Greek History

1600 BC

1600 BCE

Greek civilization started around 1600 BC with the beginning of Mycenaean period.

ottoman

1453 BCE

The Ottoman Turks capture Constantinople and topple the Byzantium Empire. Greece becomes part of the Ottoman Empire.

Trojan War

1250 BCE

he Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and has been narrated through many works of Greek literature, most notably Homer's Iliad.

Dorian Invaders

1100 BCE

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.

Formation of Greek city-states

1000 BCE

The formation of Greek city states began with the Mycenaean civilization. By 500 BC, many more civilizations would later form around the area in Greece. These city states are later going to be relevant to the Persian Wars because most city states choose either the Persian or Greek side in the war.

The first Olympic game

776 BCE

Although the ancient Games were staged in Olympia, Greece, from 776 BC through 393 AD, it took 1503 years for the Olympics to return.

greek alphabet

750 BCE

Most specialists believe that the Phoenician alphabet was adopted for Greek during the early 8th century BC, perhaps in Euboea. The earliest known fragmentary Greek inscriptions date from this time, 770–750 BC, and they match Phoenician letter forms of c. 800–750 BC.

Sparta creates a military centered city state

725 BCE

The Spartan city state in ancient Greece had always strongly emphasized military. Everyone in Sparta was put through military school, and everything in Sparta was determined by military state. This devotion to a strong military would later aid them in the Pelopennisian and Persian wars.

Greeks create a strong water based military

725 BCE

Greece was a water based civilization. This geography caused the Greeks to learn to live off of the water. They created a strong navy and became good fighters at sea. During the Persian War this skill will help them defeat the Persians.

The Rise of the Greek Tyrants

650 BCE

The Tyrants were the oppressive rulers in Greece. The most popular tyrannies were those founded by Orthagoras at Sicyon and Cypselus at Corinth in about 650 bc. The most famous tyrants of Asiatic Greece was Thrasybulus of Miletus.

Draco’s Code of Law

621 BCE

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.

Coin Currency introduced

600 BCE

The first known coins were introduced in either Ionia in Asia Minor or Lydia at some time before 600 BC. The Greeks wanted to have payments that were authenticated. These coins were made of an alloy of gold and silver known as electrum. It was present in abundance and was highly priced.

Battle of Marathon

490 BCE

The Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC, during the first Persian invasion of Greece. It was fought between the citizens of Athens, aided by Plataea, and a Persian force commanded by Datis and Artaphernes. The battle was the culmination of the first attempt by Persia, under King Darius I, to subjugate Greece.

Battle of Thermopylae

480 BCE

The Battle of Thermopylae was fought between an alliance of Greek city-states, led by King Leonidas of Sparta, and the Persian Empire of Xerxes I over the course of three days, during the second Persian invasion of Greece.

Battle of Salamis

480 BCE

The Battle of Salamis was a naval battle fought between an alliance of Greek city-states under Themistocles and the Persian Empire under King Xerxes in 480 BC which resulted in a decisive victory for the outnumbered Greeks.

Battle of Himera

480 BCE

The Battle of Himera (480 BC), supposedly fought on the same day as the more famous Battle of Salamis, or at the same time as the Battle of Thermopylae, saw the Greek forces of Gelon, King of Syracuse

Greco-Persian Wars

449 BCE

The Greco-Persian Wars were a series of conflicts between the Achaemenid Empire and Greek city-states that started in 499 BC and lasted until 449 BC.

Age of Pericles

445 BCE

Pericles was a great orator, and this quality of his brought him tremendous success in the Assembly. He introduced several reforms, among which the entry of thetes was allowed in public office.

Parthenon completed

432 BCE

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.

Peloponnesian War

431 BCE

The Peloponnesian War was an ancient Greek war fought by the Delian League led by Athens against the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta. Historians have traditionally divided the war into three phases

Bubonic Plague in Athens

430 BCE

The horrible Plague of Athens was an epidemic which wrecked every corner of the Athens in ancient Greece. It is said to have entered through city’s port and the only source of food and supplies; Piraeus.

League of Corinth

338 BCE

The League of Corinth, a federation of Greek states, was founded by Philip II to boost support against Persia.

Alexander the Great came into power

336 BCE

Alexander III of Macedon, widely known as Alexander the Great, was the son of King Philip II of Macedon. He became king after his father’s death in 336 BCE. Under his kingship, he took on to conquer almost the whole world known during his days.

Alexander defeats Persia and Egypt

334 BCE

Alexander the Great was the son of Phillip II, and student of the philosopher, Aristotle. Alexander was a strong military leader and ruthless politician. He used his ruling power to invade Persia and Egypt, taking their land for his empire. Alexander was very successful in explanding the Macedonian empire and culture. Eventually the basis of hellenism will come from Alexander's conquests.

Battle of Corinth

146 BCE

The Battle of Corinth was a battle fought between the Roman Republic and the Greek city-state of Corinth and its allies in the Achaean League in 146 BC, which resulted in the complete and total destruction of Corinth. This battle marked the beginning of the period of Roman domination in Greek history.

Roman Empire

146 BCE

The Romans defeated the Greeks at the Battle of Corinth and Greece became part of the Roman Empire

Invasion of Romans

146

As the King Attalus III left all his territories to the Romans in his will, the Kingdom of Pergamon fell into the Roman hands during 133 BC. Finding it hard to take claim over the same revolts took place, and it was decided that Pergamon was to be divided among Rome, Pontus, and Cappadocia.

Mycenaean Greece

1600

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

Greek war of independence

1821

The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution, was a successful war of independence waged by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1830

Greco-Turkish War

1992

The Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922 was fought between Greece and the Turkish National Movement during the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire after World War I between May 1919 and October 1922.