Ancient Greece

Timeline of Ancient Greece

(all dates are B.C. unless noted)

7000-3300	Neolithic Period
3300-1050	Bronze Age
2200-1500	Minoan palaces established on Crete
1600	rise of Mycenaeans
1450	Mycenaeans conquered Crete
1400-1200	beads and ornaments made out of glass by Mycenaeans
1200-1000	Dorians invaded Greek mainland
1184	traditional date for the destruction of Troy
1066	position of Archon replaced the king in Athens
1050-750	Greek Dark Age
900	founding of Sparta
875-750	geometric period in pottery
776	first Olympic Games
753	traditional date for the founding of Rome
752	archon position limited to ten years in Athens
750-500	Archaic Age
730-710	Spartans conquered Messenia
683	archon position in Athens changed from one to nine, elected every year
669	Sparta defeated by Argos
650	first life-size marble statue created
650-600	first bronze statues made by lost wax method
620	Draco’s harsh laws instituted in Athens
594	Solon became archon and began democratic reforms in Athens
560	Peisistratus’s tyranny begins in Athens
556	Peisistratus forced to leave Athens by opponents
525	Cleisthenes became archon in Athens
521	Darius I became king of Persia
500-323	Classical Age
498	Athenians defeated by Persians near Ephesus
493	Themistocles archon in Athens
490	Persians defeated at battle of Marathon
487	archon began to be selected by lot in Athens
486	Xerxes became king of Persia
483	Themistocles convinced Athenian Assembly to use profits from silver mines to expand navy
481	Hellenic League formed against 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 for Athens and continued for next three years
471	Themistocles ostracized from Athens
467	Persians defeated by Cimon
463	Cimon prosecuted by Pericles, but acquitted in Athens
462	democratic reforms by Pericles in Athens
461	Cimon ostracized from Athens
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 Perciles 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 returned to Athens
399	Socrates condemned to death
387	Plato founded Academy in Athens
359	Phillip II became king of Macedonia
358-336	Phillip’s empire expanded into other territories and defeated Greek city-state
336	Darius III became king of Persia
336	Phillip II assassinated; Alexander the Great took over throne
335	Aristotle founded school in Athens
334	Alexander defeated Persians at Granicus River
333	Alexander defeated Darius III and Persians at Issus
332	Alexander entered Egypt
331	Alexander established Alexandria
331	Alexander defeated Darius III and Persians at Gaugamela
326	Alexander defeated King Punjab at Hyphasis River in India Alexander’s army refused to go further into India Alexander’s army turned back west to travel home
332	Alexander died
323-30	Hellenistic Period
306	Antigonus, Ptolemy, and Seleucus I proclaimed themselves kings over areas of Alexander’s empire
250 – 200	Archimedes screw invented
200	screw press for pressing olives and grapes invented
146	parts of Greece became part of Roman Empire
30	all of Greece became part of Roman Empire