The 5th century BCE

Great powers

Profiles of the 5th century BCE, ranked by their military, territorial, economic and historical weight in the Institute’s analysis and by how strong they were in these hundred years.

• Achaemenid Empire559 BCE – 330 BCEScore 8.0/10
• Athens900 BCE – 86 BCEScore 6.4/10 · at its peak c. 431 BCE
• Roman Republic509 BCE – 27 BCEScore 7.8/10
• Punic Empire814 BCE – 146 BCEScore 5.6/10
• State of Chu1030 BCE – 223 BCEScore 5.5/10
• Kingdom of Magadha600 BCE – 345 BCEScore 3.8/10
• State of Qin897 BCE – 221 BCEScore 6.1/10
• Sparta900 BCE – 146 BCEScore 3.9/10 · at its peak c. 404 BCE
• State of Qi1046 BCE – 221 BCEScore 5.5/10
• Saka700 BCE – 100 BCEScore 3.8/10
• Kingdom of Saba800 BCE – 275 CEScore 4.6/10
• Delphi800 BCE – 146 BCEScore 3.8/10 · at its peak c. 480 BCE

Key events

• Peloponnesian WarWar · 431–404 BCE
• Ionian RevoltRevolt · 499–493 BCE
• Battle of PlataeaBattle · 479 BCE
• Battle of ThermopylaeBattle · 480 BCE
• Battle of LadeBattle · 494 BCE
• Battle of MarathonBattle · 490 BCE
• Battle of MycaleBattle · 479 BCE
• Battle of SalamisBattle · 480 BCE
• Second Persian invasion of GreeceCampaign · 480 BCE
• Battle of Lake RegillusBattle · c. 496 BCE
• Sicilian ExpeditionCampaign · 415–413 BCE
• Battle of the EurymedonBattle · c. 466 BCE

All 35 battles, wars and treaties of the 5th century BCE →

People

• HerodotusPerson · c. 484–c. 425 BCE
• ThucydidesPerson · c. 460–c. 400 BCE
• LysanderPerson · d. 395 BCE
• MahaviraPerson · 6th–5th century BCE
• PindarPerson · c. 518 – c. 438 BCE
• Xerxes IPerson · r. 486–465 BCE
• AeschylusPerson · c. 525–456 BCE
• PericlesPerson · c. 495–429 BCE
• EuripidesPerson · c. 480–406 BCE
• Pausanias (general)Person · d. c. 470 BCE
• SophoclesPerson · c. 497–406 BCE
• ThemistoclesPerson · c. 524–459 BCE

Works and ideas

• MahabharataWork / monument · c. 400 BCE–400 CE
• ParthenonWork / monument · 447–432 BCE
• Serpent ColumnWork / monument · 479 BCE
• Charioteer of DelphiWork / monument · c. 475 BCE
• ErechtheionWork / monument · c. 421–406 BCE
• PropylaeaWork / monument · 437–432 BCE
• Late PreclassicReligion / idea · c. 400 BCE–250 CE
• Temple of Hera LaciniaWork / monument · c. 470 BCE

