400–301 BC96 events10 regions
4th century BC
In the 4th century BC: 96 events across 10 regions, including The reforms of Shang Yang in Qin, Alexander's conquest of the Persian Empire, Chandragupta Maurya founds the Maurya Empire.
Events
Western and Central Europe
- Rome besieges and takes Veii406–396 BC
- Siege of Motyabetween 398 and 397 BC
- The Gauls sack Romebetween 390 and 386 BC
- Tyranny of Dionysius I in Syracuse405–367 BC
- Licinian–Sextian laws: plebeians win the consulship367 BC
- Voyage of Pytheas to Britain and Thulebetween 330 and 310 BC
- The Samnite Wars343–290 BC
- Appius Claudius builds the Via Appia and the Aqua Appia312 BC
Eastern Europe
- Koban culture of the Caucasusc. 1200 BC – c. 350 BC
- Royal Scythian burial at Solokhabetween 400 and 370 BC
- Leucon I and the Bosporan grain tradebetween 389 and 388 BC – between 349 and 348 BC
- Zopyrion's siege of Olbiabetween 331 and 325 BC
- Bosporan civil war and the battle of the Thatisbetween 311 and 308 BC
Balkans and Anatolia
- Trial and death of Socrates399 BC
- Corinthian War and the King's Peace395 BC – between 387 and 386 BC
- Plato founds the Academyc. 387 BC
- Earthquake and wave destroy Helike373 BC
- Battle of LeuctraJuly 371 BC
- Birth of Alexander III of Macedon356 BC
- The Mausoleum at Halicarnassusbetween 353 and 351 BC
- Reign of Philip II: Macedon becomes a great power359 BC – October 336 BC
- Aristotle teaches the young Alexander at Miezac. 343 BC – c. 340 BC
- Alexander, as regent, subdues the Maedi and founds Alexandropolisbetween 340 and 339 BC
- Battle of ChaeroneaAugust 338 BC
- Quarrel at Philip's wedding to Cleopatra; Alexander withdraws to Illyriabetween 338 and 337 BC
- Philip II is murdered at Aegae; Alexander becomes king336 BC
- The Greeks recognise Alexander as leader of the League of Corinthbetween 336 and 335 BC
- Alexander's Balkan campaign335–335 BC
- Alexander crosses the Danube against the Getae335 BC
- Alexander defeats Cleitus and Glaucias at Pelion335 BC
- Revolt and destruction of Thebes335 BC
- Aristotle opens his school at the Lyceumbetween 335 and 334 BC
- Alexander crosses the Hellespont into Asia334 BC
- Alexander at Ilium: sacrifices at Troy and the tomb of Achilles334 BC
- Battle of the Granicus334 BC
- Sardis surrenders to Alexander334 BC
- Alexander at Ephesus: the oligarchy overthrown and orders for the Greek cities334 BC
- Siege of Miletus334 BC
- Alexander disbands his fleet334 BC
- Siege of Halicarnassus334 BC
- Ada of Caria adopts Alexander and is restored to rule Caria334 BC
- Alexander's winter campaign in Lycia, Pamphylia and Pisidia334–333 BC
- Arrest of Alexander of Lyncestisbetween 334 and 333 BC
- Alexander at Gordium: the Gordian knot333 BC
- Memnon's Aegean counteroffensive and death333 BC
- Battle of IssusNovember 333 BC
- Battle of Ipsus301 BC
- Zeno of Citium founds the Stoic school in Athensbetween 301 and 300 BC – between 263 and 261 BC
Middle East and Egypt
- Artaxerxes II invokes Anahita and Mithrabetween 404 and 358 BC
- The 30th Dynasty: Egypt's last native pharaohs380 BC – between 343 and 339 BC
- The Samaria papyri: deeds of a Persian provincebetween 375 and 370 BC – 335 BC
- Artaxerxes III reconquers Egyptbetween 343 and 339 BC
- Siege of Gaza332–332 BC
- Siege of Tyrec. 332 BC – between July and August 332 BC
- Egypt surrenders to Alexander: Pelusium, Memphis and the settlement of the countryc. 332 BC – 331 BC
- Alexander visits the oracle of Ammon at Siwabetween 332 and 331 BC
- Alexander founds Alexandriabetween 332 and 331 BC
- Battle of Gaugamela1 October 331 BC
- Babylon surrenders to AlexanderOctober 331 BC
- Alexander enters Susa and takes the royal treasurybetween November and December 331 BC
- Battle of the Persian Gatebetween December 331 BC and January 330 BC
- Alexander takes Persepolis and its treasurybetween December 331 BC and January 330 BC
- Burning of the palaces of Persepolis330 BC
- Alexander's conquest of the Persian Empire334 BC – June 323 BC
- Death of Alexander the Greatbetween 10 June and 11 June 323 BC
