6th century BC
Encyclopedia : 6 : 6T : 6TH : 6th century BC
| Centuries: | 7th century BC - 6th century BC - 5th century BC |
| Decades: | 590s BC 580s 570s 560s 550s 540s 530s 520s 510s 500s BC |
(2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium)
The 6th century BC started on January 1, 600 BC and ended on December 31, 501 BC.
Overview
The 5th and 6th centuries BC were a time of empires, but more importantly, a time of learning and philosophy.
- Mediterranean: Beginning of Greek philosophy, flourishes during the 5th century BC.
- The late Hallstatt culture period in Eastern- and Central Europe, the late bronze age in Northern Europe.
- East Asia: Chinese philosophy become the "religion" of China. Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism, and Moism flourish, the so called Spring and Autumn Period in China.
- Middle East: During the Persian empire, Zoroaster, aka Zarathustra, founded Zoroastrianism, a dualistic philosophy.
- India: The Buddha and Mahavira found Buddhism and Jainism, challenging Hinduism and the caste system.
- The decline of the Olmec civilization in America.
Events
- 598 BC - Jehoiachin succeeds Jehoiakim as King of Judah.
- March 16, 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king.
- 595 BC - Psammetichus II succeeds Necho II as king of Egypt.
- 594 BC - Solon appointed archon of Athens; institutes democratic reforms.
- 590 BC - Egyptian army sacks Napata, compelling the Cushite court to move to a more secure location at Meroe near the sixth cataract. (Early history of Sudan)
- 589 BC - Apries succeeds Psammetichus II as king of Egypt.
- 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon begins siege of Jerusalem; the opera Nabucco sets the date at 587 BC.
- 587/586 BC - Jerusalem falls to the Babylonians, ending the Kingdom of Judah. The conquerors destroy the Temple of Jerusalem and exile the land's remaining inhabitants. Babylonian Captivity for the Jews began.
- 586 BC - Death of Zhou ding wang, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
- May 28, 585 BC - A solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Thales, while Alyattes II is battling Cyaxares. This leads to a truce. This is one of the cardinal dates from which other dates can be calculated.
- 585/584 BC - Astyages succeeds Cyaxares as King of the Medes.
- 585 BC - Zhou jian wang becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
- 582 BC - Pythian Games founded at Delphi. (traditional date)
- 580 BC - Cambyses I succeeds Cyrus I as king of Anshan and head of the Achaemenid dynasty. (approximate date)
- 580 BC - Isthmian Games founded at Corinth. (traditional date)
- 579 BC - Servius Tullius succeeds the assassinated Lucius Tarquinius Priscus as king of Rome. (traditional date)
- 573 BC - Nemean Games founded at Nemea. (traditional date)
- 572 BC - Death of Zhou jian wang, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
- 571 BC - Zhou ling wang becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
- 570 BC - Amasis II succeeds Apries as king of Egypt.
- 568 BC - Amtalqa succeeds his brother Aspelta as king of Kush.
- 562 BC - Amel-Marduk succeeds Nebuchadnezzar as king of Babylon.
- 560 BC - Neriglissar succeeds Amel-Marduk as king of Babylon.
- 560/561 BC - Croesus becomes king of Lydia.
- 560 BC - Pisistratus seizes the Acropolis of Athens and declares himself tyrant. He is deposed in the same year.
- 550s BC - Carthage conquers Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica.
- 559 BC - King Cambyses I of Anshan dies and is succeeded by his son Cyrus II the Great.
- 558 BC - Hegesias removed as Archon of Athens.
- 558 BC - The Chinese state of Jin defeats its rival Qin in battle.
- 556 BC - Pisistratus is exiled from Athens to Euboea.
- 556 BC - Labashi-Marduk succeeds Neriglissar as king of Babylon.
- 556/555 BC - Nabonidus succeeds Labashi-Marduk as king of Babylon.
- 550 BC - Abdera is destroyed by the Thracians.
- 550 BC - Cyrus of Anshan overthrows Astyages of the Medes, establishing the Persian Empire.
- 547 BC -- Croesus, Lydian king, is defeated by Cyrus of Persia near the River Halys.
