Basic timeline of Greek history to the end of the classical period

(all dates BCE)

3300-1050 Greek Bronze Age

Palatial period (settlement centred on palace complexes)
c. 2300-1450 Minoans (Crete then taken over by Myceneans)
c. 1600-1200 Myceneans: most palaces destroyed by 1200
c. 1100-900 ‘Greek Dark Age’
c. 1050 Geometric period and Iron Age begin
c. 900-478 Archaic period (sources include Herodotus)
Colonisation
Greek overseas settlements with non-Greeks on Levant coast
and in Adriatic from c. 800
Foundation of new all-Greek settlements (‘colonies’) from c.
735 (traditional date for Naxos in Sicily) in Sicily, S. Italy, N.
Africa and Black Sea
‘Orientalising period’ c. 700-600: Greeks influenced by Near
Eastern cultures
Athletic competitions at Panhellenic sanctuaries of Olympia from 776
(trad.) and Delphi from 582
Political change at Sparta c. 670 (?) makes Spartans ‘Equals’ as
citizens
Tyranny: unconstitutional monarchy appears from c. 650, in decline
from c. 550 (at Athens to 510)
Political change at Athens
Reforms of Solon (594) and Cleisthenes (508) pave way for
democracy
Persian Wars
Ionian Revolt 499-494
Battle of Marathon 490
Xerxes’ invasion of Greece 480-78
478-322 Classical period (sources include Thucydides, Xenophon, Demosthenes)
Athenian empire
Delian League founded 478
League treasury moved to Athens; Tribute Lists begin 454
Athenian democracy
Reforms of Ephialtes complete development of radical
democracy 461
Peloponnesian War 431-404
Spartan Hegemony 404-371
Corinthian War 395-86
‘King’s Peace’ for Greek world brokered by Persia 386
Second Athenian Confederacy 378
Social War with former allies 357-4 effectively ends
confederacy
Theban Hegemony 371-62
Battle of Leuctra ends Spartan supremacy 371
Battle of Mantineia leaves stalemate 362
Rise of Macedon
Philip II comes to throne 359
Battle of Chaeroneia: defeat of Athens and Thebes 338
Foundation of League of Corinth embracing all Greece
and headed by Philip
Philip assassinated, succeeded by Alexander 336
Alexander’s campaigns
Invasion of Asia, battle of Granicus 334
Battle of Issus 333 opens way to Levant, Egypt, Asia
Battle of Gaugamela 331: Darius III defeated. Foundation of
Alexandria

Battle of Hydaspes 326: Alexander reaches India but turns

back after mutiny
Alexander dies at Babylon 323, precipitating succession
struggle among ‘Succcessors’ and fragmentation of his realm
into separate kingdoms
Lamian War (anti-Macedonian Greek revolt) 323-2
Suppression marks transition to new Hellenistic period (323-
31)
Deaths of Aristotle and Demosthenes (322) also symbolise
end of an era