Time

Events

8000

5000

Neolithic farming in the Indus valley.

4000-3000

Development of the world's first known cities in Mesopotamia. 
Neolithic culture in Europe. 

3300

Earliest surviving texts of Sumerians

3100-2725

Early Dynastic Period in Egypt began with unification of Lower and upper Egypt (1st - 3rd dynasties).

3000

Sumerian city states emerge in Mesopotamia. 
Rise of the Assyrian cities of Nineveh and Ashur. 
Neolithic Settlement in Crete. 
Bronze Age culture in Europe. 

2900-2370

Early Dynastic Period in Sumer

2575-2134

Old Kingdom in Egypt (4th - 8th dynasties). A period of central administration. 
Construction of the Great Pyramids at Giza. 

2500

Burial mounds and Stonehenge constructed in Britain

2370

Conquest of Sumer by Sargon of Akkad

2300-1700

Harappan civilization flourished in Indus valley in India. 

2220

Minoan potter appeared in Greece. 
Minoan script of Linear A. 

2200-1450

Minoan civilization in Crete at its peak.  

2200

Akkadian state overrun by Gutians

2134-2040

First Intermediate Period in Egypt (9th - 11th dynasties)

2110-2006

Third Dynasty of Ur

2040-1640

Middle Kingdom ( 11th - 13th dynasties ). 
Egypt reunited under  Mentuhotep II.

2006

Ur sacked by Elamites. 
End of Sumerian dominance of Mesopotamia

2000

Bronze working in the Yellow River Basin.

1900

Amorite dynasty established in Babylon

1800

Amorite dynasty established in Syria and Palestine

1792-1750

Hammurabi unified Mesopotamia under Babylonian hegemony 

1700

Construction of the palace of Minos at Knossos

1640-1152

Second Intermediate Period in Egypt( 14th - 17th dynasties ). 
Hyksos rule. Theban dynasty liberated Egypt

1600

Beginning of  Mycenaean civilization

1555-1070

New Kingdom ( 18th - 20th dynasties ). 
Egyptian Empire extended from Syria to southern Sudan

1595

Babylon sacked by the Hittite king Mursilis I

1550-1500

Minoan civilization suffered from destructive earthquakes. 

1500-1157

Kassite rule in Mesopotamia 

1500-1150  

Height of Mycenaean civilization on mainland Greece

1450-1425

The campaigns of Amenophis II against Mitanni  extended the Egyptian Empire in the Near East

1430-1350

Hurrian kingdom reached its greatest extent

1400-1300

Minoan Linear A script adapted as Linear B

1313

Hittite Invasion of Egypt

1275

Egypt clashed with the Hittites at Kadesh

1230

Israelites conquer Canaan land

1200-1100

Collapse of Mycenaean civilization. Dark age in Greece.

1070-712

Third Intermediate period in Egypt (21st - 24th dynasties)

1000

The kingdom of Israel founded. Greek migration and colonization.  Village settlement on the site of  Rome.

900  

Medes and Persians occupied western Iran.

883-824

Expansion of Assyrian Empire under Ashurnasirpal II and Shalmeneser III

814

Carthage founded

800

Beginning of  Archaic Period in Greece. Spartan control over Peloponnesus. Hindu Iron Age culture in Ganges basin.

753

Rome was founded. 

745-727

Expansion of Assyrian Empire under Tiglath Pileser III. Assyria conquers Babylon in 729

732

Aram Damascus conquered by Assyria 

721-705

Sargon II of Assyria overthrows Urartu

712-332

Late period in Egypt ( 25th - 30th dynasties ). Egypt reunified under the 26th dynasty

704-681

Assyrian invasion of Palestine under Sennacherib. Assyrian capital moves to Nineveh

675

The Assyrians under Esarhaddon attacked Egypt and conquered Memphis 

668-627

Reign of Ashurbanipal Assyrian Empire reaches its zenith

625-605

Babylon regained its independence under Nabopolassar

625-605

Nineveh sacked by the Medes

605-562

Nebuchadnezzar II extends the Neo-Babylonian Empire capturing Jerusalem in 597  and exiles the Jews to the Babylonian Captivity

600

Etruscan colonies founded in northern and southern Italy.

600-400

Etruscan monarchies replaced by republics.

594

Solon appointed 'Archon' at Athens, established legal codes.

585-550

Astyages last king of the Medes overthrown by the Persians

549

Cyrus I united the Medes and Persians and founded the Persian Empire under Achaemenids dynasty 

545-510

Athens ruled by the tyrant Peisistratos and his sons.

543-491

539

Cyrus I took Babylon and acquired the Neo-Babylonian Empire.

526-525

Persians under Cambyses invaded Egypt.

