Ancient World
Gallic Sack of Rome (390 BC) and the Battle of the Allia
The Gauls defeated the Roman army, sacked Rome except the Capitol and left after receiving a ransom in gold; Rome recovered and built stronger walls.
Era · c. 3000 BC – AD 500
Ancient World
The first cities, empires and written records, from the pyramids of Egypt to Greece and the Roman Empire.
Ancient World
King's Peace (387 BC): Persia Dictates Terms to the Greeks
The Corinthian War ended; the Greek cities of Asia Minor passed to Persia and Sparta became the enforcer of the peace in Greece.
Ancient World
Plato's Academy (c. 387 BC): The First School of Philosophy
The Academy became the model of a philosophical school and gave its name to academies and academic life across the world.
Ancient World
Philae Temple of Isis: Last Temple of Ancient Egyptian Religion
The sanctuary of Isis stayed active until about AD 537 and was later moved, stone by stone, to save it from the Nile reservoirs.
Ancient World
Sacred Band of Thebes (378 BC): The Elite Corps of 150 Pairs
The Sacred Band helped Thebes break Spartan power and was annihilated by the Macedonians at Chaeronea in 338 BC.
Ancient World
Mencius: The Philosopher Who Shaped Confucianism in Ancient China
The Mencius became one of the Four Books of Confucianism and Mencius was honoured as the Second Sage after Confucius.
Ancient World
Battle of Leuctra (371 BC): Thebes Breaks Spartan Power
Decisive Theban victory; the Spartan king was killed and Sparta's dominance of Greece came to an end.
Ancient World
Zhuangzi: The Butterfly Dream and Early Daoist Philosophy
The book Zhuangzi became, with the Tao Te Ching, one of the two founding classics of Daoism.
Ancient World
Licinian-Sextian Laws (367 BC): Plebeians Win the Consulship
The consular tribunate was abolished, the consulship restored and opened to plebeians, and Lucius Sextius became the first plebeian consul in 366 BC.
Ancient World
Battle of Mantinea (362 BC): The Death of Epaminondas
Tactical Theban victory, but Epaminondas was mortally wounded and Theban leadership of Greece collapsed.
Ancient World
Philip II of Macedon (359 BC): Building the Macedonian Army
Philip turned Macedon from a weak kingdom into the dominant power in Greece and left Alexander a professional army ready to invade Persia.
Ancient World
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (356 BC): Burned by Herostratus
The Archaic temple was destroyed by arson and replaced by an even grander Late Classical temple, counted among the Seven Wonders.