Thutmose I extends Egyptian control as far up the Nile as Abu Hamad

The Amarna tablets contain extensive correspondence between the Akhenaten government in Egypt and subject princes in Phoenicia

Mycenae prevails as the dominant power throughout the Peloponnese and the entire Aegean

Citium, in Cyprus, is the first of many Phoenician colonies in the Mediterranean

The traditional date of the founding of Carthage (supposedly by the mythical queen Dido, but in practice by Phoenicians)

The Assyrians overwhelm the north of Israel and the ten northern tribes vanish from history - the majority of them probably dispersed or sold into slavery

The island of Sicily is colonized from the eastern Mediterranean by both Phoenicians and Greeks

The Assyrian king, Sennacherib, destroys with great brutality the city of Babylon

Byzantium (the future Constantinople) is founded as a colony of Megara, a Greek city-state

The Egyptian city of Memphis falls to an Assyrian army, soon to be followed by Thebes

The Medes and the Babylonians destroy Nineveh and bring to an end the power of Assyria

After a long siege Jerusalem is taken by Nebuchadnezzar and the city, including Solomon's Temple, is destroyed

Larache is founded as a Carthaginian colony on the Atlantic coast of Africa

Sardis, the capital city of the Lydian ruler Croesus, is taken by the Persians

A Persian army captures Babylon and brings it into the empire of Cyrus the Great

The Persians defeat an Egyptian army at Pelusium and then capture Memphis

The Athenians, capturing Melos, kill all the males of the island and sell the women and children into slavery

A Carthaginian army lands near Marsala to begin the long involvement of Carthage in Sicily

The Romans capture the nearby Etruscan town of Veii, beginning a long process of territorial expansion

Before departing for the east, Alexander destroys Thebes and enslaves the Thebans for rebelling against the League of Corinth

While in Egypt, Alexander founds Alexandria – the best known of the many towns he establishes to spread Greek culture

Moving northeast into Mesopotamia, Alexander again defeats Darius III (at Gaugamela), leaving Persia open to his advances

Alexander takes a major new step, leaving Persian territory and moving through the mountain passes into India

Ptolemy begins to transform Alexandria into a centre of Greek culture, founding his famous 'museum' and library

Some 20 years after the death of Alexander the Great one of his generals, Ptolemy, extends his rule from Egypt to include Jerusalem