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1100 BCE
Beginning of the Greek Dark Age
Due to a combination of foreign invaders, civil war, and economic and agricultural collapse, the Mycenaeans fell as a people. This brought about the Greek Dark Age. -
Period: 1100 BCE to 800 BCE
Greek Dark Age
Little of note occurs in the Dark Age. However, this era saw the events that inspired Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. These writings would lead to a revival in Greek culture. -
800 BCE
Archaic Age Begins
As trade and communication are reestablished between other groups and literature becomes widespread, Greece is beckoned into the new Archaic Age. Greek culture is established and strengthened via the Olympics in 776 BCE. This period also saw the rise of distinct poleis, the political and cultural centerpieces of Greek society. -
Period: 800 BCE to 490 BCE
Greek Archaic Age
The Greek Archaic Age saw a resurgence and overwhelming development in Greece's cultural identity. Greek poleis were formed, each with its own unique societies and politics. Athens established its unique democracy during this period. What remained uniform was Greek humanism, sentiments of victory and perfection, religion, language, and literature, among other aspects. -
490 BCE
Persian War Begins
The Persians landed at Marathon with a force of 25,000 men, marking the beginning of the Persian War. Ten thousand Persians were sent in naval transports to attack Athens directly, and the remaining troops were defeated by the Greeks stationed there. Pheidippides ran 26.2 miles from Marathon to Athens, announcing their victory by shouting "nike". -
479 BCE
Persian War Ends
Due to the Greek's superior navy and infantry, the Persians were driven away from the Greek poleis. The Greeks would retake settlements in Ionia, and those in Anatolia revolted in 479 BCE, effectively ending the war; sporadic fighting would continue until 459 BCE. -
Period: 479 BCE to 338 BCE
Greek Classical Age
This period of Greece has become almost synonymous with the civilization itself. The Classical Age saw the rise of philosophical, scientific, political, historical, and artistic expression and analysis within the poleis. Athens became very rich through the Delian League, allowing its people to further the fields of mathematics, medicine, drama, architecture, and more. Despite taking place in a time of war, this was the most prosperous and revolutionary period in Greek history. -
469 BCE
Socrates (469-399 BCE)
Socrates was born in 469. He went on to establish the first foundations of philosophical thought and began the educational lineage that would lead to Aristotle mentoring Alexander the Great. -
431 BCE
Peloponnesian War Begins
Open conflict begins between Athens and Sparta, as well as their respective allies. The war results in a Spartan victory in 404 BCE but ultimately weakens the Greeks as a whole militarily. The effects of the war are largely cultural in that the Greeks changed their militaristic and social structure. -
356 BCE
Alexander the Great (356-323 BCE)
Following Phillip II's assassination, his son Alexander took control of his empire at the age of 20. Alexander the Great would go on a 12-year-long campaign that would see the conquering of many powerful groups, including the Egyptians and Persians. Alexander the Great would eventually die in 323 BCE following his return to Babylon as a result of excessive drinking and physical injury from war. -
338 BCE
Macedonian Invasion of Greece
Phillip II of Macedon re-unified the Macedonians in 359 BCE and created the largest and best-trained infantry of the era. After 10 years of developing relations in northern Greece, Phillip finally launched an invasion and completely overtook the Greek coalition made to stop him. -
Period: 323 BCE to 30 BCE
Hellenistic Era
The Hellenistic Era, despite representing the fall of Greece's dominance, saw the continuation of Greek influence on the world. Each kingdom during this period did well to extend Greek culture into its territories; welfare, general protection, and overall control meant that the people of these kingdoms were willing to accept Hellenistic culture. Although not as profound as the Greek Classical Age, new developments in philosophy, history, and mathematics occurred during this time. -
280 BCE
Hellenistic Dynasties Established
Following Alexander the Great's death, infighting within his empire occurred to establish the next ruler among his generals. Instead, three kingdoms were eventually created by Ptolemy in Egypt, Antigonus in Greece, and Seleucus in Mesopotamia. -
30 BCE
Hellenistic Era Ends
The Hellenistic Dynasties, after slowly losing power over the course of two centuries, finally see their ultimate ends with the invasion of the Romans. The Ptolemaic Dynasty is the last to fall in 30 BCE
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