| BC Year | Event |
|---|
| 605-562 |
Reign of Nebuchadnezzar as King of Babylon (modern Iraq). |
| 586 |
Nebuchadnezzar conquers Jerusalem, sends Jews into exile. |
| 570-526 |
Reign of Amasis II as Last Pharaoh of Egypt. |
| 585-549 |
Reign of Astyages as King of Media (modern Iran, Afghanistan). |
| 560-546 |
Reign of Croesus as King of Lydia (modern Turkey). |
| 559-539 |
Reign of Cyrus the Great as King of Persia (Middle East and Central Asia) . |
| 550-526 |
Persian Wars of Conquest |
| 549 |
Cyrus rebels against his grandfather Astyages, and unites kingdoms of Persia, Media. |
| 546 |
Cyrus besieges the capital of Croesus and conquers Lydia. |
| 539 |
Cyrus besieges Babylon and conquers the Babylonian Empire. |
| 538 |
Cyrus releases the Jews from the "Babylonian Captivity". |
| 529 |
Cyrus is killed during a campaign in Scythia. |
| 526 |
Cambyses II invades and conquers Egypt. |
| 529-522 |
Reign of Cambyses as King of Persia. |
| 522-521 |
Smerdis the Magi usurps throne of Persia on the death of Cambyses. |
| 521-486 |
Reign of Darius the Great as King of Persia. |
| 521 |
Darius seizes the throne from the usurper Smerdis. marries the daughter of Cyrus. |
| 521 |
Babylon revolts against Darius but is reconquered. |
| 512 |
Darius campaigns in Scythia; is saved by Histiaeus. |
| 500-479 |
Greco-Persian War |
| 500 |
Ionian Revolt. Athens supports Ionian Greek's rebellion against Persia. |
| 493 |
Mardonius leads Persia's first, failed invasion of Greece. |
| 490 |
Persia's second invasion of Greece foiled by Athens' Victory at Marathon. |
| 481 |
Persia's third and largest invasion of Greece led by Xerxes. |
| 480 |
Battle of Thermopylae—three hundred Spartans perish holding the pass. |
| 480 |
Battle of Salamis—great naval victory for Greece destroys Persian fleet. |
| 479 |
Battle of Plataea—Persian driven from occupied territories of mainland Greece. |
| 478 |
Pausanias, hero of Plataea, dies in disgrace. |
| 460 |
Themistocles, hero of Salamis, dies in exile. |
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