Dates

Events

Primary Sources

Secondary Sources

 

 

 

 

750‑550

Wars of Spartan Expansion

 

 

750-740

Siege of Amyclae

 

 

740

Spartans capture Helos

 

 

736‑716

First Messenian War: Spartans conquer Messenia

 

DW 280

669

Argives defeat Spartans at battle of Hysiae

 

 

650‑630

Second Messenian War; Sparta crushes Messianian revolt 

 

DW 280

575-550

Wars with Tegea

 

 

550

Foundation of the Peloponnesian League

 

 

 

 

 

 

670

Lelantine War

 

DW 260

664

Corcyraeans defeat the Corinthians at the naval battle of Sybota

 

 

650‑600

Age of tyrants in Ionians city states

 

 

630

Foundation of Greek colony of Cyrene

 

 

600

Athens wins Salamis from Megara; defeats Mytilene

 

 

594‑589

Greek Mercenaries serve in Egyptian army of Psammetichus II in his invasion of Nubia

 

 

590‑589

First Sacred War against Crisa

 

DW 403

570

Lelantine War

 

 

570

Athens defeats Megara and captures Nisaea

 

 

560‑550

War between Sparta and Tegea

 

 

550

Spartans conquer Thyreatis

 

 

546

Battle of the Three Hundred Champions at Thyrea: Sparta victorious over Argos

 

 

546

Battle of Thyrea; Cyrus conquers Lydia

 

 

546‑545

Cyrus conquers the Greek city‑states of western Anatolia (Asia)

 

 

535

Battle of Alalia in Corsica: Phocaean Greeks win a nominal victory over an Etruscan‑Carthaginian alliance; allows further Greek expansion into the western Mediterranean

 

Grant, RG 177

525

Sparta attacks Samos

 

 

512

Darius the Persian invades and conquers Thrace; unsuccessful campaign against the Scythians of the Danube basin

 

 

508‑507

War between Sparta and Athens; Spartans under Cleomenes invade Attica and unsuccessfully besiege the Acropolis

 

 

506

Peloponnesian army invades Attica; Athens defeats Boeotians and Chalcidians

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

499-448

The Graeco-Persian Wars

 

DW 186-7; EMH 26-32

499-493

Ionian Revolt

 

DW 218

   498

Ionians and allies burn Sardis

 

 

   497

Cyprus: Persians crush revolt

 

 

   494

Battle of Lade: Persians victorious and conquer Miletus

 

 

   494

Argive War

 

DW 31

   494

Battle of Sepeia: Spartans under Cleomenes defeat Argives

 

 

   491

Battle of Helorus: Spartans defeat Aegina

 

 

492-490

First Persian Invasion

 

EMH 29-32

   492

Conquest of Thrace, fleet destroyed at Mt. Athos by Storm

 

 

   490

Eretria: besieged and destroyed by Persians under Datis

 

 

   490

Marathon

 

DW 274

   489

Miltiades leads Athenian expedition to Paros

 

 

486-484

Egyptian Revolt

 

 

481

Xerxes raises new army; northern and central Greece submit

 

 

480-479

Second Persian Invasion

 

DW 343-4; EMH 29-32

   480

Thermopylae

 

 

   480

Salamis

 

 

   479

Plataea

 

 

   479

Mycale

 

 

   479

Ionians revolt against Persians

 

 

   479-478

Siege of Sestos: Athenians capture Sestos from Persians after lengthy siege

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

479-448

Later Phases of the Persian Wars

 

EMH 32

471-469

Arcadian War

 

DW 27

468

Battle of the Eurymedon River

 

 

468-467

Argos besieges and captures Tiryns

 

 

462-460

Argos reduces Mycenae

 

 

459-454

Athenian invasion of Egypt, supporting revolt against Persia

 

 

  459

Siege of Memphis: Athenians capture the city, but fail to take the citadel

 

 

  454

final defeat of Athenians in Egypt

 

 

451

Naval Battle of Salamis at Cyprus

 

 

449

Peace of Callias between Athens and Persia

 

 

trends

Rising rivalries between Greek City States

   Athens and the Delian League

   Sparta forms Peloponnesian League vs. Athens