Ancient Greece

By rynnemm
  • Period: 3500 BCE to 1600 BCE

    Minoan Civilisation

    Located on the Island of Crete, and was destroyed by volcanic eruptions.
  • Period: 2900 BCE to 800 BCE

    The Bronze Age in Greece

  • 1650 BCE

    Volcanic Eruption that ended majority of the Minoan Society

  • Period: 1600 BCE to 1200 BCE

    Mycenaean Society

    A trading and looting society, who claimed Crete in 1450 BCE, ending the Minoan world. The society was comprised of builders, artists and writers and huge palace complexes were created that would inspire Greek writers like Homer. Their power would end after famine followed by a massive earthquake (and fires) would lead to a large famine and economic losses, leading the city to being abandoned between 1130-1120 BCE. The palaces they created would be replaced by small villages with chief rulers.
  • Period: 1100 BCE to 750 BCE

    Greek Dark Age

    no written recordings from this period, as writing disappeared with the decline of the Mycenaean society.
  • Period: 1000 BCE to 750 BCE

    First Poleis (City States) Appear in Ionia (Persian side of Greece)

  • 850 BCE

    Development of the Greek Alphabet

    adapted from the Phoenician alphabet
  • 800 BCE

    Sparta emerges from the Greek Dark Age

  • Period: 800 BCE to 480 BCE

    Archaic Greek Period Begins

  • Period: 800 BCE to 700 BCE

    The Iliad and The Odyssey are written down

  • Period: 800 BCE to 700 BCE

    Start of Greek Colonisation

    Begins in the Black Sea, North Africa, Southern Italy, Sicily, France and Spain
  • 776 BCE

    First Olympics

  • 754 BCE

    Polydorus becomes King of Sparta

  • 735 BCE

    Perdiccas I of Macedon flees from Argos to Macedonia and conquers the land.

  • 734 BCE

    Polydorus sends colonists to Italy.

  • Period: 734 BCE to 724 BCE

    First Messenian War

  • 725 BCE

    Lelantine War between Chalcis and Eretria

  • 719 BCE

    Polydorus king of Sparta, is murdered by Polymarchus.

  • 706 BCE

    Taras in southern Italy founded as a Spartan Colony

  • 700 BCE

    Hoplite warfare developed over several generations (fi

    first depicted in Pottery 650 BCE
  • Period: 700 BCE to 600 BCE

    First Coinage appears in Lydia

  • Period: 700 BCE to 600 BCE

    Social and economic changes due to trade (especially coinage)

  • Period: 700 BCE to 600 BCE

    Naucratis becomes the 1st Greek Settlement in Egypt

  • Period: 700 BCE to 547 BCE

    Ionian culture

    Flourishes around Miletus. Ruled by Lydia intermittently. In 560 BCE it comes under Lydian control.
  • Period: 700 BCE to 600 BCE

    Reign of Pheidon, king of Argos

  • Period: 700 BCE to 600 BCE

    Rule of Cypselus and Periander, first and second tyrants of Corinth

  • Period: 700 BCE to 600 BCE

    Naval battle: Cointh v Corcyra

  • Period: 700 BCE to 600 BCE

    Ionia begins to be threatened by Lydia and Persia

  • 690 BCE

    Pheidon becomes tyrant of Argos.

  • Period: 685 BCE to 668 BCE

    Second Messenian War

  • 669 BCE

    Sparta defeated by Argos at the battle of Hysiai

  • 656 BCE

    Cypselus subjects Corinth to tyranny

  • 650 BCE

    Spartan reforms begin

    Laws of Lycurugs are proclaimed
  • Period: 650 BCE to 647 BCE

    Bacchaidae rule the Polis of Corinth and encourage trade

  • Period: 645 BCE to 560 BCE

    Spartan wars with Tegea all unsuccessful.

  • 621 BCE

    Athens: First written code of laws drawn up, known as Draconian Laws

  • Period: 600 BCE to 500 BCE

    Athenian Pottery becomes widespread in the Mediterranean

  • Period: 600 BCE to 500 BCE

    Oligarchic government seizes power in Corinth

  • 594 BCE

    Reforms in Athens

    Solon and his reforms, called The Shaking Off of Burdens. The poor are given rights, and the wealthy are given leadership. Status is now defined by wealth and not bloodlines.
  • 550 BCE

    Sparta defeats Argos

  • 550 BCE

    Peloponnesian League created (Sparta)

  • 546 BCE

    Peisistratus becomes tyrant after third and final popular coup

  • 546 BCE

    Battle of 300 Champions between Sparta and Argos to settle dispute

  • 546 BCE

    Lydia conquered by Cyrus the Great, King of Perisa.

    Ionian (o.g. ruled by Lydia) cities now pay tribute to the Persian satrap in Sardis.
  • 539 BCE

    Persia conquers Babylon and becomes the worlds largest empire

  • Period: 527 BCE to 510 BCE

    Peisitratus' sons Hippias and Hipparchus rule Athens as Tyrants

  • 525 BCE

    Persia under Cambyses II conquers Egypt

  • 514 BCE

    Hipparchus is assassinated

  • Period: 512 BCE to 511 BCE

    Persians conquer Thrace, creating a European satrapy. Empire now spans three continents

  • 510 BCE

    Hippais' tyranny ended by Spartan intervention. Hippias flees to Sardis

  • 508 BCE

    Isagoras is ruler (archon) in Athens

  • 507 BCE

    Democratic revolution in Athens, Isagoras and Sparta ousted. Cleistenes' democratic reforms implemented

    introduction of Greek democracy
  • 499 BCE

    Aristagoras of Miletus leads revolt against Persia; Gains Athenian and Eretrain support

  • 499 BCE

    First Greco-Persian War begins under Darius I

  • Period: 499 BCE to 490 BCE

    First Greco-Persian War

  • Period: 499 BCE to 494 BCE

    Ionian revolt

  • 498 BCE

    Sardis is besieged, the temple of Sardis is burned down by the Ionians, Athenians and Eretrians

  • 498 BCE

    Battle of Ephesus. Greeks are defeated by the Persians. Athenians flee and sever association with Ionian revolt

  • 494 BCE

    Battle of Lade. Ionian Greeks defeated by Persians in naval battle. Miletus sacked.

  • 492 BCE

    Persians control the northern Aegean Sea with Macedonia submitting. Persian fleet destroyed off coast by a storm.

  • 490 BCE

    Battle of Marathon. Shock Athenian victory against larger Persian army ending the First Greco-Persian war.

    Sparta does not assist Athens because of religious restrictions