Ancient History (part 2 of 2): Before Christ(B.C.)or Before the Common Era(B.C.E.) 700–600B.C. End of Assyrian Empire(616B.C.)—Nineveh destroyed by Chaldeans (Neo-Babylonians) and Medes(612B.C.).Founding of Byzantium by Greeks(c. 660B.C.).Building of the Acropolis in Athens. Solon, Greek lawgiver(640–560B.C.).Sappho of Lesbos, Greek poet(fl. c. 610–580B.C.). Lao-tse, Chinese philosopher and founder of Taoism (bornc. 604B.C.). 600–500B.C. Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar builds empire, destroys Jerusalem(586B.C.).Babylonian Captivity of the Jews (starting587B.C.).Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Cyrus the Great of Persia creates great empire, conquers Babylon(539B.C.),frees the Jews. Athenian democracy develops. Aeschylus, Greek dramatist(525–465B.C.).Pythagoras, Greek philosopher and mathematician(582?–507?B.C.). Confucius(551–479B.C.)develops ethical and social philosophy in China. TheAnalectsor Lun-yü (“collected sayings”) are compiled by the second generation of Confucian disciples. Buddha(563?–483?B.C.)founds Buddhism in India. 500–400B.C. Greeks defeat Persians: battles of Marathon(490B.C.),Thermopylae(480B.C.),Salamis(480B.C.).Peloponnesian Wars between Athens and Sparta(431–404B.C.)—Sparta victorious. Pericles comes to power in Athens(462B.C.).Flowering of Greek culture during the Age of Pericles(450–400B.C.).The Parthenon is built in Athens as a temple of the goddess Athena (447–432B.C.). Ictinus and Callicrates are the architects and Phidias is responsible for the sculpture. Sophocles, Greek dramatist(496?–406B.C.).Hippocrates, Greek “Father of Medicine” (born460B.C.).Xerxes I, king of Persia (rules485–465B.C.). 400–300B.C. Pentateuch—first five books of the Old Testament evolve in final form. Philip of Macedon, who believed himself to be a descendant of the Greek people, assassinated(336B.C.)after subduing the Greek city-states; succeeded by son, Alexander the Great(356–323B.C.), who destroys Thebes(335B.C.),conquers Tyre and Jerusalem(332B.C.),occupies Babylon(330B.C.),invades India, and dies in Babylon. His empire is divided among his generals; one of them, Seleucis I, establishes Middle East empire with capitals at Antioch (Syria) and Seleucia (in Iraq). Trial and execution of Greek philosopher Socrates(399B.C.).Dialogues recorded by his student, Plato(c. 427–348 or 347B.C.).Euclid's work on geometry(323B.C.). Aristotle, Greek philosopher(384–322B.C.).Demosthenes, Greek orator(384–322B.C.).Praxiteles, Greek sculptor(400–330B.C.). 300–251B.C. First Punic War(264–241B.C.):Rome defeats the Carthaginians and begins its domination of the Mediterranean. Temple of the Sun at Teotihuacán, Mexico(c. 300B.C.).Invention of Mayan calendar in Yucatán—more exact than older calendars. First Roman gladiatorial games(264B.C.).Archimedes, Greek mathematician(287–212B.C.). 250–201B.C. Second Punic War(219–201B.C.):Hannibal, Carthaginian general(246–142B.C.),crosses the Alps(218B.C.),reaches gates of Rome(211B.C.),retreats, and is defeated by Scipio Africanus at Zama(202B.C.).Great Wall of China built(c. 215B.C.). 200–151B.C. Romans defeat Seleucid King Antiochus III at Thermopylae(191B.C.)—beginning of Roman world domination. Maccabean revolt against Seleucids(167B.C.). 150–101B.C. Third Punic War(149–146B.C.):Rome destroys Carthage, killing 450,000 and enslaving the remaining 50,000 inhabitants. Roman armies conquer Macedonia, Greece, Anatolia, Balearic Islands, and southern France. Venus de Milo(c. 140B.C.).Cicero, Roman orator(106–43B.C.). 100–51B.C. Julius Caesar(100–44B.C.)invades Britain(55B.C.)and conquers Gaul (France)(c. 50B.C.).Spartacus leads slave revolt against Rome(71B.C.).Romans conquer Seleucid empire. Roman general Pompey conquers Jerusalem(63B.C.).Cleopatra on Egyptian throne(51–31B.C.).Chinese develop use of paper(c. 100B.C.).Virgil, Roman poet(70–19B.C.).Horace, Roman poet(65–8B.C.). 50–1B.C. Caesar crosses Rubicon to fight Pompey(50B.C.).Herod made Roman governor of Judea(37B.C.).Caesar murdered(44B.C.).Caesar's nephew, Octavian, defeats Mark Antony and Cleopatra at Battle of Actium(31B.C.),and establishes Roman empire as Emperor Augustus; rules27B.C.–A.D.14.Pantheon built for the first time under Agrippa, 27B.C.Ovid, Roman poet(43B.C.–A.D.18).