Ancient History Timeline
c6500-2900 BC
NEOLITHIC PERIOD- Domestication of plants and animals allows for permanent settlements.
3000 BC
Menes unifies Upper and Lower Egypt, and a new capital is erected at Memphis.
c3100-2686 BC
Early Egyptian dynastic period, with a succession of kings that strengthened the unification of the two Egypts.
c2900-2000 BC
Bronze Age- Early Aegean cultures
2700 BC
365 -day calendar is invented ( for Egyptians new year started with June)
2900 BC
First Egyptian hieroglyphs
c2686-2613 BC
Third Egyptian Dynasty
Zoser builds first pyramid, Step Pyramid at Sakkara, with the great help of the chief architect and priest Imhotep.
2600 BC
Kufu (Cheops) builds the great Pyramid at Giza, followed by Chephren with a second pyramid and the Sphinx and Mycerinus with another pyramid.
c2500 BC
Minoan civilization develops.
c2494-2345 BC
During the 5th Egyptian dynasty, worship of sun god Ra becomes the predominant religion.
c2181-2040 BC
FIRST INTERMEDIATE PERIOD of EGYPT- increases in power of provincial governors through the 6th dynasty, leads to breakdown of central authority and chaos throughout the country. This is the period of the upsurge of the cult of Osiris.
c2100 BC
Mentuhotep II, first king of the 11th dynasty reunites Egypt, and established the capital at Thebes.
C1700-1550 BC
SECOND INTERMEDIATE PERIOD. 13th dynasty collapses after a succession of short-lived and little known kings.
C1674 BC
Memphis falls to Hyksos.
C1550-1085 BC
NEW KINGDOM of EGYPT-Ahmose completes defeat of Hyksos and unites Egypt under new dynasty.
1512-1448 BC
During Tuthmosis III, Egyptian rule is extended as far as the Euphrates River to the east and south to the Fourth Cataract of the Nile.
c1450 BC
Tuthmosis IV digs the Sphinx out of the sands.
c1400 BC
Volcanic eruption on Thera destroys Mycenae.
1391-1358 BC
Amenhotep IV changes name to Akhenaten and tries to institute a monotheistic religion by worshipping only the sun-disk god Aten.
1375-50 BC
Mycenaean customs appear on Crete.
1368-1349 BC
Tutankhamen restores the old cults at Thebes, but shortly after is assasinated.
c1299 BC
Ramesses II fights Hitties at the Battle of Kadesh. Builds temples at Thebes and Abu Simbel. He is considered the most prolific pharaoh to construct temples.
1224-1165 BC
Ramesses III repulses invasion of Seas Peoples. He is considered the last great Egyptian pharaoh.
c1200 BC
Destruction of Cretan palaces and of Priam's city at Troy (Ilium).
c1070-712 BC
THIRD INTERMEDIATE PERIOD of EGYPT- Ephemeral kings whom little is known. It is a period of overlapping rulers, with no strong central power. Invasion by Assyrians.
c1050-750 BC
EARLY PERIOD of GREECE- First Greek migration to west coast of Asia minor. Few written records of this time period remain. Also, this era is known as the Dark Ages of Greece.
800-700 BC
Italy inhabited by Hellenic and Etruscan people. The land is undeveloped.
776 BC
First Olympic Games
753 BC
Romulus founds Roman culture at the Palatine.
c750-700 BC
Homer writes the Iliad and the Odyssey
c750-500 BC
ARCHAIC PERIOD of GREECE- Greeks search for new land for agriculture. City-states are formed throughout the Mediterranean that function as political units or polis, each ruled by a king and a council.
735-700 BC
First Greek colonies in Sicily.
c730-710 BC
Spartans conquer southwest Peloponnese in the First Messenian War.
c700 BC
Lelantine war in Euboia
c671-667 BC
Assyrians invade Egypt, "sacking" Thebes and Memphis.
736-656 BC
25th dynasty. Egypt ruled by Kushite pharaohs.
540 BC
Anaximander dies. He is credited with writing the first philosophical treatise and making the first map of know world.
