Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks

xvi Chronology
776 Traditional date for the first celebration of the Olympic
Games
ca. 735–715 First Messenian War
ca. 730 Colonization movement begins
ca. 725 Homer composes The Iliad
ca. 700 Homer composes The Odyssey; hoplite armor is invented
669 The Spartans are defeated by the Argives at Hysiai
ca. 660 Sparta crushes the Messenian Revolt
ca. 650 Formation of the Peloponnesian League
594 –593 Solon introduces economic and constitutional reforms
in Athens
546 Peisistratos establishes tyranny in Athens
510 The Athenians drive the tyrant Hippias into exile
508 –507 Kleisthenes introduces constitutional reforms
499–496 Ionian cities revolt from Persia
490 Athens defeats a Persian invasion force at Marathon
487 Magistrates in Athens are henceforth elected by lot
482 Athens builds a fleet
480 Persian invasion of Greece is launched by Xerxes; victory
of Greek fleet over Persians at Salamis
479 Defeat of Persian army at Plataiai and of Persian fleet
at Mykale
478 Formation of the Delian Confederacy under Athenian
leadership
464 Earthquake in Sparta; helot revolt in Messenia
461 Peaceful democratic revolution takes place in Athens
460 – 450 Payment is introduced for Athenian jurors
458 Aeschylus produces his trilogy Oresteia
447 Athens begins extensive building program under
supervision of Perikles
443 Beginning of Perikles’ political ascendancy
431 Outbreak of the Peloponnesian War
430 – 429 Athens ravaged by plague; death of Perikles