istoryworld
Events relating to europe
Sophocles wins the prize for tragedy in Athens, defeating Aeschylus in the competition
Pericles is one of a radical group in Athens, eager to curb the reactionaries controlling the Areopagus, and hostile to Sparta
An earthquake in Sparta leads to an uprising by the helots, who take up a defensive position on Mount Ithome
Sparta appeals to its allies for help against the helots, and Athens - against the wishes of Pericles and his group - sends an army
With the army away, Pericles introduces full democracy for all Athenian citizens, enabling them to vote and participate in the administration of the state
Sparta causes offence in Athens by dismissing the Athenian army without using them against the helots
Athens makes provocative alliances with two city-states opposed to Sparta
Herodotus, the 'father of history', writes his account of the Greco-Persian Wars from a vantage point in Asia Minor
Simmering hostilities between the allies of Sparta and Athens develop into endemic conflict among the Greek city states of the Peloponnese
Athens completes its famous Long Walls, providing protected access between the city and its harbour, at Piraeus
Euripides enters the drama contest at the City Dionysia in Athens for the first time
The Athenians transfer into their own keeping the accumulated treasure of the Delian League
Pericles' power is greatly increased when he is put in charge of the funds of the Delian leaague
Empedocles states that all matter is made up of four elemental substances - earth, fire, air and water
The followers of Pythagoras maintain that the earth revolves on its own axis and moves in an orbit
The Athenians mount successful attacks on the Persian forces occupying the Greek island of Cyprus
The Sophists, professional philosophers, travel round Greece educating the sons of the rich
Pericles introduces payment in Athens for jury service so that no citizen is excluded by poverty
In the Peace of Kallias the Persians acknowledge the independence of Greek Ionia, and agree not to bring their fleet into the Aegean
The Athenians begin building the Parthenon, a temple to Athena, which they complete within ten years
Ictinos, the architect of the Parthenon, blends Doric and Ionic elements in a way which will later influence many other Greek temples
Phidias sculpts a huge statue of the goddess Athena, to be the central feature of the new Parthenon
An army commanded by a Spartan king turns back mysteriously during an invasion of Attica, leading to rumours that Pericles has bribed the king
Pericles negotiates a treaty, scheduled to hold for thirty years, establishing spheres of influence for Sparta (the mainland) and Athens (the Aegean coast and islands)
