The 4th century BC started the first day of 400 BC and ended the last day of 301 BC. A millennium (pl millennia) is a period of Time equal to one thousand Years (from Latin la mille, thousand and la annum The 1st millennium BC encompasses the Iron Age and sees the rise of successive empires A century (from the Latin centum, meaning one hundred is One hundred consecutive Years Centuries are numbered ordinally (e The 5th century BC started the first day of 500 BC and ended the last day of 401 BC. The 3rd century BC started the first day of 300 BC and ended the last day of 201 BC See also List of centuries, History This is a list of Decades in history including links to corresponding articles with more information about them Deaths Socrates 399 BC Events and trends Births Aristotle (384–322 BC was a Greek philosopher a student of Plato, and Events and trends Births Deaths Democritus, Greek scholar philosopher Events and trends Births King Tantalus of Persia Deaths Events and trends Births July 21, 356 BC — Alexander the Great, Macedonian king In 340 BC Philip II of Macedon led an attack on Byzantium, leaving Alexander, now aged 16 to act as regent of Macedon. Events and trends Alexander the Great leads the army of Macedon in a successful campaign to conquer the Persian Empire. Events and trends Following the death of Alexander the Great, his empire disintegrates as his generals fight each other for control in a war that lasts for decades Events and trends 312 BC — First aqueduct began to be built Events By place Persian Empire Artaxerxes II King of Persia appoints Tissaphernes to take over all the districts in Events By Place Asia Minor In The Battle of Ipsus in Phrygia, the armies of Antigonus, the ruler of Syria It is considered part of the Classical era, epoch, or historical period. Classical antiquity (also the classical era or classical period) is a broad term for a long period of cultural History centered on the Mediterranean An era is a commonly used word for long period of time When used in science for example geology eras denote clearly defined periods of time of arbitrary but well defined The categorization of Time into discrete named blocks is called Periodization.
Overview
This century marked the height of Classical Greek civilization in all of its aspects. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' In the context of the art architecture and culture of Ancient Greece, the classical period corresponds to most of the 5th and 4th centuries By the year 400 Greek philosophy, art, literature and architecture had spread far and wide, with the numerous independent Greek colonies that had sprung up throughout the lands of the eastern Mediterranean.
Arguably the most important series of political events in this period were the conquests of Alexander, bringing about the collapse of the once formidable Persian Empire and spreading Greek culture far into the east. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia Alexander dreamed of an east/west union, but when his short life ended, his vast empire was plunged into civil war as his generals each carved out their own separate kingdoms. Thus began the Hellenistic age, a period characterized by a more absolute approach to rule, with Greek kings taking on royal trappings and setting up hereditary successions. This article focuses on the cultural aspects of the Hellenistic age for the historical aspects see Hellenistic period. While a degree of democracy still existed in some of the remaining independent Greek cities, many scholars see this age as marking the end of classical Greece.
Events
Bust of Alexander the Great in the
British Museum.
A bust is a sculpted or cast representation of the upper part of the human figure depicting a person's head and Neck, as well as a variable portion of The British Museum is a Museum of human history and culture in London.
