Ancient Greece timeline

3500 B.C.: Beginnings of Greek Civilization

1450 B.C.: Minoan Civilization collapses

1200 B.C.: Trojan War

1100 B.C. Mycenean Civilization collapses

1100-800 B.C.: Greek Dark Ages

800-499 B.C.: Rise of City States

800 B.C.: Homer's Iliad

776 B.C.: First Olympics

594 B.C.: Solon the lawgiver

499-449 B.C.: Persian Wars

449-431 B.C.: The Delian League/Athenian Empire

431-401 B.C.: The Peloponesian War

401-338 B.C: Demise of Traditional Greece

399 B.C.: Socrates executed

347 B.C.: Plato forms the Academy

338 B.C.: Phillip conquers Greece

336 B.C.: Phillip of Macedon assassinated

336-323 B.C.: Conquests of Alexander the Great

323 B.C.: Alexander dies

323-146 B.C.: Hellenistic Greece

146 B.C.: Rome conquers Greece 

Persian Empire timeline

3000 B.C.: Elamite Kingdom emerges
550 B.C.: Cyrus the Great founds Persian Empire
539 B.C.: Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon and releases the Jews from captivity
525 B.C.: Persia conquers Egypt
522 B.C.: Darius becomes king
490-449 B.C.: Persian Wars with Greece
334 B.C.: Alexander the Great conquers Persian Empire
323 B.C. Alexander dies in Babylon; his empire split and the Seleucid Empire forms
247 B.C.: The Parthians overthrow the Seleucids
224 A.D.: Sassanid Dynasty overthrows the Parthians
260: Shapur I captures Roman Emperor Valerian
642: Muslims conquer Persia

History Shorts: Ancient Greece and others (1250-320 B.C.)

The Sea Peoples (1200-1150 BC):
http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/11/sea-peoples-and-death-of-civilizations.html

Trojan War (1200 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/11/history-shorts-trojan-war-1200-bc.html

Rise of Greek City States (800 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/11/history-shorts-rise-of-greek-city.html

The First Olympics (776 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/11/history-shorts-first-olympics-776-bc.html

The Draconian Code (621 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/11/draconian-code-621-bc.html

Solon and Athenian Reform (594 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/11/history-shorts-solon-and-athenian.html

Confucius (551-479 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/11/history-shorts-confucius-551-bc-479-bc.html

Cyrus the Great (559 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/11/history-shorts-cyrus-great-forms.html

Buddha (528 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/11/history-shorts-buddha-attains.html

Marathon (490 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/12/history-shorts-battle-of-marathon-490.html

300 Spartans (480 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/12/history-shorts-300-spartans-at.html

Plataea and the end of the Persian War (479 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/12/history-shorts-plataea-and-end-of.html

Parthenon (447 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/12/history-shorts-parthenon-construction.html

The Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2011/01/history-shorts-peloponnesian-war-431.html

The Death of Socrates (399 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2011/02/history-shorts-death-of-socrates-399-bc.html

The Death of Plato (347 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2011/02/history-shorts-death-of-plato-347-bc.html

Philip of Macedon Assassinated (336 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/search/label/History%20Shorts?max-results=20

Alexander and Gaugamela:

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2011/02/history-shorts-alexander-great-and.html

Alexander’s Death (323 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2011/03/history-shorts-alexander-greats-death.html

Aristotle’s Death (322 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2011/03/history-shorts-aristotles-death-322-bc.html

History Shorts: Parthenon construction begins (447 B.C.)

Following the Persian War, Athens emerged as a regional super power. As a power, Athens led the Delian League which was a defensive alliance of Greek city states. The league formed to counter the Persian threat. Eventually, Athens came to dominate the Delian League and used its treasury to beautify the city. In 480 B.C., the Persians destroyed the Temple of Athena. Athens rebuilt the temple using Delian League members dues. Construction began in 447 B.C. and was completed in 432 B.C.  The structure became a symbol of Classical Greece and Athenian Democracy. However, Delian League members grew to resent Athens for spending their dues on Athenian beautification. Resentment increased when the league's treasury moved to the Parthenon. Anger over Athenian dominance eventually led to the Peloponnesian War. Today, Greece is working to restore and refurbish the structure.

 Building the Parthenon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVgfAd1Yz6M

The Parthenon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQPbGYR1jgs&feature=related

History Shorts: The Battle of Salamis (480 B.C.)

Following the Battle of Thermopylae, a Greek fleet under Athenian command engaged the Persian invasion fleet. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Greeks achieved a dramatic victory sinking or capturing 300 enemy vessels. Persian King Xerxes retreated back to Asia. The Persians and Greeks fought a final, decisive battle the following year at Plataea.

Here is a compilation someone threw together to portray the battle:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGWO7qog-_0

The Persian War 490-479 BC

Think the War on Terror began in 2001? It's more like 490 BC. The current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are nothing more than a continuation of a war that began 2500 years ago. It has had different names (Persian War, Crusades, War on Terror). It has had different protagonists (Xerxes, Saladin, Osama and Alexander, Richard, George). It has had different excuses for starting over again (Empire, Religion, Democracy). The East is very aware of this history and celebrate Xerxes and Saladin while lamenting defeats in France and Austria. While the West is clueless about the past. Regardless, one day 2500 years ago, the Persians conquered Greek colonies in Asia minor. That signalled the beginning of a conflict that wages to this day.

In 499 BC, several Greek City states in Asia Minor revolted against Persian rule. Athens supported these revolts. The Greeks won an short lived victory and reestablished rule by 493 BC. The Persians wanted to teach the mainland Greeks a lesson for interfering.

The Persian Empire was the greatest at the time and the Greece was a little backwater. In 492, Emperor Darius sent ambassadors to many Greek cities demanding their surrender. The Spartans tossed them into a well. Athens also executed the ambassadors. Persia could not turn a blind eye to the insult and invaded Attica.

The Persian assault was relentless. Eritrea was razed to the ground and all survivors sold into slavery. The invasion was stopped cold by Athens at Marathon. Following the disastrous defeat, Darius prepared for a full scale invasion.

It took ten years to launch a second invasion. Internal strife, an Egyptian revolt, and Darius’ death slowed the Persians. In 480, there was nothing left to stop Persia. The new Emperor, Xerxes, brought a fleet of 1200 ships and 200,000 men to Greece. Only 300 Spartans stood in the way. After an effective delaying action by Leonidas and the 300 at Thermopylae, Persia ran wild in Attica while the Greeks retreated. The Spartans bought the rest of Greece time to regroup.

Following the destruction of Athens, the Greeks defeated Persia at sea and on land. At Salamis, the Persian fleet was sunk. At Plataea, the Greeks defeated the Persian army. Xerxes’ folly meant Western culture would soon flourish and begin it’s long rise to dominance. Had the Persians won the war, democracy may have died and Greece’s Golden Age would never have occurred. Xerxes is a hero in Iran today. The Greek view of Xerxes is still felt today. Watch the movie 300. Xerxes is still a fool 2500 years later.