Chronology

3500 BCE

Mesopotamia

city states begin to develop in Sumerian

2334-2279 BCE

Mesopotamia

Sargon of Agade conquers Mesopotamia

1792-1750 BCE

Mesopotamia

Babylon is dominant power in Mesopotamia under Hammurabi

1000 BCE

Mesopotamia

the standard Babylonian version of The Myth of Gilgamesh is written down

3500 BCE

Egypt

earliest cities and kingdoms in Egypt

2649-1070 BCE

Egypt

period of the Egyptian kingdoms: the Old Kingdom (2649-2134), Middle Kingdom (2040-1640), and the New Kingdom (1550-1070)

2550 BCE

Egypt

The Great Pyramid at Giza is built

1353-1335 BCE

Egypt

reign of the pharaoh Akhenaten

1184 BCE

Greek World

legendary date of the Fall of Troy and departures of Odysseus and Aeneas

8th century BCE

Greek World

period in which ancient sources understood “Homer” to live and write the Iliad and Odyssey

499-449 BCE

Greek World

“Persian Wars” between allied Greek states and the Achaemenid Empire

431-404 BCE

Greek World

Peloponnesian War, fought between the radical democracy Athens & the (victorious) oligarchy Sparta

356-323 BCE

Greek World

life of Alexander the Great of Macedon

753-509 BCE

Roman World

rule of kings (monarchy) over the Roman people; Romulus was the legendary 1st king

509-31 BCE

Roman World

the Roman Republic (a republican system of government, with shared rule among Roman citizens); expansion of Rome as imperial power

31 BCE - 476 CE

Roman World

the Roman Empire (return to the monarchy, through with the continuation of the name “republic)

2026 CE

we are here now

36th century BCE

3500 BCE

12th century BCE

1100 BCE

5th century CE

400 CE