1194-1184. The Trojan war; in the last year of which Troy was taken and razed to the ground. 1124. About this time, extensive migrations took place in various parts of Greece, the most important being that of the Conquest of Peloponnesus by the Heracleids. Dorian colonies established in Crete. 1104 or 884. The legislation of Lycurgus. The latter date is that adopted by most modern writers. 900-800. Age of Homer and Hesiod. 776. Commencement of the Olympiads. War between Sparta and Arcadia. 743-724. The first Messenian war. 734. Syracuse founded by a Corinthian colony under Archias. 726. Aristodemus defeats the Lacedæmonians at Ithome. 724. Termination of the war. Conquest of Messenia. 685-668. The second Messenian war. Aristomenes, the leader of the Messenians. 683. First annual archon at Athens. Tyrtæus, a martial poet, sent by the Athenians to Sparta, 682. The Messenians fortify Mount Eira. 668. The war concluded by the capture of Eira, and conquest of 658. Byzantium founded by a colony from Megara. 629. Selinus in Sicily founded. 624. Draco's legislation at Athens. 623–612. War between Lydia and Miletus. In the last year a B.C. 617. Alyattes ascends the throne of Lydia, and delivers Asia from the ravages of the Cimmerians. 612. Conspiracy of Cylon to overturn the government of Athens and make himself tyrant. War between Athens and Megara. 604. Solon recovers Salamis from the Megarians. 600. Massilia founded by the Phocæans. 597. The partizans of Megacles banished from Athens. 595. Epimenides, the Cretan, invited by Solon to come to Athens. 594. Commencement of the Crissean or first Sacred War, which is said to have lasted ten years. Solon appointed archon, with power to frame a new constitution and code of laws. Institution of the senate of Four Hundred, and of the Heliæa. Foundation of the Athenian navy. 582. Agrigentum founded. 572-562. Solon is said to have been absent from Athens, and to have visited Asia Minor, Cyprus, and Egypt. 570. Pythagoras born. 560. Pisistratus obtains the tyrannis at Athens. Croesus ascends the throne of Lydia, and subdues the greater part of Asia Minor. 559. Death of Solon. Pisistratus compelled to quit Athens. 554. Return of Pisistratus to Athens. 552. Second expulsion of Pisistratus. 546. Crœsus taken prisoner in Sardis by Cyrus. War against the Greeks of Asia Minor begun by Cyrus, who ultimately established his sovereignty over the whole country. 542. Pisistratus returns to Athens, of which he continues to be the ruler until his death. 538. Babylon taken by Cyrus. 536. Xenophanes, the founder of the Eleatic school of philosophy, emigrates to Elea. 532. Polycrates becomes tyrant of Samos, and engages in a war against Miletus. 529. Cyrus defeated and slain by the Massageta. He is succeeded by his son Cambyses. 527. Death of Pisistratus. 525. Egypt conquered by Cambyses. 522. Death of Polycrates at Sardis. 521. Death of Cambyses, and accession of Darius, who organised the Persian empire. Conquest of Samos by the Persians. 516? Revolt of Babylon, and its conquest by Zopyrus. 514. Conspiracy of Harmodius and Aristogeiton against Hippias and Hipparchus, the sons of Pisistratus. 513 or 508. Darius invades Scythia. 510. Expulsion of Hippias and his family from Athens. Destruction of Sybaris by the people of Croton. Cleisthenes introduces important changes into the Athenian B.C. constitution, which increase the power of the people. Ten local tribes instituted in place of the four ancient tribes. Cleisthenes withdraws from Athens, which is occupied by the Spartan king, Cleomenes. 508. Cleisthenes returns in triumph. War between Athens and the Spartans with their allies, the 504. Insurrection of the commonalty of Croton against the government established by Pythagoras, who died soon after this erent. 501. Failure of Aristagoras, the tyrant of Miletus, in his expedition against Naxos. 500. Aristagoras induces the Greek cities in Asia Minor to revolt. He applies to Sparta and Athens for support against the Persians. 499. Sardis burnt by the Athenians and Ionians, who were afterwards defeated, and returned home. 498. Second year of the Ionian revolt. The Persians recover Caria and Cyprus. 