525-404 BC
27th dynasty. Conquered by the King Conlyses who establishes first Persian domination of Egypt.
524 BC
Greeks stop the southward Etruscan migration at Cumae.
509 BC
Romans overthrow tyrant Tarquinius Superbus, ending the Etruscan dynasty.
500-323 BC
CLASSICAL PERIOD of GREECE- Interest in literature, artwork, architecture, philosophy, and politics surges during this time period. Athens is the hub of activity throughout the Mediterranean.
490-479 BC
GREEK Persian Wars.
490 BC
First Persian War- Athenians defeat Persians at Marathon.
480 BC
Second Persian War- Persian forces led by Xerxes destroy Athens. Greek forces won a major sea battle at Salamis.
461-446 BC
First of the Peloponnesian Wars begins between Sparta and Athens.
450 BC
ROMAN- Twelve Tables of Roman law are published.
441 BC
Euripides writes his first tragic play.
431-405 BC
Second of the Peloponnesian Wars between Sparta and Athens.
399 BC
Socrates is tried and executed for his opposition to the Thirty Tyrants.
396 BC
The city of Veii is conquered by Romans.
386 BC
Plato, student of Socrates, founds the Academy.
384 BC
Aristotle, student of Plato, is born.
359 BC
Philip II becomes the king of Macedon.
357-356 BC
Social War- between Macedon and Athens.
356 BC
Alexander the Great, son of Philip II, is born. The temple of Delphi is destroyed in the Sacred War.
340 BC
The Latin War begins.
338 BC
King Philip II defeats Athenians and Thebans.
336 BC
King Philip II is assassinated, and Alexander the Great takes throne.
332 BC
Alexander the Great of Macedonia defeats Persians at Issus in 333 BC and is given Egypt by the Persian Satrap. He builds a capital at Alexandria.
332-395 AD
Graeco-Roman Period.
323 BC
Alexander the Great dies at Babylon.
323-31 BC
HELLENISTIC PERIOD. Antigonid Macedon, Ptolemaic Egypt, and Seleucid Syria emerge as the three major kingdoms. Greece suffered from internal revolts.
304-30 BC
The Ptolemies.
264 BC
First Punic War to take Carthage for dominance of Mediterranean.
241 BC
Romans win Sicily.
224 BC
Earthquake destroys the Colossus.
221 BC
The structure Circus Flaminius is built.
218-201 BC
Second Punic War brings the defeat of General Hannibal of Carthage.
197 BC
King Philip V loses to Roman forces at Kynoskephalai.
179 BC
The structure Basilica Aemilia is built.
149-146 BC
Third Punic War ends with the Roman capture of Carthage.
86 BC
Roman General Sulla seizes Athens.
44 BC
The assassination of Julius Caesar marks the end of the Roman Republic.
31 BC
Octavian Caesar defeats Mark Antony and becomes emperor of Roman world. He is given title Augustus.
14 BC
Augustus dies.
41 AD
Gaius Julius, the emperor Caligula, is murdered.
43 AD
Claudius wins victories in Britain.
64 AD
Rome is burnt.
68 AD
Civil War breaks out in Rome.
70 AD
Emperor Titus captures Jerusalem.
97 AD
Death of Nerva.
235-284 AD
Germans, Goths, and Persians attack Rome.
267 AD
Goths ruin Athens, Sparta, and Korinth
284 AD
Diocletian restores order to Rome.
286 AD
Emperor Diocletian divides Roman empire in two, forming modern Greece (the Byzantine Empire)
302 AD
Diocletian banned Christians from the Roman Army.
312 AD
Constantine defeats Maxentius to become absolute ruler of Rome.
337 AD
Constantine dies.
363 AD
Persians capture Mesopotamia.
410 AD
Goths destroy Rome.
476 AD
Western Rome dies.
641 AD
Arab conquest.
641 AD
Slavs overrun Greece
1453 AD
Eastern Rome dissolves.
http://library.thinkquest.org/10805/timeline.html