Year by year · 5th century BCE

480 BCE

480 BCE in world history: 7 events and 2 deaths. 338 recorded states existed that year.

Events

  1. Battle

    Battle of Thermopylae

    The Battle of Thermopylae was fought in 480 BCE at a narrow coastal pass in central Greece, where a small Greek force led by King Leonidas of Sparta held off the army of Xerxes I for several days.

  2. Battle

    Battle of Salamis

    The Battle of Salamis was a naval battle fought in 480 BCE in the straits between the island of Salamis and the coast of Attica, during the second Persian invasion of Greece.

  3. Campaign

    Second Persian invasion of Greece

    The Second Persian invasion of Greece was the massive campaign launched by Xerxes I of the Achaemenid Empire in 480 BCE.

  4. Battle

    Battle of Artemisium

    The Battle of Artemisium was a series of naval engagements fought over three days in August 480 BCE off the northern tip of Euboea, at the same time as the land battle at Thermopylae.

ProfileState268 states with a known seat in 480 BCEOpen the atlas at 480 BCE →

In the profiles

  • Achaemenid EmpireXerxes invades Greece, wins at Thermopylae, sacks Athens but loses at Salamis
  • SpartaLeonidas I and 300 Spartiates fall at the Battle of Thermopylae
  • AthensThe Athenian-led Greek fleet defeats Xerxes I at Salamis

Died in 480 BCE 2

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). 480 BCE. In The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/480-bce
MLA
“480 BCE.” The Epoch Institute, Year by Year, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/480-bce. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “480 BCE.” The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/480-bce.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘480 BCE’, The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/480-bce (Accessed: ).