6th century BC c.

The 6th century B.C. C. or century VI a. and. c. (6th century BC) began on January 1, 600 BC. C. and ended on December 31, 501 BC. c.

Events

Map of the world in the sixth century BC.

Monument 1, an olmeca colossal head in La Venta (Mexico).

• 590 B.C.: An earthquake occurs in Tyre (Lebanon).

• 585 B.C. (28 May): a solar eclipse occurs as Tales de Mileto predicted, while Aliates II is fighting the "Eclipse Battle" against Ciájares. This leads to a truce. It is one of the cardinal dates from which other dates can be calculated.
• 550 B.C.: 20 km south of Esparta (Greece) an earthquake of grade X (on the seismological scale of Mercalli, from I to XII) 37°00′N 22°30′E / 37.0, 22.5. Hundred a portion of Mount Taigeto.
• 519 a. C. (8 or perhaps 2 August): in Henan, China, an earthquake of magnitude 5.5 in the seismological scale of Richter (intensity VII) leaves "some" dead.
• 502 BC (4 December): a solar eclipse obscures Egypt (computed, there is no clear historical documentation of its observation).

Wars and Politics

Wars and revolutions

• 16 March 597 B.C.: In the Kingdom of Judah, the Babylonians take Jerusalem, replace King Jeconiah with King Zedekiah.
• 590 B.C.: In Egypt, the army plundered Napata, forcing the cushita court to move to a safer place in Meroe near the sixth cataract.
• January 15, 588 B.C.: In the capital of the Kingdom of Judah (now Israel), King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon begins the siege of the capital of that kingdom, Jerusalem; some sources point out as the date of 587 B.C. C.
• 14-16 July 586 a. C.: Jerusalem falls into the hands of the Babylonians, thus ending the kingdom of Judah. The conquerors destroy the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem and send the inhabitants of Judah into exile, as well as the inhabitants of Mashaj. The captivity of Babylon of the Jews begins.
• 15-18 August 586 a. C.: Jerusalem and its buildings burn for three days after being rooted by the neo-Babylonic empire.
• Years 550 BC: Cartago conquers Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica.
• 559 B.C.: the demonic Empire is founded. In the next 60 years he will conquer Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, Egypt and India.
• 558 BC: In China, the Jin state defeats its rival Qin State in battle.
• 550 B.C.: In Greece, the trades destroy Abdera (Tracia).
• 550 B.C.: Ciro defeats Astiages of the Medes, establishing the accumene empire.
• 547 B.C.: near the river Halys, Ciro defeats Creso, the king of Lidia.
• 546 B.C.: Cyrus of Persia completes its conquest of Lidia, and makes Passed its capital.
• 540 B.C. (approximate date): in southern Turkey, the Persians conquer the city of Janto.
• 539 BC: Cyrus the Great defeats Nabonido and conquers Babylon.
• 537 BC: Jews taken to Babylon receive permission to return to Jerusalem, thus ending the captivity of 70 years in Babylon.
• 525 B.C.: In Egypt, Changes II, King of Persia, defeats Psamético III and conquers the country.
• 522 B.C.: In current Iraq, Babylonian rebels attack the Persian government.
• 521 BC: the Babylonian rebellion against the Persians is subjected.
• 516 B.C.: In India, the Persian king Gustaspe occupies the Panyab region.
• 513 B.C.: in Thrace (Greece), the army of King Darius the Great submits to the Gittites and Eastern Thrace in their war against the Scytes.
• 511 a. C.: Sibari declares the war on Crotona.
• 506 BC: In China the Battle of Bai Ju is delivered: the forces of the kingdom of Wu under Sun Tzu defeat the forces of Chu.
• 502 BC: in Aricia, Italy, the Latin League defeats the Etruscans led by Lars Porsena.
• 502 B.C.: In the Aegean Sea, the island of Naxos rebels against Persian domination, which causes the revolt of Jordan.
• 501 B.C.: The Persian army attacks Naxos.
• 501 B.C.: In response to the Sabine threats, the Romans create the post of dictator.
• 500 B.C.: In Abdera (Tracia), refugees from Teos are reset.

