CC 319 TIMELINE of Ancient Mediterranean Cultures

Note about BCE dates: 3rd millenium = 2000s, 5th century = 400s, etc. Within a century, higher numbers are earlier than lower numbers, e.g. 480 is earlier in the 5th century than 431

 

WESTERN ASIA, MESOPOTAMIA

LEVANT (ISRAEL, SYRIA, PHOENICIA)

EGYPT AND NORTH AFRICA

AEGEAN AND GREEK WORLD (INCLUDING MACEDON)

ROME AND WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN

3000 BCE

ca. 3500-3000: city-states in Sumer fluorish 

 

ca. 3100: Egypt unified under the Pharaohs

 

 

 

ca. 2750: legendary reign of Gilgamesh of Uruk 

 

ca. 2700-2200: Old Kingdom 

 

 

2500 BCE

 

 

 

 

 

 

ca. 2350: Sargon the Great of Akkad conquers Sumer and unifies Sumer and Akkad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2200-1400: Minoan Age 

 

2000 BCE

ca. 2100-1900: Amorite expansion in western Asia

ca. 1800-1600: Age of the Hebrew patriarchs 

ca. 2040-1780: Middle Kingdom 

 

 

 

ca. 2000: decline of Sumer; sack of Ur

 

 

 

 

 

ca. 1800: Emergence of Hittites and Hurrians

 

 

 

 

ca. 1792-1750: Hammurapi of Babylon

 

ca. 1750-1550" Hyksos invasion of Egypt 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1600-1100: Mycenean Age

 

1500 BCE

 

 

ca. 1550-1100: New Kingdom (Empire)

 

 

1400 BCE 

 

 

1363-1347: Reign of Akhenaton

ca. 1400: Mycenean influence in Crete; demise of Minoan civilization  

 

1300 BCE

 

 

1347-1338: Tutankhamen

 

 

1200 BCE

ca. 1200: collapse of Hittite empire  

ca. 1200-1100: Arrival of the Philistines 

ca. 1200-1000: Israelite conquest of Canaan

?1250 Israelite Exodus from Egypt

ca. 1200: invasions of Sea Peoples

 

 

1100 BCE

ca. 1100-900: Emergence of the Phoenicians

ca. 1100: collapse of Mycenean civilization 

 

1000 BCE

 

ca. 1000-922: monarchies of David and Solomon in new kingdom of Israel

ca. 940-730: Libyan rule of Egypt

 

ca. 1100-800: Dark Ages 

 

800 BCE

 

division of Israel into kingdom of Israel (north) and kingdom of Judah (south)

 

emergence of the polis; beginning of Archaic Age (ca. 800-500)

 

750 BCE

height of Assyrian Empire (ca. 750-612)

 

ca. 760-656: Nubian rule of Egypt

ca. 750: alphabet arrives in Greece

753: Founding of Rome; beginning of monarchy 

700 BCE

 

 

ca. 700: hoplite phalanx

ca. 700: Etruscan civilization begins to fluorish

650 BCE

 

671-663: Assyrians contest Nubians for control  

 

 

600 BCE

612: destruction of Nineveh in Assyria

612-539: Chaldean (Neo-Babylonian Empire

 

 

 

625-ca. 500: Etruscan kings of Rome

575 BCE

587 Chaldeans capture Jerusalem

594: Solon's reforms in Athens

550 BCE

Cyrus founds the Persian Empire and rules, 559-530

Cyrus conquers King Croesus of Lydia, 546

Babylonian Captivity of Jews: 587-538

546: Cyrus and the Persians bring the Greeks of Asia Minor into the Persian Empire

525 BCE

Persians bring Egypt into Persian Empire

525: Persians conquer Egypt

500 BCE

514: Darius, king of Persia 522-486, conquers Thrace

 

 

ca. 510: democratic reforms of Cleisthenes in Athens

Beginning of Classical Age (ca. 500-336)

ca. 510: fall of monarchy, foundation of the Republic 

ca. 500-400: Rome fights the Oscans

490 BCE

Darius sends Persian fleet across Aegean

499-494: Ionian Revolt

1st Persian War: battle of Marathon

487: archons selected by lot

ca. 484: birth of Herodotus

480 BCE

Xerxes leads army and navy across Hellespont to Greece

480-479 (2nd Persian War): Xerxes' invasion: battles of Thermopylae, Artemisium, Salamis (480), and Plataea (479)

