6th Century BC Western History


	The 6th Century BCE	500s BC

590s - 597: Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar II capture Jerusalem, and imprison King Jehoiachin. Zedekiah appointed as Jerusalem's ruler. 594: Solon becomes sole Archon of Athens; brings about 1.Emancipation of the peasantry (debts eliminated and personal bondage abolished) 2. Curtailment of aristocratic power 3. Currency reform 4. Judicial reform. introduces new, milder laws to replace those of Dracon, creates court of citizens and reforms election of magistrates	580s - 587: Nebuchadnezzar II beseiges Jerusalem for 18 months, takes the city, and relocates Jews to Babylon. 586: Nebuchadnezzar II captures Tyre. 585: Peace established between Media and Lydia (in Greece), with the Halys (Kizil) River as the boundary between the two kingdoms. This establishes a balance of power between the Medes, Lydians and Babylonians, with the Egyptians farther to the south. Plutarch's Solon
570s - Aesop writes his Fables	560s - 560 Peisistratus rules Athens as a tyrant, promotes public works and general welfare till 527.
550s - 551 Zoroaster (Zarathustra) dies. 550 Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) defeats his Median overlords, and begins expansion through Middle East, establishing the Persian Empire.	540s 549: Cyrus II defeats Astyages, the last king of the Medes. 549: Cyrus II, turning against the Lydians, captures Cilicia, cutting off supply routes to the Lydians in Greece, under Croesus. 547 Croesus attacks Cyrus II, at the Halys River, but the battle is inconclusive. 546 Cyrus II beseiges Croesus at his capitol Sardis, and captures him. One-by-one the Greek city-states along the coast of Asia Minor succumb to Persian armies. Lydia becomes province of Persia. 540: Cyrus II attacks Babylonian empire.
530s 539 Cyrus II captures Babylon "without a battle" from Nabonidus. 537 Cyrus II permits the Jews to return to Jerusalem. (Isaiah 45:1 The Lord's Annointed)	520s c. 529 Pythagoras of Samos founds an anti-democratic school (1st secret society?) in Croton, southern Italy after reputed travels in the Near East. Pythagoreanism will continue and evolve for centuries. 529: Cyrus II dies fighting near the Oxus and Jaxartes rivers. 527 Hippias and Hipparchus (sons of Peisistratus) rule Athens as tyrants till 514 525 Cambyses, son of Cyrus, conquers Egypt. 522: Cambyses is killed, and his spearbearer Darius becomes Persian ruler.
510s 518 Darius I founds the city of Persepolis. 514: Tyrant of Athens Hipparchus murdered 510 Tarquinius Superbus, last king of Rome, overthrown by rebellion. 510 Cleisthenes overthrows Athenian tyranny with the help of the Spartan army.	500s 509 Roman Republic begins with expulsion of Etruscan monarchy. Annual election of Consuls (2) starts? Valerian Law permits plebians to appeal (peace time) death sentences by Consul to the Comitia Centuriate (Popular Assembly) 508: Cleisthenes reforms the constitution of Athens, and introduces democratic government. Plutarch's Poplicola Pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus promotes the "unity of opposites", "world in flux" and "logos giving structure to the world."

500s BC