greece timeline

By kcoll
  • 2000 BCE

    First Settlers

    Wandering tribes begin to settle in Greece
  • 1600 BCE

    Mycenaean Greece

    Bronze Age Greece was inhabited by the Mycenaean people. They took their name from the capital city of their land, Mycenae.
  • 1194 BCE

    Trojan War

    The Trojan war between the Greeks and the Trojans (inhabitants of Troy) began
  • 1184 BCE

    Trojan War

    The Trojan war ended when the Greeks used a wooden horse to invade and overrun the Trojan city of Troy
  • 1100 BCE

    Dorian Invaders

    Mycenaean Greece was invaded by Dorian tribesmen from the north. The Dorians had iron weapons which they use to good effect to defeat and conquer the Mycenaeans.
  • 850 BCE

    Alphabet

    The Greek alphabet was developed from the Phoenician alphabet.
  • 800 BCE

    Homer

    Homer composed his poems – the Iliad and the Odyssey. The Iliad is an epic poem set in the Trojan War while the Odyssey tells the story of the adventures of Odysseus on his return from the Trojan war.
  • 776 BCE

    First Olympic Games

    First recorded Olympic games. The games were held at Olympia. There was one event – the men’s 200m sprint.
  • 743 BCE

    First Messenian War

    This was a disagreement between the Messenians and the Spartans that led to war
  • 724 BCE

    First Messenian War

    The first Messenian war ended in victory for the Spartans
  • 650 BCE

    Rise of the Tyrants

    The rule of aristocratic leaders was challenged by lesser aristocrats or wealthy tradesmen who wanted to overthrow the monopoly of the aristocrats. Known as tyrants they seized power from the aristocracy and took over rule in their stead.
  • 621 BCE

    Draco’s Code of Law

    The laws of Athens had previously been a set of oral laws. Draco introduced a new set of harsher laws which were written down for all to read. For many crimes the punishment was death.
  • 600 BCE

    Money

    The first Greek coins appeared.
  • 508 BCE

    Democracy

    Democracy began in Athens.
  • 495 BCE

    Pythagoras

    The philosopher and mathematician, Pythagoras, died in Metapontum.