- Mid-4th century BC — Priene, Western Turkey is rebuilt. Priene ( Ancient Greek: Πριήνη, Priēnē was an ancient Greek city of Ionia (and member of the Ionian League) at the base Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches
- 4th century BC — Pectoral, from the tomb of a Scythian at Ordzhonikidze, Russia, is made. The Scythians or Scyths (Σκύθες Σκύθοι were an Iranian speaking people of horse-riding Nomadic pastoralists who dominated the Pontic Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending It is now at Historical Museum, Kiev. Kiev, also known as Kyiv ( Ukrainian:, Kyiv, ˈkɪjiw Russian:, Kiyev; see also Cities' alternative names) is the
- Late 4th century BC — Diadem, reputed to have been found in a tomb near the Hellespont. See also Dardanelles Hellespont ( Turkish, Greek; ie "Sea of Helle" variously named in classical literature Hellespontium Pelagus It is now at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is an art museum located on the eastern edge of Central Park, along what is known as Museum Mile in New York City, New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous
- Praxiteles or his followers makes Hermes and the infant Dionysos. Praxiteles ( Ancient Greek: Πραξιτέλης English prækˈsɪtɨliːz of Athens, the son of Cephisodotus the Elder, was the most renowned of the A Hellenistic or Roman copy after a Late Classical original is at Archaeological Museum, Olympia. Olympia ( Greek: Olympí'a or Olýmpia, older transliterations Olimpia, Olimbia) a sanctuary of ancient Greece Discovered in the rubble or the ruined Temple of Hera at Olympia in 1875. Year 1875 ( MDCCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common
- 399 BC Socrates is executed in Athens on charges of impiety and corrupting Athenian youth. Events By place Greece February 15 — The Greek Philosopher Socrates is sentenced to death by Athenian SOCRATES is the European Community action programme in the field of Education. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's
- 383 BC Second Buddhist council at Vesali, 100 years after the Parinirvana. Events By place Greece King Amyntas III of Macedon, forms a temporary alliance with the Chalcidian League The Second Buddhist council took place in Vesali, about one hundred years after the Buddha 's Parinibbāna, in order to settle a serious dispute on In Buddhism, parinirvana ( Sanskrit: परिनिर्वाण parinirvāṇa; Pali: परिनिब्बाण parinibbāṇa
- 373 BC The Greek city of Helike sinks into the sea causing the death of its entire population. Events By place Persian Empire The Persian King Artaxerxes II launches an invasion of Egypt to bring that country "Helice" redirects here For the Crab Genus, see Helice (crab.
- c360 BC Theater of Tholos, at Epidauros is built. Events By place Egypt With the help of King Agesilaus II of Sparta, Nectanebo II deposes Teos and becomes
- Mid-4th century BC - Skopas (?) makes Panel from the Amazon frieze, south side of the Mausoleum at Halikarnassos. This article is about the ancient sculptor For the ancient writer whose name appears in some manuscripts as "Scopas" see Agriopas. Halicarnassus (Άλικαρνᾱσσός &mdash Halikarnassós or Ἁλικαρνασσός &mdash Alikarnassós Halikarnas modern It is now kept at The British Museum, London. The British Museum is a Museum of human history and culture in London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.
- 354 BC, the Battle of Guiling in China. Events By place Greece Reflecting the growing level of discontent with his tyrannical conduct Dion is assassinated by Callippus an Athenian The Battle of Guìlíng (桂陵之戰 was fought between the states of Qí and Wèi in the Warring States period of Chinese history.
- 342 BC, the Battle of Maling in China. Events By place Macedonia The Greek philosopher Aristotle, is invited by Philip II to his capital at Pella to tutor The Battle of Maling (馬陵之戰 was conducted in Maling currently Dazhangjia Town (大張家鎮 Shen County (莘县 Henan Province, in 342 BC during
- 323 BC Alexander the Great conquers the Persian Empire, decline and depopulation of Ancient Greece with large migrations towards the conquered lands. Events By place Macedonian Empire 10 June — In Babylon, Alexander the Great dies ten days after being taken ill Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca
- 316 BC The Chinese State of Qin conquers the State of Shu, located in modern-day Sichuan, the ultimate success of the conquest due large in part to the strategy of Zhang Yi. Events By place Macedonian Empire Eumenes and Antigonus, rivals to Cassander for control of Macedonia meet in the Battle Qín or Ch'in ( Wade-Giles) (秦 ( 778 BC - 207 BC) was a State during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods Shu ( 蜀) was an ancient state in what is now Sichuan, China. ( Postal map spelling: Szechwan and Szechuan) is a province in western China with its capital in Chengdu. Zhang Yi (張儀 (???-309 BC born in State of Wei during the Warring States Period of China
- 312 BC Seleucus I Nicator establishes himself in Babylon, founding the Seleucid Empire. Events By place Seleucid Empire Ptolemy and Seleucus, the Satrap of Babylonia, invade the satrapy of Seleucus I (surnamed for later generations Nicator, Greek: Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ, i Babylon was a City-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which can be found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq The Seleucid Empire /sə'lusɪd/ ( 312 - 63 BC) was a Hellenistic empire i
- Invasion of the Celts into Ireland. Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world
- Battle of the Allia and subsequent Gaulish sack of Rome. The Battle of the Allia was a battle of the first Gallic invasion of Italy Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2
- The Scythians are beginning to be absorbed into the Sarmatian people. The Scythians or Scyths (Σκύθες Σκύθοι were an Iranian speaking people of horse-riding Nomadic pastoralists who dominated the Pontic The Sarmatians, Sarmatae or Sauromatae ( Old Iranian Sarumatah 'archer' Σαρμάτες
- The Romans conquer the Abruzzi region, decline of the Etruscan civilization. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to the culture and way of life of a people of ancient Italy
Significant people
"The safest general characterisation of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato. " (
Alfred North Whitehead,
Process and Reality, 1929).
