EASY READ Ancient worlds
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A timeline of the ancient world
Ancient history tells the story of the world between about 10,000 BC, about the time when people first started farming, to about 500 AD. During this time, civilizations flowered in different parts of the world: the Middle East (or Near East), Egypt, China, India and some parts of the Americas. In these regions, farming villages grew to become towns or cities. Kingdoms arose. People started to worship gods, make beautiful objects and, in some cases, invent writing.
When a date has "c." in front of it, for example c.3100 BC, it means the date is approximate. We do not know exactly when the event took place (c. stands for circa, the Latin word for “about”).
BC = Before Christ. It is the same as BCE (Before the Common Era)
AD = Anno Domini, meaning "The Year of Our Lord". It is the same as CE (Common Era)
c.9500 BC Farming begins in Mesopotamia. Some animals are domesticated for the first time.
c.8350 BC The founding of Jericho, the first walled town in the world.
c.7000 BC Çatal Höyük, probably the largest city of its day, is built in Turkey.
c.6500 BC Britain separates from the rest of Europe.
c.5000 BC The Chinese civilization begins.
c.3300 BC The start of the Bronze Age in the Near East.
c.3300 BC Early writing develops in Mesopotamia.
c.3100 BC Egypt is united under the first pharaoh, Menes.
c.3000 BC Some settlements such as Ur, in Sumer, grow into major cities.
c.2600 BC The Indian civilization develops, with Mohenjo Daro and Harappa as its major cities.
c.2575 BC The start of the Old Kingdom in Egypt.
c.2500 BC Construction work begins on Stonehenge, a stone monument in England.
c.2500 BC The rise of the Assyrian civilization in northern Mesopotamia.
c.2370 BC Sargon I of Akkad founds the Akkadian Empire.
c.2300 BC The Bronze Age in Europe begins.
c.2100 BC The Hebrews, led by Abraham, settle in Canaan on the eastern Mediterranean coast.
c.2040 BC The start of the Middle Kingdom in Egypt.
c.1792 BC Hammurabi comes to the throne of Babylon.
c.1750 BC The Indus Valley civilization comes to an end.
c.1700 BC The Minoan civilization on Crete is at its height.
c.1650 BC The start of the Hittite Empire.
c.1600 BC The Shang dynasty comes to power in China.
c.1600 BC A great famine drives the Hebrews from Canaan to Egypt.
c.1600 BC The Mycenaean civilization begins in Greece.
c.1595 BC Hittites overthrow Babylonian Empire.
c.1550 BC The New Kingdom begins in Egypt.
c.1450 BC The Minoan civilization disappears.
c.1352 BC Akhenaten, pharaoh of Egypt, enforces the worship of a single god, Aten.
c.1279 BC Rameses II (Rameses the Great) comes to the throne of Egypt and reigns for 67 years.
c.1270 BC The Hebrews leave Egypt (the “Exodus”) and settle in Canaan.
c.1225 BC Babylon is sacked by the Assyrians.
c.1200 BC The Hittite Empire collapses. The start of the Iron Age in the Near East.
c.1200 BC The Mycenaean civilization in Greece collapses. The Trojan War may have taken place around this time.
c.1200 BC The Olmec civilization begins in Mexico.
c.1153 BC The death of Rameses III, the last great pharoah of Egypt.
c.1046 BC The Shang dynasty is overthrown in China. The Zhou dynasty begins.
c.1000 BC King David unites Israel and Judah.
814 BC A Phoenician colony is founded at Carthage, North Africa.
c.800 BC The Etruscan civilization begins in Italy.
776 BC The first Olympic Games are held in Greece.
753 BC The traditional date for the founding of Rome.
c.750 BC Homer writes the Iliad and later the Odyssey.
671 BC The Assyrians conquer Egypt.
626 BC King Nabopolassar overthrows the Assyrians and Babylon is powerful again.
605 BC Reign of Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon begins.
563 BC The birth of Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) in India.
c.560 BC The rise of the Persian Empire under Cyrus II (Cyrus the Great).
551 BC The birth of the philosopher Confucius in China.
521 BC The Persian Empire expands under Darius I (Darius the Great).
509 BC Tarquin the Proud, the last king of Rome, is driven out and Rome becomes a republic.
c.500 BC The dawn of the Classical Age in Greece.
c.500 BC The start of Nok culture in Nigeria, Africa.
492 BC The Persians invade Greece and raid Athens.
c.483 BC The death of Buddha.
480 BC The Persian fleet is defeated by the Athenians at the Battle of Salamis.
479 BC The Greeks defeat the Persians at Plataea.
479 BC The death of Confucius in China.
475 BC Period of unrest across China (Warring States period) begins.
449 BC The Greeks make peace with Persia.
431-404 BC The Peloponnesian Wars are fought between Athens and Sparta.
338 BC Philip of Macedonia unites Greece under his rule.
334 BC Alexander the Great invades Persia and defeats Darius III.
326 BC Alexander conquers northern India.
323 BC Alexander dies in Babylon.
322 BC The Mauryan Empire is founded in India by Chandragupta Maurya.
264-241 BC The First Punic War with Carthage gives Rome control of Sicily.
225 BC Roman army defeats the Gauls, a Celtic people, at the Battle of Telamon.
221 BC Qin rule begins in China. Shi Huangdi becomes the first emperor.
218-201 BC The Second Punic War. Hannibal of Carthage invades Italy.
206 BC The Han dynasty rules China.
c.200 BC The city of Teotihuacán is founded in Mexico.
c.200 BC The rise of the Hopewell Indian chiefdoms in North America.
149-146 BC The Third Punic War. Rome destroys Carthage.
c.114 BCThe Silk Route is opened, linking China to the West.
73-71 BC The gladiator Spartacus leads a slaves’ revolt in Rome.
58 BC Julius Caesar conquers Gaul.
51 BCCleopatra becomes queen of Egypt.
48 BC Julius Caesar rules Rome as a dictator.
44 BC Julius Caesar is stabbed to death by Brutus and a group of senators.
31 BC Octavian defeats Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium.
27 BC Octavian becomes Augustus, the first emperor of Rome.
c.5 BC The birth of Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity.
c.1 AD The Moche civilization begins in Peru.
c.30 AD Jesus Christ is crucified in Jerusalem.
43 Roman emperor Claudius conquers Britain.
60 British leader Boudicca rebels against Roman rule, but is defeated.
79 Pompeii and Herculaneum are destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius.
117 The Roman Empire is at its greatest extent. Hadrian becomes emperor.
220 China splits into three kingdoms: Wei, Shu and Wu.
280 The Jin dynasty rules China.
c.300 The rise of Mayan civilization in Central America.
313 Christian worship becomes legal in the Roman Empire under the emperor Constantine.
370 The Roman Empire is invaded by Huns from Asia and Barbarians from the north and east.
395 The Roman Empire is split into two—East and West. The West is rapidly overrun by Barbarians.
410 The barbarian Visigoths invade Italy and sack Rome.
455 Vandals sack Rome.
Consultant: Philip Parker
pics
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