port city of Piraeus

454

Treasury of Delian League moved from Delos to Athens

451

five year peace treaty between Sparta and Athens

Pericles changed Athens law on citizenship

447-432

Athens began to rebuild Acropolis including the Parthenon

431-404

second Peloponnesian War

430

plague in Athens

429

death of Pericles

405

Athenian navy badly defeated by Lysander at battle of Aegospotami

404

surrender of Athens

Oligarchy of Thirty appointed by Sparta (nicknamed the “Thirty Tyrants”)

403

fall of Thirty Tyrants

democracy returns to Athens

338

Athens and Thebes defeated by Phillip II at battle of Chaeronea