-
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. -
490 BCE
First Persian War
The First Persian war began when Persia sent an invasion force into Athens in retaliation for its participation in a Greek raid on Persia. -
490 BCE
Battle of Marathon
The Greeks defeated the Persians in the Battle of Marathon. -
480 BCE
Second Persian War
The Second Persian war began when Persia’s King Xerxes led an invasion force into Greece. -
432 BCE
Parthenon completed
The Parthenon was completed. The temple was built in Athens to house a statue of Goddess Athena so that she could watch over the city -
404 BCE
Peloponnesian Wars
Athens lost the Peloponnesian Wars. The Athenian democratic government was removed and replaced by a ruling body of 30 tyrants. -
399 BCE
socrates
The philosopher Socrates, founder of philosophy, was charged with impiety (being disrespectful to the Gods) he was found guilty and executed. -
347 BCE
plato
The philosopher, Plato, student of Socrates, founder of The Academy and author of The Republic died in Athens. -
338 BCE
League of Corinth
The League of Corinth, a federation of Greek states, was founded by Philip II to boost support against Persia. -
336 BCE
Alexander the Great
Philip II, King of Macedon was assassinated – his son Alexander became King of Macedon. He was later known as Alexander the Great -
331 BCE
Egypt
Alexander conquered Egypt and made Alexandria the capital of his newly gained land -
146 BCE
Roman Empire
The Romans defeated the Greeks at the Battle of Corinth and Greece became part of the Roman Empire
