ARCHAIC GREECE

8th century

Emigration and colonization of Mediterranean

776 First Olympic Games

Homer's Iliad and Odyssey

7th century

"Tyrants" gain control over many poleis

Archilochos; Mimnermos; Sappho

Reforms of "Lycourgos" in Sparta

6th century

594 Reforms of Solon in Athens

first "physicists": Thales, Xenophanes, etc.

546 Croesus of Lydia defeated by Cyrus of Persia

534: Thespis' first tragedy

508 Reforms of Kleisthenes in Athens

CLASSICAL ATHENS

5th century

490 Dareios defeated at battle of Marathon

476 Pindar's Olympian 1

480 Xerxes defeated at battle of Salamis

450's-420's Herodotus' Histories

443-429 Pericles strategos in Athens

447-405 Acropolis built up

431 Peloponnesian War breaks out between Sparta, Athens, and their allies

435-411 Thucydides' History [of the Peloponnesian War]

431 Euripides' Medea

423: Aristophanes' Clouds

411: Aristophanes' Lysistrata

406 Battle of Arginoussai: Athens wins but executes its generals

404 Athens unconditionally surrenders

4th century

399 Execution of Socrates

387 Plato's "Academy"

371 Battle of Leuktra: Sparta no longer invincible

362 Battle of Mantineia: general stalemate, as Greek poleis wear each other out

338 Philip of Macedonia ends Greek independence

335 Aristotle's "Lyceum"

336-323 Campaigns of Alexander the Great: Greek soldiers reach India

322 Battle of Krannon: Athens' revolt fails and democracy is abolished

HELLENISTIC GREECE

316 Menander's Grouch

307 Epicurus' "Garden"