Politics

• In the Middle East, the first half of the century was dominated by the neo-Babylonian or Chaldean Empire, which had reached power at the end of the previous century after successfully rebelling against the Assyrian government. The kingdom of Judah came to an end in 586 a.m. C. when Babylonian forces of Nebuchadnezzar II took Jerusalem, and led most of its population to their own lands. The Babylonian government was in turn overthrown in the years 540 B.C. by Cyrus, which founded the Persian Empire instead. The Persian Empire continued to expand and grew to become the greatest empire until then known.
• In Greece, Thebes becomes the most important city of Beocia. Sparta forms a League, allying with the main and with which the most people governed, the cities of Peloponeso.
• On the Iberian peninsula is produced the flourishing of Tartessos. In the first half of the century, Mainake was partially destroyed and abandoned. The stage of Greek colonization is developed, appearing, between this century and the next, the first coins of focea coinage in what is today Catalonia. This century dates from the foundation of Baria (Villaricos).
• 598 a. C.: Jeconiah happens to Jehoiakim as king of Judah.
• 595 a. C.: Psamética II succeeds Necao II as king of Egypt.
• 594 B.C.: Solon named archnte of Athens; institutes democratic reforms.
• 589 B.C.: Apries happens to Psamético II as king of Egypt.
• 586 B.C.: Reincarnation of the Zhou Dingwang, king of China's Zhou dynasty.
• 585/584 BC: Astiages happens to Ciajars as king of the medes.
• 585 BC: Zhou Jianwang becomes king of China's Zhou dynasty.
• 580 B.C.: Changes I happens to Cyrus I as king of Anshan and head of the aqueménide dynasty (approximate date).
• 579 a. C.: Servio Tulio happens to the murdered Lucio Tarquinio Prisco as king of Rome (traditional date).
• 572 B.C.: Death of King Jian of Zhou, king of the Zhou dynasty of China.
• 571 a. C.: Liangwang becomes king of the Zhou dynasty in China.
• 570 B.C.: Amasis II happens to Apries as king of Egypt.
• 568 BC: Amtalqa happens to his brother Aspelta as king of Kush.
• 562 B.C.: Amel-Marduk happens to Nebuchadnezzar II as king of Babylon.
• 560 B.C.: Neriglissar happens to Amel-Marduk as king of Babylon.
• 560/561 BC: Creso becomes king of Lidia.
• 560 BC: Pisstrate takes the Acropolis of Athens and declares itself tyrant. It's deposed the same year.
• 559 B.C.: King Cambises dies and his son Cyrus II happens to him, then called "the Great."
• 558 B.C.: Hegesias deposed as an archer of Athens.
• 556 BC: Pysstrate is exiled from Athens to Eubea.
• 556 B.C.: Labashi-Marduk happens to Neriglissar as king of Babylon.
• 556/555 B.C.: Nabonido happens to Labashi-Marduk as king of Babylon.
• 544 BC: Teos people migrate to Abdera (Tracia) to escape the Persian domain.
• 544 BC: Zhou Jingwang becomes king of China's Zhou dynasty.
• 543 a. C.: Pisstrate, tyrant of Athens, purifies the island of Delos (approximate date).
• 540 BC: The Greek city of Elea is founded in southern Italy (approximate date).
• 538 B.C. (approx.): many Jews return from exile in Babylon; they will build the Second Temple around 70 years after the destruction of the First Temple, between 520 and 516 B. C.
• 537 BC: the rest of the Jews brought to Babylon receive permission to return to Jerusalem, thus ending the captivity in Babylon.
• 534 BC: in Rome, Lucius Tarquinio the Sovereign becomes king.
• 530 B.C.: In the present Iran, Changes II happens to Cyrus as king of Persia.
• 525 to 404 a. C.: XXVII Dynasty of Egypt
• 526 a. C.: Psamtic III happens to Amasis II as king of Egypt.
• 522 B.C.: Esmerdis happens to Changes II as the ruler of Persia.
• 521 a. C.: Darius I happens to Esmerdis as ruler of Persia.
• 520 B.C.: Zhou Daowang becomes king of China's Zhou dynasty, but dies before the end of the year.
• 520 B.C.: Cleomens I happens to Anaxandridas as king of Sparta (approximate date).
• 519 BC: Zhou Jingwang becomes king of China's Zhou dynasty.
• 514 BC: King Helu of Wu establishes the Great City of Helu (old name of Suzhou) as its capital in China.
• 510 a. C.: Hipias, son of Pisstrate and tyrant of Athens, is expelled by a popular revolt supported by Cleomens I, king of Sparta and his forces.
• 510 B.C.: End of the reign of Lucius Tarquinio the Sovereign, last king of the traditional seven kings of Rome. Rome becomes Republic. Defeated the Tarquinians, the nobles assume command under the Senate.
• 510 BC: in Italy the Roman Republic is established.
• 510 B.C.: In Greece, Demarato happens to Ariston as king of Sparta (approximate date).
• 507 BC: in Athens (Greece), the Greek reformer Clístenes takes power and increases democracy.
• 505 B.C.: in Rome is chosen the first couple of Roman consuls.
• 501 BC: in Athens (Greece), Clístenes reform democracy.
• 501 BC: in China, Confucius appointed governor of Chung-tu.
• 501 a. C.: Gadir (now Cadiz) is taken by Cartago (approximate date).
• 500 B.C. (approximate date): Bantu-speaking peoples migrate to south-west Uganda from the West.
• 500 BC: Darío de Persia proclaims that Aramaic is the official language of the western half of its empire.
• At the end of the century, the military conquest of Sardinia occurs.

