The Archaic Period Timeline

Writings and Colonisation

Period: 800 BCE to 700 BCE

The Iliad and The Odyssey are written down. Greek colonization begins in the Black Sea, North Africa, Southern Italy, Sicily, France and Spain.

Traditional date for the first historic Olympic

776 BCE

Originally a celebration or a festival for Zeus, king of Greek Gods who lived on Mount Olympus. The Olympic Games were a series of competitions between representatives of city states.

Polydorus becomes King of Sparta

754 BCE

Polydorus was the 10th Agiad king of Sparta, and was known for changing the constitution of Sparta so that the king and the Gerousia (28 chosen men above the age of 60) could veto decisions made by the Spartan Apella (the male citizen body). He was also partly in charge of the First Messenian War which enslaved Sparta's many neighbours.

Perdiccas I of Macedon flees from Argos to Macedonia and conquers the land.

735 BCE

Perdiccas I was the king of the kingdom of Macedonia. Argos was a powerful rival of Sparta for dominance over the Peloponnese.

Polydorus sends colonists to Italy

734 BCE

First Messenian War

Period: 734 BCE to 724 BCE

War between Messenia and Sparta caused by a dispute between them during a festival at the temple of Artemis Limnatis around 768 BC. The Spartans won the war and defeated Messemians were enslaved if not fled to other states. Land ownership was transferred from Messenia to Sparta.

Lelantine War between Chalcis and Eretria

725 BCE

Conflict between Greek city states Chalcis and Eretria due to the struggle of the fertile Lelantine plain on the island of Euboea, between Chalcis and Eretria. Due to the economic importance of these two poleis, the conflict spread considerably with many other city states joining the war. Defeated Eretria list its political and economic importance.

Polydorus, king of Sparta, is murdered by Polymarchus.

719 BCE

Taras in southern Italy founded as a Spartan colony

706 BCE

Colonised as part of the wave of Greek colonisation. Founded by Spartan hero Phalanthus. The first colonists were also said to be the offspring of Spartan women and helots, the semi-enslaved agricultural workers who served their Spartan masters.

Pheidon becomes tyrant of Argos.

690 BCE

Pheidon was considered as a vigorous leader who greatly increased Argo's power.

Second Messenian War

Period: 685 BCE to 668

Conflict between the ancient Greek city-states of Sparta and Messenia, which attempted to regain its independence after having been conquered in the First Messenian War. The conflict ended with another Spartan victory, strengthening its position among the other city-states. After the defeat of First Messenian War, Messenians were made into Helots and serfs. Due to a large population of slaves in Spartan society, revolts of slaves has always been a major problem.

Sparta defeated by Argos at the battle of Hysiai

669 BCE

During the second Messenian war,

Cypselus subjects Corinth to tyranny.

656 BCE

Cypselus was the first tyrant of Corinth in 7th century BC. With increased wealth and more complicated trade relations and social structures, Greek city-states tended to overthrow their traditional hereditary priest-kings. Cypselus, usurped power, became tyrant and expelled the former traditional king.

Spartan wars with Tegea were all unsuccessful

Period: 645 BCE to 560 BCE

Tegea was froced to become a Spartan ally when Spartans became more ambitious in the Peloponnese area. There were several attempts for Tegea to break free from Sparta's control but were all unsuccessful. When Sparta was defeated by Thebes at the Battle of Leuctra, Tegea gained more political power.

Battus establishes a Greek colony in Cyrene in Libya

642 BCE

Battus was the founder of the ancient Greek colony Cyrene.

Cylon, Athenian noble, seizes Acropolis and tries to make himself king, fails.

632 BCE

The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel, a core fortified area of a town. Cylon was one of the Athenian nobles.

Draco, Athenian lawgiver, issues code of laws, with many crimes punishable by death.

621 BCE

Draco was the first recorded legislator of Athens in Ancient Greece. He replaced the prevailing system of oral law and blood feud by a written code to be enforced only by a court of law. Draco was the first democratic legislator, requested by the Athenian citizens to be a lawgiver for the city-state,

Solon, Athenian statesman, becomes Archon.

594 BCE

In ancient Greece the chief magistrate in various Greek city states was called eponymous archon. He is remembered particularly for his efforts to legislate against political, economic and moral decline in archaic Athens.

Sappho, Greek poet, flourishes on island of Lesbos.

590 BCE

Sappho was an Archaic Greek poet from the island of Lesbos. Sappho is known for her lyric poetry.

Pythagoras is born

569 BCE

Pythagoras was an ancient Ionian Greek philosopher and the founder of Pythagoreanism. His political and religious teachings were well known influenced the philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, and, through them, Western philosophy.

Peisistratos, Athenian general, organizes Diakrioi, party of poor people.

565 BCE

Peisistratos was a ruler in ancient Athens.

Sparta defeats Argos. Peloponnesian League created.

550 BCE

Battle of 300 Champions...

546 BCE

Persian Cambyses II, son of Cyrus the Great takes Egypt.

525 BCE

Cambyses II, son of Cyrus the Great, ruled the Achaemenid Empire from 530 until his death in 522 BC.

Hippias becomes sole ruler after the death of Hipparchus

515 BCE

Hippias of Athens was one of the sons of Peisistratus, and was the last tyrant of Athens between about 527 BC and 510 BC, when Cleomenes I of Sparta successfully invaded Athens and forced Hippias to leave Athens.

Cleisthenes, Greek reformer, takes power, increases democracy.

507 BCE

Cleisthenes was an ancient Athenian lawgiver credited with reforming the constitution of ancient Athens and setting it on a democracy. For these accomplishments, historians refer to him as "the father of Athenian democracy."

Themistocles and Miltiades, Athenians, defeat Darius at Marathon, Phidippides runs with news.

490 BCE

Themistocles was an Athenian politician and general. He rose to prominence in the early years of the Athenian democracy. He was a populist and had the support of lower-class Athenians. Miltiades was an Athenian General. They defeated Darius at the Battle of Marathon, fought between the citizens of Athens and a Persian force. The battle was the result of Persian King Darius I to subjugate Greece. The Greek army defeated the more numerous Persians, as a turning point in the Greco-Persian Wars.