Chapter III: From the Development of the Assyrian Empire to the Time of Xerxes

THE GREAT, 1100-485 B. C.

GREAT EVENTS OF PERIOD. 1100-1000: Heroic age of Greece; Hebrews
reach their highest point of national power. Beginning of the
Medo-Persian nations. Celts disperse over western Europe and into
British Isles. 1000-900: Homeric age. Celts already in Britain, with
bronze in use. Phœnician trade extended from Senegal to India.
900-800: Decline of Phœnician cities. 800-700: Ethiopian supremacy
in Egypt. Assyrian conquests continue; Tiglath-Pileser III.; Sargon;
Babylonia rises to height of its power. 700-600: Zenith and fall of
Nineveh, and Assyrian empire. Media rises to power. Perhaps last
migrations from the Aryan center--Teutonic and Slav races. 600-500:
Zenith and fall of Babylon. Long reign of Nebuchadnezzar; he ravages
Egypt. The seventy years’ captivity of Judah. Rise of Persia.
Founding of the Roman republic. Establishment of democracy in
Athens.

+-------+---------------------+---------------------+---------------------+
|=B. C.=| =Rome= | =Greeks= | =Egypt= |
+-------+---------------------+---------------------+---------------------+
| | | =II. Formation of | |
| | | Greek States= | |
| | | (1100-500) | |
| | | | |
| =1100=|1100. The Etruscans |1100-950. Great mi- | |
| |already in central |grations in Greece of|1091. At beginning of|
| |Italy. |Dorians and Thessa- |the twenty-first dy- |
| | |lians. Ionic colonies|nasty two lines of |
| | |founded in Asia |kings: one at Thebes |
| | |Minor. |and another at Tanis.|
| | | |Power of Tanis |
| | |1068. Codrus, last |established and great|
| | |king of Athens. Be- |wall built. |
| | |ginning of rule of | |
| | |archons. | |
| | | | |
| =1000=| |1000. Period of | _A very complex |
| | |_HOMER_. Poems of | and obscure period._|
| | |Homer reflect the | |
| | |Mycenæan and Aegean |987-952. Pasebkhanu |
| | |period of the Greeks.|II. King Solomon |
| | | |married one of his |
| | | |daughters. |
| | | | |
| | | |952. Sheshanq |
| | | |(Shishak of the |
| | | |Bible), married to |
| | | |sister of the wife of|
| | | |King Solomon. Great |
| | | |conquests in Syria. |
| | | |Capture of Jerusalem.|
| =900= | | | |
| | |820. Legislation of | |
| | |LYCURGUS founded the | |
| | |stability of Sparta. | |
| =800= | | | |
| | | |780. Rise of indepen-|
| | |776. FIRST OLYMPIAD, |dent kingdom in |
| | |or first year the |Nubia. |
| | |Olympian victor was | |
| | |recorded. | |
| | =I. Mythical Period | | |
| | of the Kings= | | |
| | (753-510) | | |
| | | | |
| |753-716. Romulus. | | |
| | | | |
| |753. ROME founded. | | |
| | | | |
| |750. Sabines incorpo-|750-550. Colonizing | |
| |rated with Romans. |period of the Greeks.| |
| | | | |
| | |743-724. FIRST MES- | |
| | |SENIAN WAR between | |
| | |Messenia and Sparta. | =VI. Nubian Period= |
| | | | (722-654) |
| | | | |
| | | |722. Egypt lost |
| | | |Palestine to Assyria.|
| |715-673. Numa Pompi- | | |
| |lius. Traditional | |707. Shabako, the |
| |founder of religious | |Nubian, gains all |
| |institutions. | |Egypt, incites revolt|
| | | |in Syria and Pales- |
| | | |tine against Sargon. |
| | | |Later is defeated by |
| | | |Sennacherib. |
| =700= |700-200. Etruscan | | |
| |influence very | | |