States founded 54

• Hellenic Alliance 481 BCE – 478 BCE
• Odrysian Kingdom 480 BCE – 46 CE
• Olynthus 479 BCE – 348 BCE
• Delian League 478 BCE – 404 BCE
• Kingdom of Epirus 470 BCE – 232 BCE
• Neapolis 470 BCE – 326 BCE
• Sicel League 460 BCE – 440 BCE
• Acarnanian League 450 BCE – 31 BCE
• Autariatae 450 BCE – 230 BCE
• Taulantii 450 BCE – 230 BCE
• Thurii 444 BCE – 282 BCE
• Duchy of Western Zhou 440 BCE – 256 BCE
• Republic of Cyrene 440 BCE – 322 BCE
• Bosporan Kingdom 438 BCE – 370 CE
• Amphipolis 437 BCE – 357 BCE
• Anuradhapura Kingdom 437 BCE – 1017 CE
• Heraclea Lucania 433 BCE – 278 BCE
• Chalcidian League 432 BCE – 348 BCE
• Italiote League 430 BCE – 272 BCE
• Chersonesus Taurica 422 BCE – 110 BCE
• Lucanians 420 BCE – 272 BCE
• Euboean League 411 BCE – 146 BCE
• Rhodes 408 BCE – 44 CE
• Tyranny of Pherae 406 BCE – 352 BCE
• Twenty-eighth Dynasty of Egypt 404 BCE – 398 BCE
• State of Han 403 BCE – 230 BCE
• State of Wei 403 BCE – 225 BCE
• State of Zhao 403 BCE – 222 BCE
• Arevaci 400 BCE – 133 BCE
• Astures 400 BCE – 19 BCE
• Belli 400 BCE – 133 BCE
• Berones 400 BCE – 133 BCE
• Bituriges Cubi 400 BCE – 52 BCE
• Boii 400 BCE – 40 BCE
• Boii 400 BCE – 191 BCE
• Cantabri 400 BCE – 19 BCE
• Cenomani 400 BCE – 89 BCE
• Early Pandyas 400 BCE – 300 CE
• Gerrha 400 BCE – 100 CE
• Illyrian Kingdom 400 BCE – 168 BCE

States that came to an end 41

• Ionian League 700 BCE – 494 BCE
• State of Cao 1046 BCE – 487 BCE
• Megara Hyblaea 728 BCE – 483 BCE
• State of Chen 1046 BCE – 479 BCE
• Hellenic Alliance 481 BCE – 478 BCE
• State of Wu 585 BCE – 473 BCE
• Shakya republic 650 BCE – 470 BCE
• Vajji 700 BCE – 468 BCE
• Kingdom of Kosala 700 BCE – 460 BCE
• State of Dai (Di) 600 BCE – 457 BCE
• Kingdom of Idalion 1000 BCE – 450 BCE
• Koliya republic 650 BCE – 450 BCE
• State of Cai 1046 BCE – 447 BCE
• State of Qi (Kai) 1046 BCE – 445 BCE
• Kingdom of Cyrene 631 BCE – 440 BCE
• Sicel League 460 BCE – 440 BCE
• Kingdom of Tambapanni 543 BCE – 437 BCE
• Aegina 900 BCE – 431 BCE
• State of Ju 1046 BCE – 431 BCE
• Fidenae 700 BCE – 426 BCE
• Leontini 729 BCE – 422 BCE
• Cumae 740 BCE – 421 BCE
• Melos 900 BCE – 416 BCE
• Poseidonia 600 BCE – 410 BCE
• Himera 648 BCE – 409 BCE
• Selinous 628 BCE – 409 BCE
• Ialysos 900 BCE – 408 BCE
• Kamiros 900 BCE – 408 BCE
• Lindos 900 BCE – 408 BCE
• Achaemenid Egypt 525 BCE – 404 BCE
• Delian League 478 BCE – 404 BCE
• Naxos (Sicily) 734 BCE – 403 BCE
• Kingdom of Cilicia 600 BCE – 401 BCE
• Agathyrsi 550 BCE – 400 BCE
• Chavín 950 BCE – 400 BCE
• D'mt 980 BCE – 400 BCE
• Kingdom of Avanti 700 BCE – 400 BCE
• Kingdom of Vatsa 700 BCE – 400 BCE
• La Venta 900 BCE – 400 BCE
• Malla republic 700 BCE – 400 BCE

On this day

• 12 September 490 BCEAthenians defeat the Persians at Marathon
• 27 August 479 BCEGreeks defeat the Persian army at Plataea
• 18 July 477 BCEVeii ambushes and destroys the Fabii at the Cremera
• 25 April 404 BCEAthens surrenders to Sparta, ending the Peloponnesian War

Year by year 3

The years of the 5th century BCE with a page of their own: their events, births and deaths, and the states founded and ended.

• 480 BCE
• 479 BCE
• 404 BCE