Culture

• In the European Iron Age, rapid expansion was progressing.
• Extreme East: periods of springs and autumns.
• The late period of Hallstatt culture in Central and Eastern Europe, the Late Bronze Age in Northern Europe.
• Declive of the Olmeca civilization in Mesoamerica.
• Iberian peninsula:
  • 600 to 575 BC: In Spain the village of Emporion is founded. It begins to develop Iberian culture and Castro.
  • 600 to 525 BC: Greek objects are created in Tartessos.
• 550 BC: on the Korean peninsula begins the late mum period.
• 500 B.C.: In the north of Europe the civilization of the Nordic Bronze Age ends — according to Oscar Montelius' system of reporting — and Jastorf's culture begins.
• In Greek art they are represented kurós (suits) and girls.

Relevant characters

Solon, creator of the Solonian Constitution of Athens that incorporated the first elements of a civil democracy formalized in the history of the world.

• Calias, an Athenian politician (n. 511 BC).
• Annei, legendary Japanese emperor (f. 511 B.C.).
• Quilón, Spartan statesman who promoted reform by reducing the king's power and expanding the ephorus.
• Safo, Greek poetess (ca. 650-580 BC).
• Sicily’s sypsychore, an lyric poet (h. 640-555 BC).
• Tales de Mileto, Greek mathematician (635-543 BC), predicted a solar eclipse in 585 BC. C.
• Mahavira de Vaishali, the 24th tirthankara of Yainism (599-527 BC).
• Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon from 580 B.C., died at 562 B.C. C.
• Anaxims of Mileto, Greek philosopher (585-525 BC).
• Pythagoras de Samos (h. 580-500 BC), Greek mathematician and discoverer of the theorem bearing his name.
• Cyrus I, king of Anshan (fallen at 580 BC).

Copy of the work "Genio alado de Pasgada", Errónemente attributed to Ciro el Grande, due to the description that this sculpture carries in the Olympic Park of Sydney.

