5th century BC

(2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium)

The 5th century BC started on January 1, 500 BC and ended on December 31, 401 BC.

Overview

The 5th and 4th centuries BC are a period of philosophical brilliance among advanced civilizations, particulary the greeks. Ancient Greek philosophy develops during the 5th century BC, setting the foundation for Western ideology. In Athens and elsewhere in the Mediterranean world, the 5th century marks a high point in the development of political institutions, art, architecture,and literature.

Events

490s BC

499 BC - Aristagoras, acting on behalf of the Persian Empire, leads a failed attack on the rebellious island of Naxos.
499 BC - Aristagoras instigates the Ionic Revolt, beginning the Persian Wars between Greece and Persia.
499 BC - Sardis destroyed by Athenian and Ionian troops.
498 BC - Leontini subjugated by Hippocrates of Gela.
498 BC - Alexander I succeeds his father Amyntas I as king of Macedonia.
497 BC - Potidaea is struck by a tsunami.
496 BC - Battle of Lake Regillus: A legendary early Roman victory, won over either the Etruscans or the Latins.
496 BC - King Gon Jian of Yue defeats and banishes King Fucha of Wu, gaining a temporary hegemony in ancient China during the Spring and Autumn Period.
495 BC - Temple to Mercury on the Circus Maximus in Rome is built.
494 BC - The Battle of Lade, where Persians take back Ionia.
494 BC - Two tribunes of the plebs and two plebeian aediles are elected for the first time in Rome: the office of the tribunate is established.
494 BC - The year Rome changed from an Aristocratic Republic to a Liberalized Republic.
493 BC - Battle of Lake Regillus fought by the Romans.
493 BC - Piraeus, the port town of Athens, is founded.
493 BC - Coriolanus captures the Volscian town of Corioli for Rome.
492 BC - First expedition of King Darius I of Persia against Greece, under the leadership of his son-in-law Mardonius. This marks the start of the campaign which culminated in the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC.
491 BC - Leotychidas II succeeds his cousin Demaratus as king of Sparta.
491 BC - Gelo becomes Tyrant of Gela.
September 12, 490 BC - The Battle of Marathon, where Darius I of Persia is defeated by the Greeks under Miltiades.
490 BC - Phidippides runs 40 kilometers from Marathon to Athens to announce the news of the Greek victory; origin of the marathon long-distance race.

480s BC

489 BC - Euripides writes Orestes and The Cyclops

Cities of Rhodes unite and start construction of the new city of Rhodes.

488 BC - Leonidas I succeeds his brother Cleomenes I as king of Sparta after Cleomenes is judged insane.
487 BC - Egypt revolts against the Persians.
487 BC - Aegina and Athens go to war.
487 BC - Athenian Archonship becomes elective by lot, an important milestone in the move towards radical Athenian democracy.
486 BC - First part of the Grand Canal of China is built.
486 BC - Xerxes I succeeds Darius I as Great King of Persia.
486 BC - Egypt revolts against Persian rule.
486 BC - First Buddist Council at Rejgaha, under the patronage of King Ajatasattu. Oral tradition established for the first time.
October, 485 BC - Xerxes I succeeds Darius as King of Persia.
484 BC - Athenian playwright Aeschylus wins a poetry prize.
484 BC - Xerxes I abolishes the Kingdom of Babel and removes the golden statue of Bel (Marduk, Merodach).
484 BC - Persians regain control of Egypt.
483 BC - Xerxes I of Persia starts planning his expedition against Greece.
481 BC - The Congress at the Isthmus of Corinth ends a war between Athens and Aegina.
480 BC - King Xerxes I of Persia sets out to conquer Greece.
480 BC - Cimon and his friends burn horse-bridles as an offering to Athena and join the marines.
480 BC - Pleistarchus succeeds his father Leonidas I as king of Sparta.
August, 480 BC - Battle of Artemisium - The Persian fleet fights an inconclusive battle with the Greek allied fleet.
August 11, 480 BC The Battle of Thermopylae, a victory by Persians over the Greeks.
September 23, 480 BC - Battle of Salamis between Greece and Persia, leading to a Greek victory.
480 BC - Battle of Himera - The Carthaginians under Hamilcar are defeated by the Greeks of Sicily, led by Gelon of Syracuse.
480 BC - Roman troops march against the Veintes.

Demotic becomes the dominant script of ancient Egypt

Significant persons

498 BC - Amyntas I, king of Macedonia, died.
Pythagoras of Samos, Greek mathematician. See Pythagorean theorem. (582 - 496 BC).
491 BC - Hippocrates, Tyrant of Gela died.
Gautama Buddha, founding figure of Buddhism (ca. 563 - 483 BC).
Confucius, founding figure of Confucianism (551 - 479 BC).
Aeschylus of Athens, playwright (525 - 456 BC).
Darius I, King of Persia (reigned 521 - 485 BC).
Sophocles of Athens, playwright (496 - 406 BC).
496 BC - Sun Tzu, military philosopher and author of The Art of War, died (most likely a colloquial date).
Pericles of Athens, politician (ca. 495 - 429 BC).
Zeno of Elea, Greek philosopher (495 BC - c. 430 BC).
Phidias, Greek sculptor(490 BC - c. 430 BC) (estimated date).
Empedocles, Greek philosopher, (490 BC - c. 430 BC) (estimated date).
489 BC - Eudoxus of Cnidus, early mathematician and adherent of Pythagoras Dion, student of Plato and tyrant of Syracuse, was born.
488 BC - Miltiades, Athenian general, died.
Herodotus of Halicarnassus, historian (ca. 485 BC).
Euripides of Athens, playwright (ca. 480 - 406 BC).
Socrates of Athens, philosopher (470 - 399 BC).
Aristophanes of Athens, playwright (ca. 446 - 385 BC).
Darius II, king of Persia (reigned 423-404 BC)
Ezra and Nehemiah active in Judea.
Tollund Man, Human sacrifice victim on the Jutland Peninsula in Denmark, possibly the earliest known evidence for worship of Odin.

Zengzi, 505-436, student of Confucius, wrote Great Learning

Inventions, discoveries, introductions

Cast iron is first used in Wu.
The greeks invent the Anchor with flukes.
The greeks start to use shear-leg cranes for construction and loading of ships.
The greeks invent linear perspective.
The greeks develop a indirect lost wax process for casting bronze.

Decades and years