6th Century BC - Ancient History Timeline

600 - 500 BC
 

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The sixth century BC was a turning point in world history. Though mighty conquerers like Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and Darius of Persia were expanding their boundaries, dictatorships were on the decline and democratic freedom in Europe was on the rise. The gods of the Assyrian Empire could not protect them from the fall of mighty Nineveh in 612 BC. Babylon was at this time the greatest city in the world, but they too would fall just as memories of the pharaohs of Egypt had become faded. Roman law was codified and the Republic was established toward the latter part of the sixth century BC. In the Greek territories the people were forced to become self sufficient, they lived in a very rocky terrain and it was difficult for any dictator to conquer it, so freedom and independence were in the heart of the Greek people. It is also important to note that many of the great religions of the world were born during the sixth century BC. The sixth century BC indeed saw powerful conquerors, expanding new religions, and a yearning for freedom, yet the world was being fashioned by the hand of the One who controls the destiny of mankind. The world was being prepared for the "fullness of time" in which God would send the Savior who would conquer the world through love, and deliver an everlasting message of freedom that would truly change the world.

B.C.

600 The Etruscans establish cities stretching from northern to central Italy.

600 At an unknown time the Persian people migrate from central Asia) to s. Iran

600 Greeks establish city-states along the s. coast of Italy and the island of Sicily.

600 Etruscan kings rule over Rome

600 Last Greek monarchies at Argos, Sparta, and Thera

600 Earliest known use of iron in China

598 Jehoichin (Jeconiah) becomes king of Judah till 597

597 Zedekiah (Mattaniah) becomes king of Judah till 587

594 Athen's laws reformed by Solon, the only Archon of Athens

593 Ezekiel is a prophet of Judah till 573

587 Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylonia sacks Jerusalem

587 Judah becomes a province of Babylonia

586 Exile of the Jews to Babylon

586 Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylonia conquers Phoenicia

586 Obadiah is a prophet in Judah

582 Birth of Pythagoras, Greek philosopher and mathematician

581 Nebuchadnezzar II burns Jerusalem

580 Nebuchadnezzar II builds the hanging gardens of Babylon

566 Birth of Prince Siddhartha Gautama who later became known as the Buddha

560 Croesus of Lydia subjugates Greek Ionian colonies

551 Birth of Confucius (K'ung Fu-tzu, the Chinese philosopher

550 Lao-tse founds Taoism in China

559 Cyrus the Great of Parsa rebels against the Medes and founds the Persian Empire

550 Persia conquers the Medes

547 Persians conquers Lydia, the battle of Sardis, and move through Asia Minor

543 Bimbisara expands his territories and introduces new administration

540 Vardhamana (Mahavira Jina) the ascetic founds Jainism

540 Peistratus the tyrant takes control of Athens

539 Greeks defeat the Carthaginians

539 Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylonia

539 Cyrus the Great allows the Jews to return to Judah (a Persian province)

539 Cyrus the Great absorbs Phoenicia into the Persian Empire

539 Fables of Aesop

534 Tarquinius Superbus (the proud), becomes the last king of Rome

533 Gandhara becomes a Satrap to the Achaemenid Empire of Persia

530 Cyrus conquers all of Asia Minor

530 Cyrus dies in battle

530 Cambyses (son of Cyrus) becomes ruler of Persia

525 Egypt conquered by the Persians

525 Persian empire extends from India to Asia Minor

522 Darius I puts down a rebellion in Persia and becomes king

521 Darius I divides the Empire into 20 provinces (satrapies)

520 The temple in Jerusalem building projects resumed

520 Haggai is a prophet in Judah till 515

520 Zechariah is a prophet in Judah till 515

519 Birth of Xerxes, future king of Persia

519 Pythagoras a Greek philosopher (so called demigod) introduces the octave in music

510 Reforms are introduced in Athens by Cleisthenes and introduces Democracy in Athens

509 Tarquinius Superbus, the last Etruscan king, is cast out of Rome

509 Birth of the Roman Republic, Etruscan rule ends

509 Nebuchadnezzar II builds the Hanging Gardens

509 Many wars with Rome and other inhabitants of Italy (the Etruscans and the Greeks).

508 Lars Porsena (Etruscan ruler) attacks Rome and loses at the Tiber bridge

507 Spartans try to restore the Aristocracy in Athens but Cleisthenes is given power

500 Germanic peoples of northern Europe expand their territories