Ancient Greek Infographic

Homer Writes Two Greek Epics

1200 BCE

Homer, in between the 12th and 8th century, writes the two Greek epics The Iliad and the Odyssey

Agamemnon

1200 BCE

Agamemnon was a character in Homer’s The Iliad, and he commanded the Greek army during the Trojan War after Paris of Troy took Helen.

First Olympic Games

776 BCE

The first recorded Olympic Games were in 776 BCE, and it was held to honor the god Zeus. These games included foot racing, boxing, wrestling, and chariot racing.

Draco’s Code of Law

700 BCE

Draco’s Code of Law was a written law created around the late 7th century BCE to combat the modifications of oral law by Athenian aristocrats.

Darius I

550 BCE

Darius I was a Persian king who got in power by overthrowing legitimate leader at the time who he claimed was an imposter. He also attacked Athens for helping in the Ionian Revolt.

Rise of Tyrants

546 BCE

With Oligarchies being a major government system, many in power would attempt to seize absolute control and become tyrants. This eventually lead to the creation of democracies.

Xerxes I

518 BCE

Xerxes was the king of Persia after his father Darius died. Much like his father, he attempted to conquer Greece and failed.

The Creation of Democracy

500 BCE

After the city-states had rebelled against the tyrants that leaded them, these city-states started setting up democracies, with Athens being the first.
A Democracy was a type of government where all citizens who can vote vote on all matters

Pericles

495 BCE

Pericles was a super influential statesman in Greece, and was an orator and general for Athens during its golden age.

First Persian War

Period: 492 BCE to 490 BCE

Darius attempted to conquer Greece because they helped in the Ionian Revolt, and tried to fight them at Marathon, and lost.

Battle of Marathon

490 BCE

The first invasion of Persia during the First Persian War under King Darius. It was fought between the Athenians and the Persians, with the Athenians getting help from the Plataeans

Battle of Thermopylae

480 BCE

300 Spartan troops lead by King Leónidas met the Persian army at Thermopylae to try and slow down or possibly stop the Persians, even though they were vastly outnumbered by the Persians. The Spartans all died, but slowed down the Persians enough that Athens could prepare for the incoming attack

Second Persian War

Period: 480 BCE to 479 BCE

The second time the Persians attempted to invade Greece, this time attacking Thrace, Macedon, and Thessaly. They were met by the Spartans under King Leónidas at the Pass of Thermopylae

Socrates

470 BCE

Socrates was an Athenian philosopher who came up with the idea of questioning all things philosophical about people themselves and questioning them until they faltered. He was arrested and poisoned for his thoughts and teachings in 399 BCE

Completion of the Parthenon

438 BCE

The Parthenon, which was a temple in the center of the Athens acropolis and at the highest point, is completed. It is was a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena.

Peloponnesian War

Period: 431 BCE to 405 BCE

The Peloponnesian War was a thirty year war between Athens and Sparta mainly because Sparta was jealous and untrustworthy of Athens as they flourished under Pericles. Sparta won the fight, but was severely weakened after the fact

The Academy in Athens

428 BCE

The Academy in Athens was started by Plato in 428 BCE in the city of Akademia. It was considered one of the first Universities, and stayed open until 86 BCE when it was destroyed by the Roman general Lucius Cornelius Sulla.

Plato

428 BCE

Plato lived about 80 years, from around 428 BCE- 423 BCE to 348 BCE. He was an Athenian philosopher who created the Academy in Athens and pioneered the western ideas of philosophy.

Invention of Catapult

399 BCE

The catapults used by the Greeks and Romans was invented in 399 BCE by a Greek task force. It was then used as a siege weapon in Sicily against Carthaginians.

Aristotle

385 BCE

Aristotle was a Greek philosopher who studied under Plato and founded the Lyceum, which was a philosophy school that taught physics, biology, zoology, metaphysics, logic, ethics, and much more. His philosophy was very similar to that of Socrates.

Philip II

382 BCE

Philip II was from Macedon and lived from 382-336 BCE, and was king of Macedon from 359 BCE to his assassination in 336 BCE. He helped Macedon really rise to power for his son Alexander the Great.

Alexander the Great

356 BCE

Alexander the Great was a Macedonian King who followed his father Philip II, and went on a huge military campaign conquering Western Asia and northeast Africa. He was tutored by Aristotle until he was 16, and became king after his father was assassinated at 20.

Battle of Chaeronea

338 BCE

Philip II led the forces of Macedonia against Athens and Thebes to try and bring peace to Greece. Philip and the Macedonians defeated the Athenians and Thebes and left them unable to retaliate or rebel.

League of Corinth

337 BCE

The League of Corinth was created by Philip II during the winter of 337 BCE, and was used in 336 BCE after the Battle of Chaeronea to fight the Persians