- 546 BC -- Cyrus of Persia completes his conquest of Lydia, and makes Pasargadae his capital.
- 544 BC -- People of Teos migrate to Abdera, Thrace to escape the yoke of Persia.
- 544 BC -- Zhou Jing Wang becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
- 543 BC -- North Indian Prince Vijaya invades Ceylon and establishes a Sinhalese dynasty.
- 543 BC -- Pisistratus, tyrant of Athens, purifies the island of Delos (approximate date).
- 540 BC -- Greek city of Elea of southern Italy founded (approximate date).
- 540 BC -- Persians conquer Lycian city of Xanthos now in southern Turkey (approximate date).
- 539 BC - Babylon is conquered by Cyrus the Great, defeating Nabonidus.
- c. 538 BC - Return of some Jews from Babylonian exile who build the Second Temple about seventy years after the destruction of the First Temple, from 520 BC–516 BC.
- 537 BC - Jews transported to Babylon are allowed to return to Jerusalem, bringing to a close the Babylonian captivity.
- 536 BC - According to tradition, the Biblical prophet Daniel receives an angelic visitor. see [Daniel 10:4]
- 534 BC - Lucius Tarquinius Superbus becomes king of Rome.
- 534 BC - Competitions for tragedy are instituted at the City Dionysia festival in Athens.
- 530 BC - Cambyses II succeeds Cyrus as King of Persia.
- 528 BC - Gautama Buddha attained Enlightenment, and began his ministry. Gautama Buddha founds Buddhism in India. It becomes a major world religion.
- 526 BC - Psammetichus III succeeds Amasis II as king of Egypt.
- 525 BC - Cambyses II, ruler of Persia, conquers Egypt, defeating Psammetichus III. This is considered the end of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty, and the start of the Twenty-seventh Dynasty.
- 522 BC - Smerdis succeeds Cambyses II as ruler of Persia.
- 522 BC - Babylon rebels against Persian rule.
- 521 BC - Darius I succeeds Smerdis as ruler of Persia.
- 521 BC - The Babylonian rebellion against Persian rule is suppressed.
- 520 BC - Zhou dao wang becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China but dies before the end of the year.
- 520 BC - Cleomenes I succeeds Anaxandridas as king of Sparta. (approximate date).
- 519 BC - Zhou Jing Wang becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
- 516 BC - Indian subcontinent - Occupation of Punjab is completed by the Persian King Gustasp.
- March 12, 515 BC - Construction is completed on the Temple in Jerusalem.
- 514 BC - King Helu of Wu establishes "Great City of Helu", the ancient name for Suzhou, as his capital in China.
- 513 BC - Darius the Great subdues the Getae and east Thrace in his war against the Scythians.
- 510 BC - Hippias, son of Pisistratus and tyrant of Athens, is expelled by a popular revolt supported by Cleomenes I, King of Sparta and his forces.
- 510 BC - End of reign of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, last king of the traditional seven Kings of Rome.
- 510 BC - Establishment of the Roman Republic.
- 510 BC - Demaratus succeeds Ariston as king of Sparta. (approximate date)
- September 13, 509 BC - The temple of Jupiter on Rome's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September.
- 508 BC - Office of pontifex maximus created in Rome.
- 507 BC - Cleisthenes, Greek reformer, takes power and increases democracy.
- 506 BC - Battle of Bai ju: Forces of the Kingdom of Wu under Sun Tzu defeat the forces of Chu.
- 505 BC - First pair of Roman consuls elected.
- December 4, 502 BC - Solar eclipse darkens Egypt. (computed, no clear historical record of observation)
- 502 BC - The Latin League defeats the Etruscans under Lars Porsenna at Aricia.
- 502 BC - Naxos rebels against Persian domination sparking the Ionian Revolt.
- 501 BC - Cleisthenes reforms democracy in Athens.
- 501 BC - Naxos is attacked by the Persian Empire.
- 501 BC - In response to threats by the Sabines, Rome creates the office of dictator.
- 501 BC - Confucius is appointed governor of Chung-tu.
- 501 BC - Gadir (present-day Cádiz) is captured by Carthage. (approximate date)
- 500 BC - Bantu-speaking people migrate into south-west Uganda from the west. (approximate date)
- 500 BC - Refugees from Teos resettle Abdera.