478: creation of Delian League; 478-432: growth of Athenian Empire

470 BCE

ca. 468: battle of Eurymedon

462: reforms of Ephialtes and beginning of "radical" democracy

ca. 460: birth of Thucydides

460-446: the First Peloponnesian War

450 BCE

ca. 450 Persians and Athenians make peace

ca. 450: Athenians and Persians make peace

430 BCE

outbreak of Peloponnesian War (431-404)

Plato: ca. 429-347

425: Spartans surrender to Athenians at Sphacteria

415 BCE

413-404: Persian involvement in Peloponnesian War

415-413: Sicilian Expedition

411: Oligarchic Revolution of 400 in Athens

400 BCE

404: battle of Aegospotami and defeat of Athens

403: Thirty Tyrants at Athens, followed by restoration of democracy

399: Trial and Death of Socrates (b. 469)

390 BCE

387: Persian King makes a peace treaty with the Greeks (the King's Peace)

Spartan hegemony: 404-371

387: the King's Peace with Persia; Persia regains control of Greeks in Asia Minor

Aristotle: ca. 385-322

396: Rome captures Veii

390: The Celts (Gauls) sack Rome

380 BCE

377-338: Athenian "Second Empire"

370 BCE

371: battle of Leuctra

371-338: Theban Hegemony

360 BCE

359: Accession of Philip II of Macedon

340 BCE

338: battle of Chaeronea; Greece under Macedonian control

336: death of Philip and accession of Alexander

330 BCE

334: Alexander begins campaigns in Asia Minor; battle of Granicus  

333: battle of Issus

331: battle of Gaugamela

332: Fall of Tyre 

332: Alexander conquers Egypt; founds Alexandria 

334: Alexander and Greeks cross Hellespont into Asia; battle of Granicus

 

340-338: Latin Revolt against Rome

320 BCE

327-325: campaigns in India  

323: Death of Alexander in Babylon

 

 

 

326-290: Rome at war with the Samnites 

300 BCE

305-283: reign of Ptolemy I

275 BCE

283-246: reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus

280-275: Rome at war with Pyrrhus

250 BCE

264-241: First Punic War (Carthage and Rome)

264-241: First Punic War (Carthage and Rome)

225 BCE

200 BCE

218-201: Second Punic War

202: battle of Zama (Rome defeats Carthage)

200-146: Wars between Rome and Macedon in Greece (Macedonian Wars)

196: battle of Cynoscephalae (Rome defeats Philip V)

218-201: Second Punic War

216: battle of Cannae (Hannibal defeats the Romans)

197: Spain becomes province of Roman Empire (wars there until 133)

175 BCE

175-141: Jewish (Hasmonean) Revolt against Seleucids

 

 

167: Macedonia becomes a Roman province

150 BCE

 

141: Jewish independence from Seleucid kingdom

146: Roman sack of Carthage

146: Rome destroys Corinth; Greece becomes a province

130 BCE

133: Tribunate and Death of Tiberius Gracchus

80 BCE

82-79: Dictatorship of Sulla

60 BCE

66-62: Pompey's campaigns in the east

50 BCE

58-52: Conquest of Gaul by Caesar

49: Caesar begins the Civil war

48: battle of Pharsalus

40 BCE

44: assassination of Caesar

42: battle of Philippi

30 BCE

31: battle of Actium

27: Augustus' "Restoration of the Republic": "reign" begins;

Pax Romana shortly begins, lasts until end of 2nd century

10 CE

14: Augustus dies; Tiberius "succeeds" (dies in 37)

30 CE

ca. 30: death of Jesus

40 CE

ca. 40: Paul begins ministry in Antioch, then begins travels throughout Mediterranean

70 CE

destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in reign of Vespasian

80 CE

81-96: reign of Domitian

110 CE

98-117: reign of Trajan

125 CE

 

132-135: Bar Kochba Rebellion

117-138: reign of Hadrian

200 CE

212: Caracalla's Edict of Citizenship

280 CE

284: Diocletian proclaimed emperor (steps down in 305 with co-emperor)

300 CE

303-313: Great Persecution

320 CE

312-337: reign of Constantine

324: reunites empire; foundation of Constantinople

325: Council of Nicaea

400 CE

410: Visigoths sack Rome

450 CE

Vandals invade N. Africa

455: Vandals invade Spain

475 CE

476: Romulus Augustulus deposed

 


UpdatedMonday, 22-Sep-2003 14:38:54 CDT