- Seleucus returns to Babylon: the Seleucid era beginsbetween 312 and 311 BC
- The Wars of the Diadochi: Alexander's empire dividedJune 323 BC – between 281 and 275 BC
Africa
- Tichitt tradition of the Mauritanian escarpmentsc. 2000 BC – c. 400 BC
- Reign of Harsiotef, king of Kushc. 404 BC – c. 369 BC
- Cyrene supplies grain to the Greek world in a faminebetween 330 and 326 BC
- Reign of Nastasen and his victory stelac. 335 BC – between 315 and 310 BC
- Ptolemy annexes Cyrene322 BC
- Agathocles carries the war to AfricaAugust 310 BC – 307 BC
Central and Northern Asia
- Tasmola culture of central Kazakhstanc. 800 BC – c. 400 BC
- Aramaic letters of the satrap of Bactria353–324 BC
- Alexander founds Alexandria Eschate329 BC
- Alexander's war in Bactria and Sogdiana329–327 BC
South Asia
- The sixteen great realms: the age of the mahajanapadasc. 600 BC – c. 345 BC
- Brahmi-inscribed sherds at Anuradhapurabetween 450 and 350 BC
- The Nanda kings rule Magadhabetween 364 and 344 BC – between 324 and 317 BC
- Battle of the Hydaspesbetween April and May 326 BC
- Chandragupta Maurya founds the Maurya Empirebetween 322 and 319 BC
- Seleucus and Chandragupta: war and treaty on the Indusbetween 305 and 303 BC
East Asia
- The reforms of Shang Yang in Qin356–350 BC
- Battle of Malingbetween 342 and 341 BC
- King Kuai of Yan abdicates and Qi invadesbetween 318 and 314 BC
- Mencius advises the kings of Liang and Qibetween 320 and 312 BC
- Qin conquers Shu and Ba316 BC
- The Jixia Academy at Linzibetween 375 and 318 BC – 284 BC
- King Wuling of Zhao adopts nomad dress and mounted archery307 BC
Southeast Asia and Oceania
- Polynesian Plainware phase in Tongac. 750 BC – c. 400 BC
- Khao Sam Kaeo: an early port on the Kra isthmusbetween 400 and 300 BC – c. 100 BC
- Buni culture on Java’s north coastc. 400 BC – c. 100
Latin America
- Temple centre of Chavín de Huántarbetween 1200 and 900 BC – between 500 and 250 BC
- La Venta becomes the leading Olmec centrec. 900 BC – c. 400 BC
- The Tumaco–La Tolita culture: the first platinum smithsc. 350 BC – c. 400
Still going on
Processes that began earlier and continued through this period
- Gajiganna culture of the Lake Chad plainsc. 1800 BC – between 500 and 1 BC · Africa
- Chorrera culture of Ecuadorc. 1300 BC – c. 300 BC · Latin America
- Nok culturec. 1500 BC – c. 1 BC · Africa
- From Pre-Dorset to Dorset in the eastern Arcticbetween 1000 and 850 BC – between 750 and 400 BC · North America
- Talaiotic culture of the Balearic Islandsbetween 1000 and 850 BC – 123 BC · Western and Central Europe
- Ananyino culture of the Volga and Kamabetween 750 and 700 BC – c. 300 BC · Eastern Europe
- Castro culture of north-western Iberiac. 900 BC – between 100 and 1 BC · Western and Central Europe
- Paracas culture of southern Perubetween 840 and 800 BC – c. 100 BC · Latin America
- Adena burial and mound-building traditionsc. 1000 BC – c. 100 · North America
- Dong Son culture and bronze-drum networksc. 1000 BC – c. 100 · Southeast Asia and Oceania
- Tagar culture of the Minusinsk Basinc. 800 BC – between 200 and 1 BC · Central and Northern Asia
- The Buddha teaches in the Ganges valleybetween 531 and 413 BC – between 486 and 368 BC · South Asia
- Sa Huỳnh culturec. 1000 BC – c. 200 · Southeast Asia and Oceania
- Pazyryk culture: frozen tombs of the Altaibetween 600 and 500 BC – between 300 and 201 BC · Central and Northern Asia
- Tchefuncte culture of the Lower Mississippic. 800 BC – c. 1 · North America
- Groswater Palaeo-Eskimo culture of Labrador and Newfoundlandbetween 850 and 800 BC – c. 50 · North America
- La Tène culture: the Celtic Iron Age north of the Alpsc. 450 BC – between 100 BC and AD 15 · Western and Central Europe
- The Chupícuaro culture of the Lerma riverbetween 600 and 400 BC – between 200 and 250 · Latin America
- Kaminaljuyu, highland Maya capital of the Late Preclassicbetween 400 and 100 BC – between 100 BC and AD 100 · Latin America
- The Urewe tradition: pottery and early iron-working in the Great Lakes regionbetween 800 and 500 BC – between 600 and 800 · Africa