776 BC: Date of the first recorded Olympic Games.
757 BC: The start of the First Messenian War, resulting in the subjugation of Messenia to Sparta and the creation of helots.
725 BC: The Lelantine War between the Ancient Greek city-states of Chalcis and Eretria, fighting over the fertile Lelantine Plain. This is the first recorded armed conflict in Ancient Greece.
621 BC: Draco, an Athenian lawgiver, introduces a series of harsh laws, also known as Draconian laws, in an effort to quell social conflict in Athens.
594 BC: Solon, an Athenian statesman, makes a series of reformations that eventually managed to preserve order in Athens, which the Draconian laws were unsuccessful at.
590 BC: Sappho, a Greek poet and priestess, flourishes on Lesvos.
569 BC: Pythagoras is born.
561 BC: Peisistratos takes power in Athens, establishing a tyranny.
507 BC: Cleisthenes takes power in Athens, establishing democracy.
490 BC: The Battle of Marathon takes place, resulting in the defeat of Darius.
480 BC: Leonidas and 300 Spartan soldiers die fighting a valiant battle at Thermopylae. At the same time, Athenians emerge victorious in the Naval Battle of Salamis, destroying the Persian Navy.
457 BC: Pericles, Athenian statesman, starts the Golden Age in Athens.
448 BC: Ictinus ad Callicrates rebuild Acropolis after it was destroyed by the Persians.
431 BC: The Peloponnesian War starts.
401 BC: Thucydides leaves a historical account of the “Golden Age of Pericles” and the “History of the Peloponnesian War”.
342 BC: Aristotle becomes the teacher of Alexander, son of Philip of Macedon.
336 BC: Alexander succeeds his father in the throne and starts a campaign against the Persians.
323 BC: Alexander dies in Babylon. The Wars of the Diadochi follow, with devastating results for the empire.
300 BC: Euclid publishes his great work Elements.
265 BC: Archimedes develops the homonymous screw, specific gravity and center of gravity.
146 BC: Greece is annexed to the Roman Empire after a series of wars. |
753 BC Rome is founded
Rome was founded by Romulus. Romulus was the first of the seven Roman kings. The original name of Rome was Roma.
509 BC Rome becomes a Republic
The last king is expelled and Rome is now ruled by senators. There is a constitution with laws and Rome becomes a complex republican government.
218 BC Hannibal invades Italy
Hannibal leads the Carthage army to attack Italy. This becomes part of the Second Punic War.
45 BC Julius Caesar becomes the first dictator of Rome
Julius Caesar defeats Pompey in a civil war. He becomes the supreme ruler of Rome. This is the end of the Roman Republic. He hires Sosigenes, an Egyptian astronomer, to work out a new 12 month calendar.
44 BC Julius Caesar is assassinated
Julius Caesar is assassinated on the Ides of March by Marcus Brutus. They hope to bring back the republic, but civil war breaks out instead.
27 BC Roman Empire begins
Octavius appoints himself "Augustus", which means the first emperor.
64 Much of Rome burns
Nero set fire to Rome and blames the Christians for it.
80 Colosseum is built
The Colosseum was built in 80 AD. The completion of the Colosseum was celebrated with 100 days of games. The Romans invade Scotland.
122 Hadrian Wall is built
The Hadrian Wall was built in 122 AD. It was a long wall built across northern England in an effort to keep the barbarians out.
306 Constantine becomes Emperor in 306 AD
Rome becomes a Christian empire. Before this, Rome persecuted the Christians. Constantius dies. His son Constantine is the new vice-emperor of Galerius.
380 Christianity
Theodosius I proclaims Christianity as the sole religion of the Roman Empire in 380 AD.
395 Rome splits
In 395 AD, Rome split into two empires --- the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire. Each side had a ruler in charge of it. The Roman Empire was split by Theodosius.
410 The Visigoths sack Rome
This was the first time in 800 years that the city of Rome has fallen to an enemy. It was a huge uproar.
476 End of the Western Roman Empire and the fall of Ancient Rome
The last Roman Emperor Romulus Augustus is defeated by the German Goth Odoacer. This is the start of the Dark Ages in Europe.
1453 The Byzantine Empire ends
The Byzantine Empire comes to an end as it falls to the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Turks capture Constantinople in 1453 A.D. It is renamed Istanbul in 1930.
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