Classical Antiquity
500 BCE to 500 CE · 98 events
Politics (57)War (27)Culture (24)Religion (15)Philosophy (14)Astronomy (14)Mathematics (13)Technology (8)
All Classical Antiquity Events
Pāṇini Codifies Sanskrit Grammar in Ashtadhyayi
c. 500 BCE · Classical Antiquity
ArtLanguage
Iron Production at Meroe, Kingdom of Kush
c. 500 BCE - 350 CE · Classical Antiquity
TechnologyEconomicsEngineering
Confucius Teaches Ethics, Governance, and Social Order
c. 551–479 BCE · Classical Antiquity
PhilosophyCulturePolitics
Ionian Revolt begins
499 BC · Classical Antiquity
WarPolitics
Buddha Attains Parinirvana (Death of Gautama Buddha)
c. 483 BCE · Classical Antiquity
CultureReligionPhilosophy
Carthaginian Republic Established
480 BC · Classical Antiquity
Politics
Socrates Develops Socratic Method
470 BC - 399 BC · Classical Antiquity
Philosophy
Law of the Twelve Tables
449 BC · Classical Antiquity
LawPhilosophy
Philolaus Proposes Central Fire Cosmology
c. 440 BCE · Classical Antiquity
AstronomyMathematicsPhysics/Cosmology
Metonic Cycle Discovery
June 27, 432 BCE · Classical Antiquity
AstronomyMathematics
Parthenon Completed
432 BC · Classical Antiquity
Art
Democritus and Leucippus Propose Atomic Theory
c. 430 BCE · Classical Antiquity
ChemistryPhilosophy
Battle of Cunaxa
401 BCE · Classical Antiquity
WarPolitics
Tissaphernes Murders the Greek Generals at Parley
401 BCE · Classical Antiquity
WarPolitics
Hippocrates Establishes Medicine as a Rational Discipline
c. 400 BCE · Classical Antiquity
MedicinePhilosophy
Trial of Socrates
399 BC · Classical Antiquity
PhilosophyLaw
Tissaphernes Executed at Colossae
395 BCE · Classical Antiquity
PoliticsWar
Plato's Republic Completed
375 BC · Classical Antiquity
ArtPoliticsPhilosophy
Heraclides Ponticus Suggests Earth's Axial Rotation
c. 350 BCE · Classical Antiquity
AstronomyPhysics/Cosmology
Aristotle's On the Heavens Defines Geocentric Universe
c. 350 BCE · Classical Antiquity
AstronomyPhilosophyPhysics/Cosmology
Death of Plato
348/347 BCE · Classical Antiquity
Philosophy
Alexander the Great becomes King
336 BC · Classical Antiquity
PoliticsPhilosophy
Battle of Issus
November 5, 333 BCE · Classical Antiquity
WarPolitics
Battle of Gaugamela
October 1, 331 BCE · Classical Antiquity
WarPolitics
Death of Aristotle
322 BC · Classical Antiquity
Philosophy
Euclid's Elements
c. 300 BCE · Classical Antiquity
MathematicsPhilosophy
Lex Hortensia Enacted
287 BCE · Classical Antiquity
PoliticsLaw
Library of Alexandria Established
285 BCE · Classical Antiquity
EngineeringCulture
Aristarchus Proposes Heliocentric Model
c. 270 BCE · Classical Antiquity
AstronomyMathematicsPhysics/Cosmology
First Punic War Began
264 BC · Classical Antiquity
WarPolitics
First Gladiatorial Games in Rome
264 BC · Classical Antiquity
Culture
The Battle of Agrigentum
261 BC · Classical Antiquity
WarPolitics
Edicts of Ashoka
250 BC · Classical Antiquity
CultureReligionLaw
The Battle of the Aegates Islands
241 BC · Classical Antiquity
WarPolitics
Eratosthenes Measures Earth's Circumference
c. 240 BCE · Classical Antiquity
MathematicsAstronomy
Qin Shi Huang Unifying China
221 BC · Classical Antiquity
Politics
Great Wall of China Started
220 BC · Classical Antiquity
Art
Qin Shi Huang Mount Tai Ceremony
219 BC · Classical Antiquity
CulturePoliticsReligion
Battle of the Trebia
218 BC · Classical Antiquity
WarPolitics
The Battle of Cannae
216 BC · Classical Antiquity
WarPolitics
Invention of the Sinan (Chinese Lodestone Compass)
206 BC · Classical Antiquity
Technology
The Battle of Utica
203 BC · Classical Antiquity
WarPolitics
The Battle of Zama
202 BC · Classical Antiquity
WarPolitics
Liu Bang Founds the Han Dynasty
202 BCE · Classical Antiquity
PoliticsWar
Invention of the Astrolabe
2nd century BCE · Classical Antiquity
AstronomyTechnology
The Siege of Carthage Begins
149 BC · Classical Antiquity
WarPolitics
Destruction of Carthage
146 BC · Classical Antiquity
WarPolitics
Hipparchus Catalogs Stars and Discovers Precession
129 BCE · Classical Antiquity
AstronomyMathematics
Yarlung Dynasty - Tibetan Empire
618 CE · Classical Antiquity
CulturePolitics
Parthian Army Destroys Roman Legions at the Battle of Carrhae
June 53 BCE · Classical Antiquity
