The 6th century BCE

Great powers

Profiles of the 6th 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 · at its peak c. 513 BCE
• State of Chu1030 BCE – 223 BCEScore 5.5/10
• State of Qin897 BCE – 221 BCEScore 6.1/10
• Athens900 BCE – 86 BCEScore 6.4/10
• Punic Empire814 BCE – 146 BCEScore 5.6/10
• Miletus1000 BCE – 133 BCEScore 4.6/10 · at its peak c. 500 BCE
• Sparta900 BCE – 146 BCEScore 3.9/10
• State of Qi1046 BCE – 221 BCEScore 5.5/10
• Kingdom of Saba800 BCE – 275 CEScore 4.6/10
• Saka700 BCE – 100 BCEScore 3.8/10
• Chaldean Empire626 BCE – 539 BCEScore 5.7/10 · at its peak c. 587 BCE
• Kingdom of Magadha600 BCE – 345 BCEScore 3.8/10

Key events

• Darius's Scythian campaignCampaign · 513 BCE
• Battle of AnBattle · 589 BCE
• Battle of BiBattle · 597 BCE
• Battle of PelusiumBattle · 525 BCE
• Battle of ThymbraBattle · 546 BCE
• Battle of the SagraBattle · 6th century BCE
• First Sacred WarWar · c. 595–585 BCE
• Battle of the FettersBattle · c. 560 BCE
• Battle of BojuBattle · 506 BCE
• Battle of YanlingBattle · 575 BCE
• Battle of OpisBattle · 539 BCE
• Battle of the ChampionsBattle · c. 546 BCE

All 20 battles, wars and treaties of the 6th century BCE →

People

• Cyrus the GreatPerson · c. 600–530 BCE
• Darius IPerson · r. 522–486 BCE
• ConfuciusPerson · 551–479 BCE
• Nebuchadnezzar IIPerson · d. 562 BCE
• AlyattesPerson · r. c. 610–560 BCE
• JeremiahPerson · c. 650–570 BCE
• Tarquinius SuperbusPerson · r. 535–509 BCE (traditional)
• Thales of MiletusPerson · c. 624–546 BCE
• PythagorasPerson · c. 570 – c. 495 BCE
• Sun TzuPerson · fl. c. 500 BCE
• GelonPerson · c. 540–478 BCE
• MegabazusPerson · late 6th century BCE

Works and ideas

• Siphnian TreasuryWork / monument · c. 525 BCE
• Tunnel of EupalinosWork / monument · 6th century BCE
• ApadanaWork / monument · c. 515–465 BCE
• FoggaraWork / monument · from c. 500 BCE
• Apollo of VeiiWork / monument · c. 510–500 BCE
• DanzantesWork / monument · c. 500–200 BCE
• Nazca LinesWork / monument · c. 500 BCE–500 CE
• PortaraWork / monument · c. 530 BCE

States founded 69

• Kamarina 598 BCE – 258 BCE
• Amphictyonic League 595 BCE – 150 CE
• Odessos 585 BCE – 72 BCE
• State of Wu 585 BCE – 473 BCE
• Acragas 580 BCE – 210 BCE
• Lipara 580 BCE – 252 BCE
• Emporion 575 BCE – 195 BCE
• Kingdom of Armenia (Orontid) 570 BCE – 200 BCE
• Barca 560 BCE – 322 BCE
• Heraclea Pontica 560 BCE – 70 BCE
• Achaemenid Empire 559 BCE – 330 BCE
• Agathyrsi 550 BCE – 400 BCE
• Boeotian League 550 BCE – 171 BCE
• Olbia 550 BCE – 55 BCE
• Olbia Pontica 550 BCE – 375 CE
• Peloponnesian League 550 BCE – 366 BCE
• Kingdom of Tambapanni 543 BCE – 437 BCE
• Elea 540 BCE – 273 BCE
• Lycian dynasts 540 BCE – 360 BCE
• Yehud Medinata 539 BCE – 332 BCE
• Kingdom of Paeonia 535 BCE – 217 BCE
• Achaemenid Egypt 525 BCE – 404 BCE
• Kydonia 524 BCE – 69 BCE
• Getae 514 BCE – 82 BCE
• Mesembria 510 BCE – 72 BCE
• State of Yue 510 BCE – 306 BCE
• Roman Republic 509 BCE – 27 BCE
• Zhongshan 506 BCE – 296 BCE
• Ausetani 500 BCE – 195 BCE
• Bastetani 500 BCE – 197 BCE
• Bastuli 500 BCE – 197 BCE
• Bergistani 500 BCE – 195 BCE
• Bessi 500 BCE – 29 BCE
• Callaeci 500 BCE – 19 BCE
• Callatis 500 BCE – 72 BCE
• Carpetani 500 BCE – 179 BCE
• Celtici 500 BCE – 138 BCE
• Cerretani 500 BCE – 150 BCE
• Cessetani 500 BCE – 218 BCE
• Contestani 500 BCE – 197 BCE

States that came to an end 23

• Kingdom of Urartu 860 BCE – 590 BCE
• Kingdom of Judah 930 BCE – 587 BCE
• Ammon 1000 BCE – 582 BCE
• Moab 1000 BCE – 582 BCE
• Edom 1000 BCE – 552 BCE
• Kingdom of Anshan 640 BCE – 550 BCE
• Kingdom of Kashi 800 BCE – 550 BCE
• Magan 2300 BCE – 550 BCE
• Median Empire 678 BCE – 549 BCE
• Kingdom of Lydia 1200 BCE – 546 BCE
• Kingdom of Anga 700 BCE – 540 BCE
• Chaldean Empire 626 BCE – 539 BCE
• Elamite Confederation 2700 BCE – 539 BCE
• Neo-Elamite kingdom 1000 BCE – 539 BCE
• Dilmun 2200 BCE – 538 BCE
• Siris 680 BCE – 530 BCE
• Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt 664 BCE – 525 BCE
• Kingdom of Gandhara 700 BCE – 518 BCE
• State of Xu (Huaiyi) 1000 BCE – 512 BCE
• Sybaris 720 BCE – 510 BCE
• Roman Kingdom 753 BCE – 509 BCE
• Kingdom of Dedan 700 BCE – 500 BCE
• Tartessos 900 BCE – 500 BCE

Year by year 1

The years of the 6th century BCE with a page of their own: their events, births and deaths, and the states founded and ended.

• 539 BCE