497. Third year of the Ionian revolt. Fall of several cities of Ionia and Æolis. Death of Aristagoras in Thrace. 496. Fourth year of the Ionian revolt. and thence escapes to Chios. Histiæus arrives at Sardis, 494. Sixth and last year of the revolt. The Ionians defeated in a naval battle off Lade, and Miletus taken by the Persians. 493. The subjugation of Ionia completed. Miltiades quits the Chersonesus, and settles at Athens. 492. Mardonius invades Europe. The Persian fleet wrecked off Mount Athos. Mardonius returns to Asia. 491. Darius sends heralds to Greece to demand tokens of submission. War between Athens and Ægina. Demaratus, king of Sparta, being deposed by the intrigues of his colleague, Cleomenes, goes to the Persian court. 490. Second invasion of Greece by the Persians, commanded by Datis and Artaphernes. Capture of Naxos, Delos, and Eretria. Battle of Marathon, in which the Persians were completely defeated by the Athenians under Miltiades, and retreated into Asia. 489. Miltiades attacks Paros, is wounded, and obliged to return to Athens; there he was impeached, condemned, and thrown into prison, where he soon afterwards died. 486. Egypt revolts from the Persian empire. 485. Death of Darius and accession of Xerxes. 484. Xerxes subdues Egypt. 481-480. Preparations are made by Xerxes during these four years for again invading Greece. A bridge made across the Hellespont, and a canal cut through the isthmus of Mount Athos. 483. Aristides sent into exile. Themistocles becomes the leading man at Athens. 480. Xerxes begins his march into Europe. The battles of Ther B.C. mopyla and Artemisium. The Persians repulsed from Delphi. The Athenians abandon their city, which is occupied by the Persians. Battle of Salamis, in which the Persian fleet is utterly defeated. Retreat of Xerxes, who leaves Mardonius to conquer Greece. The Carthaginians defeated at Himera in Sicily, on the same day as the battle of Salamis was fought, on which also Euripides was born. 179. Mardonius occupies Athens, which had again been abandoned by its inhabitants. He negotiates with the Athenians, but his offers are rejected. He retreats into Boeotia, whither he is followed by the Greeks under Pausanias, who gains a great victory over the Persians at Platæa. Mardonius slain, and succeeded in the command by Artabazus, who at once retreats into Asia. In the battle of Mycale, said to have been fought on the same day as the battle of Platea, the Persian fleet was routed by that of the Greeks. 478. Sestos taken by the Athenians. Rebuilding and fortification of Athens. Themistocles causes the three harbours of Athens to be fortified. 477. The fleet of the allied Greeks, commanded by Pausanias, takes possession of Cyprus and Byzantium. Pausanias offends the allies by his tyrannical conduct, and the supremacy is offered to the Athenians. Aristides organizes the Grecian confederacy. Pausanias recalled to Sparta. The supremacy of Athens lasted seventy-three years, B.C. 477. -404. 476. Cimon, the Athenian general, conquers Eion and Scyros. 471. Themistocles banished, and retires to Argos. 468. Death of Aristides. Sophocles gains the victory with his first play. 467? Death of Pausanias. 466. Themistocles flees from Argos to avoid being arrested by the Athenians and Spartans; he goes first to Corcyra and Epirus, and thence to the court of Persia. Naxos conquered by the Athenians. 465. Xerxes assassinated. Cimon defeats the naval and military forces of the Persians in the battle of Eurymedon. 464. Revolt of Thasos from the Athenians. Earthquake in Laconia, and insurrection of the Helots and Messenians. Pericles takes an active and leading part in public affairs at Athens. 464-455. The third Messenian war. In the last year Ithome surrendered, and its defenders quitted Peloponnesus. 463. Cimon subdues Thasos. 461. Ephialtes carries a law, depriving the Areopagus of a great portion of its authority. Cimon banished from Athens. Pericles succeeds him at the head of affairs. 460. Inarus in Egypt revolts against the Persians, and is assisted by the Athenians. Commencement of the siege of Mem |