WarPolitics
Cleopatra takes the throne
51 BC · Classical Antiquity
Politics
Julian Calendar Reform
January 1, 45 BCE · Classical Antiquity
MathematicsAstronomyPolitics
Julius Caesar Assassinated
44 BC · Classical Antiquity
Politics
Earliest Maya Long Count Inscription
36 BCE · Classical Antiquity
MathematicsCultureTechnology
Maya Independently Develop Zero as a Positional Placeholder
c. 36 BCE · Classical Antiquity
Mathematics
Edict of Augustus on Jewish Rights
1 CE · Classical Antiquity
CultureReligionLaw
Wang Mang's Usurpation and Xin Dynasty
9 CE · Classical Antiquity
PoliticsEconomicsCulture
Battle of the Teutoburg Forest
September 9-11, 9 CE · Classical Antiquity
WarPolitics
Germanicus Leads Punitive Campaigns Across the Rhine
14-16 CE · Classical Antiquity
WarPolitics
Caligula's Assassination
January 24, 41 AD · Classical Antiquity
Politics
Claudius Orders the Roman Invasion of Britain
43 CE · Classical Antiquity
WarPolitics
Kujula Kadphises Unifies Yuezhi into the Kushan Empire
c. 30-80 CE · Classical Antiquity
PoliticsReligionEconomics
Great Fire of Rome
July 64 CE · Classical Antiquity
Politics
Destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem
August 70 CE · Classical Antiquity
ArtCultureReligion
Construction of the Colosseum
72-80 CE · Classical Antiquity
EngineeringCulturePolitics
Ban Chao's Silk Road Missions
73-102 CE · Classical Antiquity
ExplorationWarPolitics
Eruption of Vesuvius Buries Pompeii and Herculaneum
August 24, 79 CE · Classical Antiquity
GeologyCulture
Cai Lun's Invention of Paper
105 CE · Classical Antiquity
TechnologyCultureEconomics
Construction of the Pantheon
c. 118-126 CE · Classical Antiquity
EngineeringArtCulture
Zhang Heng's Seismoscope Invention
132 CE · Classical Antiquity
TechnologyEngineering
Bar Kokhba Revolt Crushed; Judaea Renamed Syria Palaestina
135 CE · Classical Antiquity
PoliticsWarReligion
Ptolemy Publishes the Almagest
c. 150 CE · Classical Antiquity
AstronomyMathematicsPhysics/Cosmology
Marcus Aurelius Becomes Emperor
161 · Classical Antiquity
Politics
Antonine Plague Spreads Across the Roman Empire
165-180 CE · Classical Antiquity
MedicinePolitics
Galen's Contributions to Medicine and Anatomy
c. 160-200 CE · Classical Antiquity
MedicineBiologyPhilosophy
Yellow Turban Rebellion
184-205 CE · Classical Antiquity
PoliticsReligionWar
Ancient Greek Wrestling Manual Written
200 · Classical Antiquity
CultureTechnology
Three Kingdoms period begins
220 · Classical Antiquity
CulturePolitics
Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions
228-234 CE · Classical Antiquity
WarPolitics
Mayans - Classic Period
250 AD · Classical Antiquity
PoliticsEconomicsReligion
Aksumite Kingdom Introduces Indigenous Coinage
c. 270 CE · Classical Antiquity
EconomicsPoliticsCulture
Diocletian's Reforms
284-305 CE · Classical Antiquity
PoliticsEconomicsWar
Bakhshali Manuscript Records Zero as a Written Symbol
c. 3rd–4th century CE · Classical Antiquity
Mathematics
Nydam Boat Constructed
310-320 AD · Classical Antiquity
Politics
Edict of Milan
February 313 CE · Classical Antiquity
ReligionPoliticsCulture
First Council of Nicaea
325 CE · Classical Antiquity
ReligionPoliticsCulture
Founding of Constantinople
May 11, 330 CE · Classical Antiquity
PoliticsCultureReligion
Ezana's Conversion and Christianization of Aksum
c. 325-350 CE · Classical Antiquity
ReligionPoliticsCulture
Hun Invasion and Gothic Refugee Crisis
376 CE · Classical Antiquity
WarPoliticsCulture
The Fall of the Roman Empire
January 17, 395 AD · Classical Antiquity
Politics
Martianus Capella's Partial Heliocentric Model
c. 410 CE · Classical Antiquity
AstronomyPhysics/Cosmology
Theodosian Code Published
438 CE · Classical Antiquity
LawPolitics
Council of Chalcedon
October 8 - November 1, 451 CE · Classical Antiquity
ReligionPolitics
Death of Attila the Hun
453 AD · Classical Antiquity
Politics
Fall of the Western Roman Empire
476 AD · Classical Antiquity
Politics
Aryabhata's Early Place-Value System
499 CE · Classical Antiquity
MathematicsAstronomy
Aryabhata's Invention of the Sine Function
499 CE · Classical Antiquity
MathematicsAstronomy
Aryabhata Describes Earth's Rotation
499 CE · Classical Antiquity
AstronomyPhysics/Cosmology