| |strong. | | |
| | | | |
| |673-641. Tullus | | |
| |Hostilius. Alba Longa| |670-660. Assyrian |
| |destroyed. | |supremacy. Nubians |
| | | |expelled by Ashur- |
| | | |bani-pal but hold |
| | | |Thebes until 654. |
| | | | |
| | | |653-610. PSAMETIK I. |
| | |645-628. SECOND |re-united Egypt. In |
| |641-616. Ancus |MESSENIAN WAR. Sparta|alliance with Gyges, |
| |Marcius. Capture of |victorious. |King of Lydia, made |
| |Ostia. War with | |Egypt independent of |
| |Latins. |625. Corinth at its |Assyria. Built a mag-|
| | |zenith. PERIANDER, |nificent palace at |
| | |tyrant. |Sais, the new |
| | | |capital. _Revival of |
| | |621. LAWS OF DRACO at|art, religion and |
| |616-578. Tarquinius |Athens. |literature._ |
| |Priscus. Treaty with | | |
| |Latins. Temple of | |610-595. NEKU II. In-|
| |Jupiter on the | |vades Syria, but is |
| |capitol. | |vanquished at |
| |_Important advance in| |Carchemish by |
| |power and civiliza- | |Nebuchadnezzar II. of|
| |tion._ | |Babylonia. |
| =600= | |600-590. FIRST SACRED| |
| | |WAR. | |
| | | | |
| | |594. SOLON, archon of| |
| |578-534. Servius |Athens. | |
| |Tulius. Rome con- |_Laws and reforms._ |570-526. AAHMES II. |
| |solidated. Rise of | |Encouraged Greek |
| |patricians and |560-527. PISISTRATUS,|settlement. Magnifi- |
| |plebians. |tyrant of Athens. |cent buildings at |
| | |Ionia and Greek |Naucratis and Sais. |
| | |cities of Asia con- | |
| | |quered by Cyrus of | |
| | |Persia. | |
| | | | |
| |534-510. Tarquinius |=The Rise of Athens.=| |
| |Superbus. End of the | |525. Psametik III. |
| |Kings. Rome a Re- | |defeated by Cambyses |
| |public with two | |at Pelusium. Egypt a |
| |Consuls. | |Persian province. |
| | | | |
| | | |520. Capture of |
| | | |Thebes (Luxor) and |
| | | |transplantation of |
| | | |6000 Egyptians to |
| | | |Susiana. |
| | | | |
| | | |The Persian kings |
| | =II. The Republic to| |exact a large tri- |
| | the Beginning of the| |bute. The fisheries |
| | Punic Wars= | |of Lake Mœris, etc. |
| | (510-264) |510. Athenian demo- | |
| | |cracy fully | |
| |Struggle between |established. | |
| |patricians and | | |
| |plebians and develop-| | |
| |ment of Roman con- | | |
| |solidation. | | |
| | | | |
| |508. First commercial| | |
| |treaty with Carthage.| | |
| =500= | | =III. Persian Wars= | |
| | | (500-449) | |
| |498. First Dictator. |See under Persia. | |
| |First struggle, on | | |
| |account of the op- | | |
| |pression of the | | |
| |debtors. | | |
| | | | |
| |493. Tribunes of the | | |
| |people. | | |
| | | | |
| |491. Comitia Tributa,| | |
| |in which the people |490. =Marathon.= The | |
| |have the prepon- |Athenians under | |
| |derance. |Miltiades defeated | |
| | |the Persians under | |
| | |Datis. Free govern- | |
| |Second struggle, |ment and Greek | |
| |respecting the |civilization saved. | |
| |division of lands. |_Athens mistress of | |
| | |the sea._ | |
| | | | |
| | |489. Miltiades | |
| |486. First Agrarian |attacks Poros and |486. Revolts, but is |
| |law. |fails. His condem- |again subdued by |
| |Continual wars |nation and death |Xerxes. |
| |against the neigh- |follow. |The tribute in- |
| |boring states. | |creased. |
| | |485. Gelo, master of | |
| | |Syracuse. | |
