Seven Empires

 

Medo-Persian Period

 

Fourth of Seven Heads, Kings, Mountains, Revelation 12:3, 17:9-10
Arms and Chest of Silver, Daniel 2:36-45

 

539 B.C.E. Cyrus conquers Babylon; Judah and Phoenicia become Persian provinces. An army from Carthage is defeated by the Greeks.

538 B.C.E. About 50,000 Jewish exiles return to Judah from Babylon under the leadership of a prince from David's line, Zerubbabel.

534 B.C.E. Tarquinius the Proud is the last king of Rome.

529 B.C.E. Death of Cyrus in battle against the Massagetae in eastern Persia. Cambyses II is ruler of the Persian Empire. Cambyses kills his brother Bardiya after ascending to power.

525 B.C.E. Persia conquers Egypt, advances to Nubia and Libya. A sorcerer instigates a revolt in Persia by pretending to be murdered Bardiya.

522 B.C.E. Cambyses II dies in Syria.

521 B.C.E. Persian king Darius I, adds the Indus river valley, parts of Central Asia and European Thrace to Persian Empire. The empire is divided into 20 provinces for taxation.

520 B.C.E. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah exhort the Jews to continue reconstruction of Temple in Jerusalem. It is completed in 515 B.C.E.

519 B.C.E. Athens and Plataea are allies against Thebes.

510 B.C.E. Tarquinius of Rome is overthrown. The Spartans overthrow Hippias, tyrant of Athens.

509 B.C.E. Etruscan kings are expelled from Rome. The Roman Republic is founded.

508 B.C.E. Democratic government established under Cleisthenes in Athens. The Etruscans attack Rome. Rome makes a treaty with Carthage.

507 B.C.E. The Spartans attempt and fail to restore aristocracy in Athens and Cleisthenes returns to power.

499 B.C.E. The Ionians, backed by Athens, rebel against the Persian Empire.

496 B.C.E. The Romans defeat the Latins at Lake Regillus.

495 B.C.E. The Jewish colony at Elephantine, Egypt, corresponds with other Jews in Aramaic.

494 B.C.E. The Plebeians of Rome gain political rights from the patricians.

493 B.C.E. A defense treaty made between Rome and the Latin League against the Etruscans.

492 B.C.E. A Persian expedition against Athens fails, the fleet is destroyed by a storm.

490 B.C.E. The Athenians defeat the Persians at the battle of Marathon.

486 B.C.E. Xerxes I, ruler of Persia, later marries Jewish woman, Hadassah, known as Queen Esther. The Egyptians revolt against the Persians.

480 B.C.E. A Persian army of 180,000 defeats the Greeks at Thermopylae. The Greek fleet defeats the Persians at the battle of Salamis.

479 B.C.E. The Greeks defeat the Persian army and navy.

478 B.C.E. The Delian League is organized.

468 B.C.E. The Greeks drive the Persians from southwestern Asia Minor.

465 B.C.E. Artaxerxes I rules Persia.

460 B.C.E. The Egyptians rebel against Persia. The age of Pericles begins in Athens.

c.460 B.C.E. Malachi, last prophet of the Hebrew Scriptures, warns Israel to be true and faithful in service to God.

458 B.C.E. Ezra the Priest returns to Jerusalem to teach the Jewish people proper conduct according to the Torah, the Law of God. Ezra becomes the father of modern Judaism, emphasizing individual obedience to the Law, and also establishes the men of the Great Synagogue to render authoritative judgements for Israel on faith and practice.

457 B.C.E. First Peloponnesian war begins between Athens and Sparta, the second breaks out in 431.

c.450 B.C.E. The historian, Herodotus, visits Egypt. Carthage develops new trading centers on African coasts.