• Cyrus the Great (576-529 BC), king of Persia.
• Ezra and Nehemiah, leaders of the Jews who returned from the Babylonian captivity
• Clístenes (570-507 BC), ateniian legislator and reformer.
• Buddha (480-400 BC, ±20) Nepali religious creator of Buddhism.
• Pysstrate, tyrant of Athens in 561 BC, 559-556 and 546-528 BC (fallen in 527 BC).
• Solon of Athens (638-558 BC), one of the Seven Wise of Greece.
• Simonids of Ceos (born about 556 BC.
• Itoku, Japanese emperor, born in 553 a. C.
• Zoroastro (falled about 551 BC).
• Changes I, Persian king of Anshan (?-559 B.C.).
• Amintas I, king of Macedonia from around 540 a.m. C.
• Tespis, founder of the Greek theatre, participated in the Dionysias of 536 BC and 533 BC. C.
• Creso, died in 547 a. C.
• Anaximandro, Greek philosopher, died in 546 B.C. (approximate date).
• King Ling of Zhou, of the Zhou dynasty of China (fallen in 545 BC).
• Nabónido, the last king of Babylon (fallen in 539 or 538 BC).
• Lao-Tse, founder of Taoism (fallen by 531 BC).
• Changes II, ruler of the former Persian Empire (deceased by suicide in March 521 BC).
• Esmerdis, ruler of the ancient Persian Empire (fallen in 521 BC).
• Confucius, founding figure of confucianism (551-479 BC).
• Psamtic III, king of Egypt, reigned from 526 to 525 B.C., is the last pharaoh of the XXVI Dynasty of Egypt.
• Darius I, king of Persia (born in 549 BC; reigned 521-485 BC).
• Sun Tzu, author of The Art of War (h. 544-496 a. C.).
• Heacon of Ephesus, Greek philosopher (born about 535 BC).
• Esquilo, author of Greek tragedies (525-456 BC).
• Píndaro, Greek poet (born in 522 BC).
• Epiménides de Cnosos, a famous poet, prophet and philosopher cretense, related to the paradox of Epiménides
• Jerges I of Persia (born in 519 BC).

Philosophy

• Ancient Greece: the development of Greek philosophy begins, which will flourish during the 5th century BC.
• China: Chinese philosophy becomes the orthodoxy of China. Confucianism, legism and mohism flourish. Lao-Tse founded taoism.

Literature

• In India, the grammar Pánini, at some point in this century, composed a Sanskrit grammar, which is the oldest preserved grammar in any language.
• 534 B.C.: In Athens (Greece) tragedy competitions are instituted at the urban Dinisian holidays.

Religion

• Western East: During the Persian Empire, Zoroastro founded Zoroastrianism, a dualist doctrine.
• Time of the captivity of Babylon of the ancient Jews.
• In ancient India, Mahavira founded Yainism as a critique of Hindu religion.
• 528 BC: In ancient India, Buddha begins his ministry. As a critique of Hindu religion he founded Buddhism, which will become one of the major religions in the world.
• Mid-centuryVIa. C.: The Temple of Olympic Zeus is opened in Athens.
• 536 BC: According to tradition, the biblical prophet Daniel said he had received the visit of an angel.
• 515 BC (12 March): the construction of the Temple of Jerusalem is completed.
• 509 a. C. (September, 13 September): The Temple of Jupiter is dedicated at the Capitol Hill in Rome.
• 508 B.C.: In Ancient Rome the position of póntifex máximus.

Sports

• 582 B.C. (traditional date): In Delfos (Greece) the Political Games are founded.
• 580 B.C. (traditional date): In Antigua Corinth the Isthmic Games are founded.
• 573 B.C. (traditional date): Nemea (Greece) founded the Nemeos Games.

Science and technology

• The sailor Hannon the Navigator crosses the Strait of Gibraltar and travels along the coasts of West Africa, entering into contact with various troglodyte groups and even with the Ethiopians. Arriving in the Gorilas Islands is attacked by a wild people ruled by women. When it reaches the height of the island Fernando Poo, due to the shortage of food it returns to the Mediterranean Sea.
• In the Arabian Peninsula, the Babylonian king Nabónido carried out the first archaeological studies of that country.
• In China, Sunshu Ao, the first hydraulic engineer, creates a huge artificial reservoir by putting a dam to a river for a massive irrigation project while at the service of King Zhuang of Chu (fallen in 591 BC).