+-------+---------------------+---------------------+---------------------+

+-------+---------------------+---------------------+
|=B. C.=| =Phœnicia-Lydia |=China, Japan, India=|
| | Phrygia= | |
+-------+---------------------+---------------------+
| =1100=|1100. Tyre attains | |
| |first rank among |China: 1123-255. Chow|
| |Phœnician seacoast |dynasty. Feudal |
| |towns. |system developed. |
| =1000=| | |
| |970. King Hiram sent | |
| |material for Solo- | |
| |mon’s Temple. | |
| =900= | | |
| |846. CARTHAGE founded| |
| |by Elissa (Dido). | |
| | | |
| =800= |800. Phrygia an inde-|India: 800. Bramanic |
| |pendent monarchy. |period of Vedic |
| | |literature. |
| | | |
| | |China: 780-700. |
| |728. Midas of Phrygia|Constant struggles |
| |foments rebellion |between central power|
| |against rule of |and feudal states. |
| |Sargon in Northern | |
| |Syria. | |
| | | |
| |727. Tyre captured by| |
| |Assyria. Phœnician | |
| |decline begins. | |
| | | |
| =700= |700. Cimmerian in- | |
| |vasion shortly | |
| |destroys Phrygian | |
| |Kingdom. | |
| | | |
| |689. GYGES, first | |
| |important King of |Japan: 660-585. Jimmu|
| |Lydia. |Tenno, first Mikado. |
| | |Largely legendary. |
| |636. Last Assyrian | |
| |governor of Phœnicia.| |
| | | |
| |610. Alyattes, King | |
| |of Lydia, battles | |
| |with Cyaxares of | |
| |Media. Erected mag- | |
| |nificent buildings at| |
| |Sardis. | |
| | | |
| =600= | | |
| |586-573. Tyre be- | |
| |sieged by | |
| |Nebuchadnezzar. | |
| |Phœnicia a Persian | |
| |province (538). | |
| | | |
| |568. CRŒSUS, son of | |
| |Alyattes, subdued all| |
| |the Grecian cities of| |
| |the coast. | |
| | |China: 551. |
| |546. SARDIS CAPTURED |_CONFUCIUS_ born. |
| |and Lydia absorbed |Greatest figure in |
| |into Persian Empire. |Chinese history. |
| | | |
| |538. Phœnicia became |This great Chinese |
| |a Persian province. | |
| | |philosopher, intro- |
| |530. CARTHAGE becomes| |
| |independent. |duces a new religion,|
| | | |
| |Phœnicia: through its|opposed to that of |
| | | |
| |influence the whole |Fohi, and boldly |
| | | |
| |country is allowed to|inveighs against the |
| | | |
| |carry on its trade as|vice and immorality |
| | | |
| |usual, under the |of the times. |
| | | |
| |authority and protec-| |
| | | |
| |tion of the king of | |
| | | |
| |Persia. | |
| | | |
| |508. Carthage makes | |
| |its first commercial | |
| |treaty with Rome. | |
| | | |
| =500= |500. Carthage trades | |
| |with the Greeks. | |
| | | |
| |Carthage effects an | |
| |alliance with the | |
| |Persians against | |
| |Sicily. | |
+-------+---------------------+---------------------+

+-------+---------------------+---------------------+---------------------+
|=B. C.=| =Hebrews= | =Babylonia-Assyria= | =Persians= |
+-------+---------------------+---------------------+---------------------+
| | | =VI. The Assyrian | |
| | | Empire.= | |
| | | | |
| =1100=| |1100-930. History of |1100. Formation of a |
| |1040. SAMUEL, last of|Babylon of little |powerful empire in |
| |the “Judges.” |importance until 600 |Bactria. Deeds of |
| | |B. C. Assyria the |kings celebrated in |
| | |great power of West- |the Shahnameh of |
| | |ern Asia till the |Firdusi. |
| | |rise of the New Baby-| |
| | |lonian Empire after | |
