600s BC (5 events)
597 BC
ID: 2769
Second deportation to Babylon - Jehoiachin surrenders, 10,000 exiled including Ezekiel (Babylonian Chronicle confirms March 16, 597 BC)
ID: 2769
597 BC
ID: 2770
Zedekiah made king - Nebuchadnezzar installs Jehoiachin's uncle as puppet king of Judah
ID: 2770
595 BC
ID: 5905
First Sacred War over Delphi - Amphictyonic League destroys Crisa for taxing pilgrims, establishes international protection
ID: 5905
594 BC
ID: 2771
Jeremiah prophesies 70 years of exile - tells Judeans to settle in Babylon and seek its welfare
ID: 2771
592 BC
ID: 2804
Jehoiachin's ration tablets - Babylonian records list oil rations for 'Yaukin king of Judah' and five sons
ID: 2804
590s BC (10 events)
590 BC
ID: 3690
Capital moves to Meroe - Aspelta relocates south after Egyptian attack on Napata
ID: 3690
589 BC
ID: 2772
Zedekiah rebels against Babylon - makes alliance with Egypt, Nebuchadnezzar responds with massive invasion
ID: 2772
588 BC
ID: 2803
Lachish Letters written - military correspondence during Babylonian siege, confirms biblical account
ID: 2803
588 BC
ID: 4649
Zoroaster receives revelation from Ahura Mazda at age 30 - founds monotheistic religion with dualist cosmology
ID: 4649
588 BC
ID: 2773
January 588 BC
Final siege of Jerusalem begins - Nebuchadnezzar's army surrounds city, 18-month siege starts
ID: 2773
586 BC
ID: 2775
Zedekiah blinded - sons killed before his eyes, then blinded and taken to Babylon in chains
ID: 2775
586 BC
ID: 2776
Gedaliah assassinated - Babylonian-appointed governor killed, remaining Jews flee to Egypt taking Jeremiah
ID: 2776
586 BC
ID: 2774
July 586 BC
Destruction of First Temple - Jerusalem falls on 9th of Av, Temple burned, walls demolished, mass deportation to Babylon
ID: 2774
585 BC
ID: 3695
May 28, 585 BC
Eclipse of Thales - solar eclipse stops battle between Lydians and Medes, Thales predicted it
ID: 3695
583 BC
ID: 4650
Zoroaster converts King Vishtaspa - Zoroastrianism becomes state religion in Bactria
ID: 4650
580s BC (3 events)
580 BC
ID: 2777
By the rivers of Babylon - exiled Judeans weep remembering Zion, refuse to sing songs in foreign land
ID: 2777
580 BC
ID: 2779
Fiery furnace - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to worship golden image, delivered from fire
ID: 2779
575 BC
ID: 3672
Ishtar Gate completed - magnificent blue glazed brick gate with dragons and bulls, processional way
ID: 3672
570s BC (2 events)
570 BC
ID: 2780
Nebuchadnezzar's madness - lives like animal for seven years until acknowledging God's sovereignty
ID: 2780
562 BC
ID: 2781
Death of Nebuchadnezzar - after 43-year reign, Babylon begins decline under weak successors
ID: 2781
560s BC (4 events)
560 BC
ID: 5906
Croesus tests all oracles - sends messengers to ask what he's doing on specific day, only Delphi correctly says 'cooking lamb and tortoise in bronze pot'
ID: 5906
560 BC
ID: 5908
Oracle declares Tellus happiest man - Solon asks who is happiest, oracle names obscure Athenian who died for his city, not rich Croesus
ID: 5908
551 BC
ID: 4651
Death of Zoroaster - killed by invaders at fire temple, religion continues spreading
ID: 4651
551 BC
ID: 4699
Birth of Confucius in Qufu - will become China's most influential philosopher
ID: 4699
550s BC (5 events)
550 BC
ID: 3624
Cyrus defeats Astyages - overthrows Median Empire, founds Achaemenid Persian Empire
ID: 3624
550 BC
ID: 4166
Daniel destroys the dragon of Babylon - feeds it cakes of pitch, fat and hair causing it to burst, proving it was not a god (Book of Daniel)
ID: 4166
550 BC
ID: 5365
Vix burial of Celtic princess - massive Greek bronze krater (wine vessel) found, 1.64m tall, shows extent of wine trade and Celtic wealth
ID: 5365
547 BC
ID: 3625
Cyrus conquers Lydia - defeats Croesus, controls Asia Minor, invents postal system
ID: 3625
547 BC
ID: 5907
Croesus receives fatal prophecy - 'if you attack Persia, a great empire will fall' - attacks and destroys his own empire
ID: 5907
540s BC (10 events)
539 BC
ID: 2782
Belshazzar's feast - mysterious hand writes on wall, Daniel interprets 'Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin' - kingdom divided
ID: 2782
539 BC
ID: 2783
Fall of Babylon - Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon without battle, diverts Euphrates, enters under walls
ID: 2783
539 BC
ID: 2805
