Greek History

  • First Settlers
    2000 BCE

    First Settlers

    Wandering tribes begin to settle in Greece.
  • Mycenaean 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.
  • Trojan War
    1194 BCE

    Trojan War

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

    Trojan War

    The Trojan war ended when the Greeks used a wooden horse to invade and overrun the Trojan city of Troy The Trojan war ended when the Greeks used a wooden horse to invade and overrun the Trojan city of Troy.
  • Dorian Invaders
    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.
  • Alphabet
    850 BCE

    Alphabet

    The Greek alphabet was developed from the Phoenician alphabet.
  • Homer
    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.
  • First Olympic Games
    776 BCE

    First Olympic Games

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

    First Messenian War

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

    First Messenian War

    The first Messenian war ended in victory for the Spartans
  • Rise of the Tyrants
    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.
  • Draco’s Code of Law
    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.
  • Money
    600 BCE

    Money

    The first Greek coins appeared.
  • Pythagoras
    495 BCE

    Pythagoras

    The philosopher and mathematician, Pythagoras, died in Metapontum.
  • First Persian War
    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.