- 500 BC - Darius I of Persia proclaims that Aramaic be the official language of the western half of his empire.
- 500 BC - Signifies the end of the Nordic Bronze Age civilization in Oscar Montelius periodization system and begins the Pre-Roman Iron Age.
- 500 BC - Foundation of first republic in Vaishali Bihar India.
- 500s BC - The Gutaii tribe began around this time, in Middle and Southern Africa.
- Persians dominate eastern Mediterranean.
- The Persians under Darius I and later Cyrus invade Transoxiana.
- Carthage's merchant empire slowly dominates the western Mediterranean.
- Tao Te Ching written (traditional date).
- Confucius formulates his ethical system of Confucianism, which proves highly influential in China.
- The Sinhalese emigrate to Sri Lanka.
- Apparent writing of the Book of Psalms.
- The prophet Lehi, according to the Book of Mormon, leaves Jerusalem and settles in North America.
- Abkhazia is colonized by the Greeks.
- The celtic Bruthin or Priteni, invade Britain and Ireland the British Isles some time before the 5th century BC.
- Emergence of the Proto-Germanic Jastorf culture.
Significant persons
- Mahavira of Vaishali, founder of Jainism, (599 BC–527 BC).
- 580s BC - Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylon.
- Anaximenes of Miletus, Greek philosopher (585 BC-525 BC).
- Pythagoras of Samos, Greek mathematician. See Pythagorean theorem. (582 BC–496 BC).
- 580 BC - Death of Cyrus I of Anshan (approximate date).
- Cyrus the Great, king of Persia (576 BC–July, 529 BC, reigned 559 BC–July, 529 BC).
- May, 563 BC - Birth of Siddhartha Gautama, later known as Gautama Buddha in Lumbini, Nepal. Died May, 483 BC.
- 563 BC - Queen Maya, mother of Siddhartha Gautama, dies seven days after giving birth.
- 562 BC - Death of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (approximate date).
- Pisistratus, Tyrant of Athens in 561 BC, 559 BC–556 BC and 546 BC–528 BC. Died 527 BC.
- 560 BC - Birth of Nabu-rimanni in Babylonia, Chaldean astronomer and mathematician (+ 480 BC) (approximate date).
- Solon of Athens, one of the Seven Sages of Greece (638 BC–558 BC).
- 556 BC - Birth of Simonides of Ceos (approximate date).
- Stesichorus of Sicily, lyric poet (c. 640 BC–555 BC).
- Confucius, founding figure of Confucianism (551 BC–479 BC).
- Thales, Greek mathematician (635 BC–543 BC). Predicts solar eclipse in 585 BC.
- Darius I, King of Persia (born 549 BC; reigned 521–485 BC).
- 547 BC -- Death of Croesus.
- 546 BC -- Death of Anaximander, Greek philosopher (approximate date).
- 545 BC -- Death of Zhou ling wang, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
- 543 BC -- Death of Gautama Buddha (traditional in Thailand and elsewhere - basis of the Thai solar calendar).
- 540 BC -- Amyntas I becomes king of Macedonia (approximate date).
- 539 BC/538 BC - Death of Nabonidus, the last King of Babylon.
- 535 BC - Birth of Heraclitus of Ephesus, Greek philosopher (approximate date)
- Aeschylus, author of Greek tragedies, (525 BC - 456 BC).
- 525 BC - Psammetichus III, the last Pharaoh of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt, died.
- 522 BC - Pindar, Greek poet, was born.
- March, 521 BC - Cambyses II, ruler of ancient Persia, died (suicide).
- October, 521 BC - Smerdis, ruler of ancient Persia, died.
- 519 BC - Xerxes I of Persia was born (approximate date).
- Epimenides of Knossos, a famous Cretian seer and philosopher-poet, associated with the Epimenides paradox.
- Lehi, legendary figure, first prophet recorded in the Book of Mormon.
- Sun Tzu, author of The Art of War.
Inventions, discoveries, introductions
- First archaeological surveys of the Arabian peninsula by Babylonian king Nabonidus.
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