450 B.C.E. The "Twelve Tables," the laws of Rome, are written.

449 B.C.E. A Holy War erupts between Sparta and Athens over the oracle of Delphi.

448 B.C.E. The Persian-Athenian wars end with Peace of Callias.

447 B.C.E. Athenians begin building the Parthenon.

446 B.C.E. The "30 Years' Peace" between Athens and Sparta begins.

445 B.C.E. Nehemiah is sent by the Persian ruler Artaxerxes as governor of Judah and to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah and Ezra work together to elevate the situation of the Jewish people in Judah and Jerusalem.

440 B.C.E. Plebians in Rome win right to marry patricians.

430 B.C.E. Plague epidemic breaks out in Athens.

429 B.C.E. Pericles dies of the plague. The Acropolis is completed.

427 B.C.E. Birth of Plato.

424 B.C.E. Xerxes II of Persia is assassinated, Darius II king.

421 B.C.E. War between Athens and Sparta ends with Peace of Nicias. War breaks out again in 415 B.C.E.

419 B.C.E. The Jews of Elephantine sacrifice to God in a temple in Egypt, and also sacrifice to Egyptian gods. They are ordered by the Persian satrap and the Jewish governor in Jerusalem to observe Passover according to the Mosaic Law.

413 B.C.E. Athenian attack of Sicily fails.

411 B.C.E. "Government of the 400" seizes power in Athens but democracy is soon restored.

409 B.C.E. Carthage invades Sicily.

407 B.C.E. Athens crushes revolts in subject Greek states.

406 B.C.E. The Battle of Arginusae; the Spartan fleet is defeated by the Athenian fleet.

405 B.C.E. The Athenian fleet is defeated by the Spartan fleet.

404 B.C.E. Artaxerxes II is ruler of Persia. XXVIIIth Dynasty in Egypt. The Spartans capture Athens and install government of the "Thirty Tyrants." Democracy is restored in 403 B.C.E.

400 B.C.E. The Greek army is defeated by Persia. "Retreat of the Ten Thousand Greeks."

399 B.C.E. Socrates is executed for heresy. War breaks out between Sparta and Persia.

396 B.C.E. The Romans capture Veii.

394 B.C.E. Sparta defeats a coalition of Athens, Thebes, Corinth, and Argos.

391 B.C.E. The Romans rule over the Etruscans.

390 B.C.E. The Gauls sack Rome but fail to hold the capital.

387 B.C.E. Persia captures Greek cities in Asia Minor. Plato's academy is founded.

386 B.C.E. The Spartan ruler negotiates peace with Persia and forces a Greek agreement.

380 B.C.E. XXXth Dynasty in Egypt.

379 B.C.E. War erupts between Sparta and other Greek cities.

371 B.C.E. Sparta and Athenian league agree to peace.

366 B.C.E. The first plebeian council is elected in Rome.

359 B.C.E. Philip II is the Macedonian king. Artaxerxes III is ruler of Persia.

355 B.C.E. The third Greek Holy War when Phocians seize Delphi to raise money for an army. Macedonia fights Athens until 346. Alexander III the Great born to Philip II and Olympias.

354 B.C.E. Death of historian Xenophon.

351 B.C.E. Persia fails in invasion of Egypt.

350 B.C.E. The Jews in Judea revolt against Persia.

c.350 B.C.E. The Jewish book of Tobit composed in Aramaic. Ephesus begins building the Temple of Diana.

347 B.C.E. Death of Plato. Aristotle is tutor of Alexander the Great.

346 B.C.E. The Athenians plea for peace with Macedonia.

343 B.C.E. Persia conquers and rules Egypt.

339 B.C.E. The fourth Greek Holy War. Philip of Macedonia conquers Greece.

338 B.C.E. Darius III rules Persia.

336 B.C.E. Philip is assassinated, Alexander III, his son becomes king. Alexander crushes the rebellion of Greek cities.

335 B.C.E. Aristotle establishes the Lyceum.

334 B.C.E. Alexander begins the Persian war and defeats Darius III in Asia Minor at the river Granicus.

333 B.C.E. Alexander defeats Darius at Issus and captures the Persian queen and children. Alexander captures Tyre.

 

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