Cyrus Cylinder inscribed - proclaims religious tolerance, confirms biblical account of allowing exiles to return
ID: 2805
538 BC
ID: 2784
Cyrus Decree - allows Jews to return and rebuild Temple (Cyrus Cylinder confirms policy of repatriation)
ID: 2784
538 BC
ID: 2785
First return from exile - Zerubbabel leads 42,000 Jews back to Jerusalem, altar rebuilt
ID: 2785
538 BC
ID: 2806
Daniel's prophecy of seventy weeks - predicts coming of Messiah and destruction of city and sanctuary
ID: 2806
536 BC
ID: 2786
Second Temple foundation laid - old men weep remembering First Temple's glory, young rejoice
ID: 2786
534 BC
ID: 2644
Servian Constitution - Servius Tullius creates census, divides citizens into centuries by wealth for military service and voting
ID: 2644
534 BC
ID: 2787
Temple construction halted - Samaritan opposition and local resistance stop work for 16 years
ID: 2787
534 BC
ID: 5949
First tragedy performed at Dionysia - Thespis wins contest, theater born from Dionysian worship, goat sacrifice gives 'tragedy' (goat-song)
ID: 5949
530s BC (5 events)
530 BC
ID: 3626
Death of Cyrus the Great - killed fighting Massagetae, Cambyses II becomes king
ID: 3626
530 BC
ID: 5366
Hochdorf chieftain burial - Celtic prince buried with Greek bronze cauldron, drinking horns, shows wine symposium culture adopted by Celts
ID: 5366
525 BC
ID: 3627
Cambyses conquers Egypt - Persian Empire spans three continents
ID: 3627
522 BC
ID: 3628
Darius I seizes power - kills false Bardiya, reorganizes empire into satrapies
ID: 3628
522 BC
ID: 4652
Darius I proclaims Ahura Mazda support - Zoroastrianism becomes official Achaemenid religion
ID: 4652
520s BC (5 events)
520 BC
ID: 2788
Haggai and Zechariah prophesy - urge resumption of Temple building, work resumes under Darius I
ID: 2788
520 BC
ID: 3629
Behistun Inscription carved - Darius proclaims legitimacy in three languages, key to deciphering cuneiform
ID: 3629
520 BC
ID: 5950
Pythagorean mysteries established - mathematical mysticism, music of spheres, reincarnation, bizarre taboos (never eat beans!), secret society
ID: 5950
515 BC
ID: 2789
Second Temple completed - dedicated in sixth year of Darius, Passover celebrated with joy
ID: 2789
515 BC
ID: 3630
Darius begins Persepolis construction - ceremonial capital, architectural masterpiece
ID: 3630
510s BC (4 events)
510 BC
ID: 5916
Sibyl of Cumae offers nine books of prophecy to Tarquin - king refuses price, she burns three, offers six for same price, burns three more, he buys last three at original price
ID: 5916
509 BC
ID: 226
Roman Republic established - Tarquin the Proud expelled, consuls replace kings
ID: 226
509 BC
ID: 2645
Roman Republic established - Tarquin the Proud expelled after son rapes Lucretia, Brutus becomes first consul, monarchy abolished forever
ID: 2645
508 BC
ID: 225
Cleisthenes establishes Athenian democracy - creates 10 tribes, Council of 500, ostracism to prevent tyranny
ID: 225
500s BC (10 events)
500 BC
ID: 261
Laozi writes Tao Te Ching (traditional date) - way of nature, wu wei (non-action), yin-yang
ID: 261
500 BC
ID: 2619
Celtic peoples established in Britain - Iron Age culture brings hillforts, artistic metalwork, druidism
ID: 2619
500 BC
ID: 3661
Celtic expansion at height - Celts spread from Ireland to Turkey, distinctive art and culture
ID: 3661
500 BC
ID: 4453
Chinese develop suanpan abacus - more advanced with 2 beads above bar and 5 below, enables hexadecimal calculation
ID: 4453
500 BC
ID: 5319
Laurion silver strike saves Athens - rich vein discovered, Themistocles convinces assembly to build 200 warships instead of distributing windfall
ID: 5319
500 BC
ID: 5367
Celtic wine consumption peaks - Diodorus describes Celts drinking wine unmixed (barbaric to Greeks), trading slave for amphora of wine
ID: 5367
500 BC
ID: 5420
Cult of Liber (Bacchus) established - Roman wine god, Liberalia festival celebrates first wine tasting by young men
ID: 5420
500 BC
ID: 5753
Persian King Darius I completes Red Sea canal - 'I ordered this canal to be dug from Nile to sea which goes to Persia'
ID: 5753
500 BC
ID: 5917
Sibylline Books housed in Temple of Jupiter - consulted only in grave crises by special priests (quindecemviri), guide Rome through disasters
ID: 5917
500 BC
ID: 5951
Maenads tear apart men - women in Dionysian frenzy reportedly dismember Pentheus of Thebes, drink wine, handle snakes, eat raw flesh
ID: 5951