Alfred North Whitehead, OM ( February 15 1861, Ramsgate, Kent, England &ndash December 30 1947,
- Marcus Furius Camillus, Roman dictator (c. Marcus Furius Camillus (ca 446- 365 BC was a Roman soldier and statesman of Patrician descent Dictator was a Political office of the Roman Republic. The dictator was above the three branches of government in the Constitution of the Roman Republic 446–365 BC)
- Plato, philosopher (c. Events By place Greece Achaea achieves its independence from Athens, while Euboea, crucial to Athenian control of Events By place Greece Perdiccas III of Macedon, son of Amyntas III and Eurydice II, kills Ptolemy of Aloros Biography Early life Birth and family Plato was born in Athens Greece 427–347 BC)
- Tollund Man, Human sacrifice victim on the Jutland Peninsula in Denmark, possibly the earliest known evidence for worship of Odin
- Aristotle, philosopher and scientist (384–322 BC)
- Philip II of Macedonia (born 382, reigned 359–336 BC)
- Demosthenes (384–322 BC), a prominent Athenian statesman and orator, who became a fierce opponent of Philip II and Alexander of Macedon
- Gan De, Chinese astronomer
- Shi Shen, Chinese astronomer
- Darius III of Persia, last King of the Achaemenid dynasty (born 380, reigned 359–330 BC)
- Mencius, Chinese philosopher and sage (371–289 BC)
- Yang Zhu (also Yang Chu), Chinese philosopher for egoism and intellectual rival of Mencius
- Ptolemy I Soter, founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty (c. Events By place Greece Sparta 's King Archidamus II is succeeded by his son Agis II. Events By Place Greece In the wake of the Macedonian victory at Olynthus, Athens seeks to make peace with Macedonia The Tollund Man is the naturally mummified corpse of a man who lived during the 4th century BC, during the time period characterised in Scandinavia as the Human sacrifice is the act of Homicide (the Killing of one or several Human beings in the context of a Religious ritual ( ritual killing This article is about the region of Denmark. For the World War I naval battle see Battle of Jutland. A peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by Water but connected to Mainland via an Isthmus. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism. Aristotle (Greek Aristotélēs) (384 BC – 322 BC was a Greek philosopher a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. Events By place Greece Lysias, the Athenian orator on the occasion of the Olympiad, rebukes the Greeks for allowing Events By place Macedonian Empire In Babylon, the struggle for the succession to Alexander the Great develops Philip II of Macedon, ( Greek: Φίλιππος Β' ο Μακεδών &mdash φίλος = friend + ίππος = Horse Events By place Greece The Theban general and statesman Pelopidas flees to Athens and takes the lead in attempts to liberate Events By place Macedonia The Macedonian King Perdiccas III is killed while defending his country against an Illyrian Events By place Persian Empire The young king of Persia, Arses, objects to being controlled by Bagoas and attempts For the Athenian general see Demosthenes (general. For the ancient physician see Demosthenes Philalethes. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's A statesman or stateswoman or statesperson is usually a Politician or other notable figure of State who has had a long and respected career in Gan De ( fl 4th century BC was a Chinese Astronomer / Astrologer born in the State of Qi also known as the Lord Gan (Gan Gong Shi Shen ( fl 4th century BC) was a Chinese Astronomer and contemporary of Gan De born in the State of Wei, also known as the Darius III ( Artashata) (c 380&ndash330 BC Persian داریوش Dāriūš dɔːriˈuːʃ was the last king of the Achaemenid Empire of The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenid Persian Empire ( haχɒmaneʃijɒn (558–330 BC was the first of the Persian Empires to rule