| | =III. Period of |the destruction of | |
| | Monarchy= |Nineveh in 607 B. C. | |
| | | | |
| |1020. SAUL, king. | | |
| |Jerusalem, the | | |
| |capital of all | | |
| |Israel. | | |
| | | | |
| =1000=|1000. DAVID, king. | |1000. Period of |
| | | |_ZOROASTER_ and |
| |977-937. SOLOMON, | |Zoroastrianism, was |
| |king. Began building |930-640. _Brilliant |chief of the Magi, a |
| |the temple about 973.|epoch of Assyria. A |priestly tribe of |
| |Married a daughter of|period of conquest, |Media. |
| |King Pasebkhanu II. |expansion, archi- | |
| |of Egypt. |tecture, sculpture | |
| | |and literary activi- | |
| | =IV. Divided |ty._ | |
| | Monarchy= | | |
| | (937) | | |
| | Judah and Israel | | |
| =900= | | | |
| | |886-858. Ashur-Nasir-| |
| | |Pal. One of the | |
| | |greatest Assyrian | |
| | |kings. Extended the | |
| | |empire. Moved the | |
| | |government to Calah | |
| | |(Nimrod) from Ashur. | |
| | |Built a great palace | |
| | |there. | |
| | | | |
| | |858-823. Shalmaneser | |
| | |II. Ceaseless wars | |
| | |made him master of | |
| | |Western Asia. First | |
| | |contact with Israeli-| |
| | |tes. Jehu, King of | |
| | |Israel, among those | |
| | |who sent tribute. | |
| | |Built palace at Calah| =I. Ancient Persian |
| | |(Nimrod). Protector- | Period= |
| | |ate over Babylon. | (836-640) |
| | | | |
| | |810-781. Ramari- | |
| | |nirrari IV. captured | |
| | |Damascus. Married | |
| | |Babylonian princess | |
| | |Semiramis. | |
| =800= | | | |
| | |745-727. Tiglath- | |
| | |Pileser II. (Identi- |740. Western Iran |
| |735-715. Ahaz became |cal with the king Pul|(Media and Persia) |
| |tributary to Assyria.|of the Bible) made |subject to Assyria. |
| |ISAIAH denounced the |Babylonia subject to | |
| |alliance. |Assyria. | |
| | | | |
| | |728. END OF OLD | |
| | |BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. | |
| | | | |
| | |727-722. Shalmaneser | |
| | |IV. suppressed the | |
| | |revolt of the Phœni| | |
| | |cian cities and the | |
| | |kingdom of Israel. | |
| | +-------+ | |
| | :722-705. SARGON II. conquered| |
| |715-686. :Samaria and destroyed the | |
| |Hezekiah. Be-:Kingdom of Israel. He re- | |
| |gan religious:ceived tribute from Arabia, | |
| |and social :Egypt, and Cyprus; suppressed| |
| |reforms. :revolts in Armenia, Media and| |
| | :Babylonia, and united the | |
| | :latter with Assyria. | |
| | : | |
| | :705. SENNACHERIB. Invaded | |
| =700= | :Judah. Palace at Nineveh and |700-600. Scythians |
| | :library. |sweep over Media, |
| | :Assyrian art most flourishing|Persia and Assyria. |
| | :from Ninth to end of Seventh | |
| | :Century. | |
| | : | |
| |681. ESARHADDON. Wars with Phœnicia, Cilicia, Edom, Medes, and |
| |Arabs. Conquest of Lower Egypt. |
| | : | |
| | :668. ASHUR-BANI-PAL | =II. Period of the |
| | :(Sardanapalus). Expelled | Median Empire.= |
| | :Nubians from Egypt and es- | |
| | :tablished his supremacy for a|655-633. Phraortes |
| | :time. Best period of art. |united Media. |
| | :Creation tablets and Deluge | |
| | :tablets. Gyges, King of |640. Medes revolt |
| | :Lydia, killed during a |from Assyria and es- |
| | :revolt. |tablish the Median |
| | | |Empire (640-558). |
| | | | |
| | | |633-593. CYAXERES, |