521-486

Reign of Darius I Persian Empire reached its greatest extent

509

The Roman Republic established.

507

The reforms of Cleisthenes in Athens.

490

Persians defeated by Greeks at the Battle of Marathon

486-465

Reign of Xerxes I.

480

Carthaginian expedition  to Sicily defeated by Gelon, tyrant of Syracuse, at the battle of Himera. Defeat of Persians by the Greeks at the naval battle of Salamis.

479

Battle of Plataea won by the Greeks ended the Persian threat to Greece.

478

Athens takes the leadership of the Delian League. 

462-429

Athenian politics dominated by Pericles. 

431-404  

The Peloponnesian war between Athens and Sparta.

415

Athens' attempt to conquer Sicily. Rome sacked by the Celts.  

406

Egypt  revolted against Roman rule.

399

Socrates killed at Athens.

378-377

Athenian power re-emerged in the Aegean Confederacy.

356

Alexander the great was born. 

338

Defeat of the Greek city-states at Chaeronea by Philip II of Macedon. 

336

Philip of Macedon assassinated and son Alexander becomes ruler.

336-323

Alexander the Great conquered the whole of the Persian Empire.

333-332

Darius II defeated by Alexander the Great at Issus and Gaugamela.

332  

Alexander the Great invaded Egypt and founded the city of Alexandria. 

323

Alexander dies at Babylon at the age 33. Diadochi, Alexander's successors begin war.

312

Foundation of Hellenistic Seleucid Empire by Alexander the Great's general Seleucus Nicator

305

Ptolemy, founded the Ptolemaic dynasty and declared himself ruler of Egypt.

275

The battle of Beneventum-defeat of Pyrrhus by Romans ended Greek attempt to conquer Italy. 

264

Roman conquest of Italian peninsula.

247

Foundation of the Parthian Empire by Arsaces

241

Carthage defeated by Rome in the first Punic war.

240  

Aetolia and Achaea, two federations of city-states dominated Greece.

218-202

Second Punic War, Hannibal crossed the Alps and invaded Italy. 

216

Hannibal defeated the Romans at Cannae. 

202

Hannibal defeated by Scipio at the battle of Zama.

202

Han dynasty in China.

198

The Seleucid Antiochus III took Palestine from Egypt

191

Antiochus III defeated by the Romans at Thermopylae

167

Macedonia conquered by the Romans. 

153-63

Independent Maccabean Jewish state

149-146

Third Punic war. Carthage was destroyed and Africa became a province of Rome.

147

War between Sparta and Achaea. Romans invaded Greece and destroyed Corinth. 

146

Most of Greece came under Roman rule.

133

End of Pergamum kingdom. Asia Minor becomes Roman province.
Tiberius Gracchus murdered after introducing land reforms. 

121

Southern Gaul became a Roman province.

91-88

Revolt of the Italian allies. 

81

Sulla established himself as dictator of Rome. 

60

First Triumvirate, political alliance between Pompey, Caesar and Crassus. 

49

Caesar crossed to Rubicon and began the civil war against Pompey. 

48

Pompey defeated at Pharsalus. Julius Caesar became consul and dictator for life. 

44

Julius Caesar assassinated. 

42

Second Triumvirate, Roman Empire divided between Octavian and Antony. 

41

Antony went to Egypt and ruled the Egyptian region with his mistress Cleopatra

31

 Antony and Cleopatra defeated by Octavian at the battle of Actium.

30

Ptolemy XVI, son of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar deposed and executed. Last of the Pharaohs. 
Egypt became Roman province. 

27

Octavian proclaimed emperor by the Roman Senate and given the title " Augustus ".

9

Loss of the Roman provinces between the rivers Rhine and Elbe.

43-47

Britain became Roman province.

66-70

Jewish revolt against Rome

79

Destruction of Pompeii by the volcano Vesuvius. 

98-117

Peace and stability throughout the Roman Empire under Trajan. 

101-106

Dacia (modern Romania) became Roman province. 

192-197

Period of civil war after the assassination of Commodus. 

226

Foundation of Sassanid dynasty in Persia

235

Roman Empire faces a period of chaos at the end of Severian dynasty. 

240-272

Sassanian Empire expanded by Shapur I

260

Sassanians overran Syria and captured the Roman Emperor Valerian

267 

Barbarian Herulians invaded Greece and sacked Athens, Sparta and Corinth.

286

Diocletian reorganized the Roman Empire. 

313

Edict of Milan issued by Constantine the Great, tolerating Christianity. 

324

Constantine the Great reunited  the Roman Empire and moved the capital to Byzantium which was named to Constantinople. 

395

Roman Empire divided into two portions.