over significant portions of Events By place Persian empire Persia forces the Athenians to withdraw their general Chabrias from Egypt. Events By place Persian Empire The young king of Persia, Arses, objects to being controlled by Bagoas and attempts Events By place Macedonian Empire January 20 — Alexander the Great defeats the Persians, led by satrap Ariobarzanes Life Mencius also known by his birth name Meng Ke or Ko, was born in the State of Zou (simp China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Events By place Greece A fresh peace congress is summoned at Sparta. Events By place Sicily The Tyrant of Syracuse, Agathocles, dies after restoring the Syracusan democracy on his death Yang Zhu ( 370-319 BCE was a Chinese Philosopher during the Warring States period Yang Zhu ( 370-319 BCE was a Chinese Philosopher during the Warring States period China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language For the astronomer see Ptolemy; for others named "Ptolemy" or "Ptolemaeus" see Ptolemy (disambiguation. The Ptolemaic dynasty (sometimes also known as the Lagids, from the name of Ptolemy I's father Lagus) was a Hellenistic Macedonian royal family 367–283 BC)
- Shang Yang, Prime Minister of Qin, his reform helped Qin to become the strongest country and later unified China (term 361–338 BC)
- Seleucus I Nicator, founder of the Seleucid Empire (c. Events By place Greece The Theban general Epaminondas, again invades the Peloponnesus, but this time achieves little Events By place Greece Following Demetrius Poliorcetes ' death in captivity as a prisoner of Seleucus, his son Antigonus Shang Yang ( d 338 BC was an important statesman of Qin in the Warring States Period of ancient China. Qín or Ch'in ( Wade-Giles) (秦 ( 778 BC - 207 BC) was a State during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Events By Place Persian Empire With the Persian empire weakening revolts occur in many parts of the empire including Sidon, Events By place Persian Empire The Persian general and Vizier, the Eunuch Bagoas, falls out of favour with Seleucus I (surnamed for later generations Nicator, Greek: Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ, i The Seleucid Empire /sə'lusɪd/ ( 312 - 63 BC) was a Hellenistic empire i 358–281 BC)
- Alexander the Great, King of Macedon, invades Asia Minor, Persia and reaches India (born 356, reigned 336–323 BC)
- Brennus, Gaulish chieftain
- Zhuangzi, Chinese philosopher
- Archon of Pella, Babylonian satrap
- Sun Bin, Chinese general and military strategist (d. Events By place Persian Empire Artaxerxes III ("Ochus" succeeds Artaxerxes II as King of Persia and restores Events By place Asia Minor The Battle of Corupedium in Lydia is the last battle of the Diadochi, the rival successors Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Macedon or Macedonia ( Greek grc Μακεδονία grc-Latn Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Events By place Persian Empire Having blamed the defeats by Philip II in Thessaly and Chalcidice on his colleagues Chares is Events By place Persian Empire The young king of Persia, Arses, objects to being controlled by Bagoas and attempts Events By place Macedonian Empire 10 June — In Babylon, Alexander the Great dies ten days after being taken ill Brennus (or Brennos) was a chieftain of the Senones, a Gallic tribe originating from the modern areas of France known as Seine-et-Marne For the book with the same name see Zhuangzi (book Zhuangzi ( was an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th Archon ( Ancient Greek:; 4th century BC) was a Pellaean appointed Satrap of Babylonia after the death of Alexander the Great Sun Bin ( died 316 BC was a military strategist who lived during the Warring States Period in ancient China. 316 BC)
Inventions, discoveries, introductions
A
Han Dynasty Chinese
crossbow from the
second century BC.