| | |626. Assyrian power declining|with Nabopolassor of |
| | |at death of Ashur-bani-pal. |Babylonia, capture |
| | |NABOPOLASSOR, Assyrian gover-|Nineveh and destroy |
| | |nor of Babylon, makes the |the Assyrian Empire. |
| | |latter independent, and wars | |
| | |against Assyria. | |
| | | | |
| | |610. Fall of Nineveh. END OF | |
| | |ASSYRIAN EMPIRE, divided | |
| | |among Medes and Babylonians. | |
| | | | |
| |608-597. |608. =New Babylonian Empire.=| |
| |Jehoiakim. | | |
| |JEREMIAH. |604-551. NEBUCHADNEZZAR II. | |
| | |makes Babylonia the leading | |
| | |nation of the East. Conquered| |
| =600= | |Jerusalem (586) and subdued | |
| | |Tyre (585). | |
| | | +-----------+ |
| | |_Splendid archi- |593-558. Astyoges, last King of |
| |586. CAPTURE |tectural era at |Medes. Cyrus revolted, deposed |
| |OF JERUSALEM |Babylon._ |the king, became king of Persia |
| |by Nebuchad- | |and master of the East. |
| |nezzar, | | |
| |temple des- | | =II. Period of the Persian |
| |troyed and | | Empire= |
| |Jews made | | (558-330) |
| |captive. | | |
| | | |558-529. CYRUS, emperor. Con- |
| | |555. NABONIDUS, |quered Crœsus, King of Lydia. |
| | |father of the | |
| | |Biblical Belshaz-| |
| | |zar, great | |
| | |builder and re- | |
| | |storer of | |
| | |temples. | |
| | | |
| | |539-538. War of Cyrus against the Babylonians. |
| |538-332. |Babylon captured. The Babylonian Empire incorpo- |
| |Palestine |rated with the Persian. |
| |under Persian| |
| |dominion. |529-522. CAMBYSES conquered Egypt by his victory at|
| | |Pelusium. |
| | | |
| | |521-485. DARIUS son of Hystaspes was made king. |
| |520-516. | |
| |Temple re- |_Darius has special interest because he was first |
| |built at |to extend Persian authority into Europe, and thus |
| |Jerusalem. |paved the way for the subsequent invasion of |
| | |Greece._ |
| | | |
| | |518. Revolt of Babylon, and destruction of that |
| | |city after a twenty months’ siege. Indian campaign,|
| | |in which the countries north of the Indus become |
| | |subject to Persia. Indus the boundary of the |
| | |empire. |
| | | |
| | |513. (?). Unsuccessful expedition of Darius against|
| | |the Scythians with a land force of 700,000 men. |
| | |Macedonia and Thrace tributary. |
| | | |
| =500= | |500-494. The Ionian colonies rebel, and are |
| | |assisted by the Athenians, which gives rise to the |
| | |Perso-Grecian wars and the national hatred between |
| | |the two countries. |
| | | |
| | |499. Sardis burnt by the Ionians. =Grecian wars= |
| | |follow. |
| |According to | |
| |Philo, the |494. The Greeks and their allies defeated in naval |
| |history of |engagement at the island of Lade. |
| |Judith and | |
| |Holofernes |493-490. War of Darius against the European Greeks.|
| |falls under |Revolt among the Egpyptians. |
| |the reign of | |
| |Artaxerxes. |492. First expedition, under Mardonius, unsuccess- |
| | |ful. |
| |Under the | |
| |same king |490. Second expedition, defeated at Marathon by |
| |lived Esther |Miltiades. |
| |and Haman. | |
| | |486. Egypt revolts and is not reduced to subjection|
| | |until 484. |
| | | |
| | |485. Death of Darius. He was succeeded by his son |
| | |XERXES. |
+-------+-------------+---------------------------------------------------+