500–401 BC47 events11 regions
5th century BC
In the 5th century BC: 47 events across 11 regions, including Xerxes invades Greece: Thermopylae, Salamis and Plataea, The Buddha teaches in the Ganges valley, Herodotus writes the Histories.
Events
Western and Central Europe
- Hallstatt culture: the Early Iron Age of Central Europec. 800 BC – c. 450 BC
- First secession of the plebs and the first tribunes494 BC (?)
- Princely burial at Vix and the Vix kraterbetween 510 and 470 BC
- Battle of Himera480 BC
- Battle of Cumae: Syracuse breaks Etruscan sea power474 BC
- The Law of the Twelve Tablesbetween 451 and 449 BC
- The Athenian expedition to Sicily415 BC – September 413 BC
- Rome besieges and takes Veii406–396 BC
- Tyranny of Dionysius I in Syracuse405–367 BC
- La Tène culture: the Celtic Iron Age north of the Alpsc. 450 BC – between 100 BC and AD 15
Eastern Europe
- The Archaeanactids unite the Greek cities of the Bosporusbetween 480 and 479 BC – between 438 and 437 BC
- Herodotus describes the Scythians and the fate of King Scylesbetween 455 and 425 BC
- Heraclea Pontica founds Chersonesus in Crimeabetween 422 and 421 BC
Balkans and Anatolia
- The Ionian Revolt against Persia499–493 BC
- Battle of Marathonbetween August and September 490 BC
- Xerxes invades Greece: Thermopylae, Salamis and Plataea480–479 BC
- Founding of the Delian Leaguebetween 478 and 477 BC
- Teres and Sitalces build the Odrysian kingdom of Thracec. 480 BC – 424 BC
- Building of the Parthenon447–432 BC
- Herodotus writes the Historiesbetween 445 and 425 BC
- The Plague of Athens430 BC – between 427 and 426 BC
- The Peloponnesian War431–404 BC
Middle East and Egypt
- Babylon revolts against Xerxes484 BC
- Inaros' revolt and the Athenian expedition to Egyptc. 460 BC – c. 454 BC
- Nehemiah rebuilds the walls of Jerusalembetween 445 and 444 BC – between 433 and 432 BC
- The Murashu firm of Nippurbetween 455 and 454 BC – between 404 and 403 BC
- The temple of Yahu at Elephantine is destroyedJuly 410 BC
- Amyrtaeus ends Persian rule in Egypt404 BC
- Battle of Cunaxa and the march of the Ten Thousand401 BC
Africa
- Hanno's voyage along the Atlantic coast of Africabetween 550 and 450 BC
- Arcesilaus IV and the end of the Battiad monarchy in Cyrene465 BC – c. 440 BC
- Reign of Harsiotef, king of Kushc. 404 BC – c. 369 BC
Central and Northern Asia
- Aldy-Bel culture of Tuvabetween 800 and 700 BC – c. 500 BC
South Asia
- Mahavira attains nirvana at Pavapuribetween 527 and 425 BC
- The Buddha teaches in the Ganges valleybetween 531 and 413 BC – between 486 and 368 BC
East Asia
- Fuchai of Wu digs the Han canal between the Yangtze and the Huai486 BC
- The war of Wu and Yue: from Zuili to the fall of Wu496–473 BC
- Death of Confucius479 BC
- Battle of Jinyang: the three houses destroy the Zhi455–453 BC
- Burial of Marquis Yi of Zeng with his bronze bellsc. 433 BC
- Mozi founds the Mohist schoolbetween 450 and 400 BC
- The Zhou king recognises Han, Zhao and Wei: the partition of Jin403 BC
Southeast Asia and Oceania
- Lapita cultural complexc. 1600 BC – c. 500 BC
North America
- Meadowood interaction spherec. 1050 BC – c. 450 BC
Latin America
- Chalcatzingo at its height700–500 BC
- Founding of Monte Albánc. 500 BC
- The Chupícuaro culture of the Lerma riverbetween 600 and 400 BC – between 200 and 250
Still going on
Processes that began earlier and continued through this period
- Tichitt tradition of the Mauritanian escarpmentsc. 2000 BC – c. 400 BC · Africa
- Gajiganna culture of the Lake Chad plainsc. 1800 BC – between 500 and 1 BC · Africa
- Painted Grey Ware culturec. 1200 BC – between 600 and 500 BC · South Asia
- Chorrera culture of Ecuadorc. 1300 BC – c. 300 BC · Latin America
- Koban culture of the Caucasusc. 1200 BC – c. 350 BC · Eastern Europe
- 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
- Temple centre of Chavín de Huántarbetween 1200 and 900 BC – between 500 and 250 BC · Latin America
- La Venta becomes the leading Olmec centrec. 900 BC – c. 400 BC · Latin America
- Tasmola culture of central Kazakhstanc. 800 BC – c. 400 BC · Central and Northern Asia
- Polynesian Plainware phase in Tongac. 750 BC – c. 400 BC · Southeast Asia and Oceania
- 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
- The sixteen great realms: the age of the mahajanapadasc. 600 BC – c. 345 BC · South Asia
- 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
- 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
- The Urewe tradition: pottery and early iron-working in the Great Lakes regionbetween 800 and 500 BC – between 600 and 800 · Africa