Events By place Macedonian Empire Eumenes and Antigonus, rivals to Cassander for control of Macedonia meet in the Battle The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. A crossbow is a Weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles often called bolts The 2nd century BC started the first day of 200 BC and ended the last day of 101 BC.
- Oldest Brahmi script dates from this period (Brahmi is the ancestor of Indic scripts).
- Romans build first aqueduct. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC The ancient Romans constructed numerous aqueducts ( Latin aquaeductūs, sing
- Chinese use the handheld trigger crossbow for the first time. Chinese civilization originated in various city-states along the Yellow River ( valley in the Neolithic era A crossbow is a Weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles often called bolts
- The first crossbow, the gastraphetes, is invented at Syracuse. The gastraphetes (from Ancient Greek γαστραφέτης, English translation: "belly-bow" was a hand-held Crossbow used by the Syracuse (Siracusa Sicilian: Sarausa, Classical Greek: / transliterated Syrakousai) is a historic City in
- Burnt brick first used in Greece. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία
- Donkey-powered mills first used in Greece. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία
- Torque with lion's-head terminals, from Susa (modern Shush, Iran) was made. Susa ( Biblical שושן ( Shushan) also Greek: Σοῦσα Transliterated as Sousa; Latin Susa) For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. It is now in Musee du Louvre, Paris. The Louvre Museum (Musée du Louvre located in Paris is the world's most visited art museum a historic monument and a national museum of France Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city
- Daric, a coin first minted under Darius I of Persia was made. The daric was a gold Coin used within the Persian Empire. It was of very high gold quality with a purity of 95 main - title Coin keywords numismatics coin review Darius I the Great (c 549 BC&ndash486 BC 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 Dārayavahuš: "Possessing goodness" Having ascended to power amidst controversy and bloodshed The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia It is now in Heberden Coin room, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. The Ashmolean Museum (in full the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology) on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is the world's first Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire,
- Starting in the year 309 BC, the later Chinese historian Sima Qian (145 BC-90 BC) wrote that the Qin-employed engineer Bi Ling of the newly conquered State of Shu in Sichuan had the shoulder of a mountain cut through, making the 'Separated Hill' that abated the Mo River, and excavated two canals in the plain of Chengdu. Events By place Asia Minor Ptolemy personally commands a fleet that captures the coastal regions of Lycia and Caria Early life and education Sima Qian was born and grew up in Longmen, near present-day Hancheng Shaanxi. Year 90 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Consuls Lucius Julius Caesar and Shu ( 蜀) was an ancient state in what is now Sichuan, China. ( Postal map spelling: Szechwan and Szechuan) is a province in western China with its capital in Chengdu. ( located in southwest People's Republic of China, is the capital of Sichuan province and a Sub-provincial city. The significance of this was phenomenal, as it allowed the new Guanxian irrigation system to populate an area of some 40 by 50 miles (60 × 80 km) with over five million people, still in use today (Needham, Science and Civilization in China, Volume 4, Part 3, 288). Irrigation is an artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops
- The Chinese astronomer Gan De divides the celestial sphere into 365¼ degrees, and the tropical year into 365¼ days at a time when most astronomers used the Babylon division of the celestial sphere as 360 degrees (Deng, Yinke. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Gan De ( fl 4th century BC was a Chinese Astronomer / Astrologer born in the State of Qi also known as the Lord Gan (Gan Gong In Astronomy and Navigation, the celestial sphere is an imaginary rotating Sphere of "gigantic Radius " Babylon was a City-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which can be found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq [2005] (2005). Chinese Ancient Inventions. ISBN 7508508378).
Decades and years
>
d • e