332
B.C.E. Alexander conquers
Syria, and Tyre after a seven month siege, conquers Egypt and founds the city
of Alexandria. According to tradition, after his return from Egypt, Alexander
the Great is welcomed in Jerusalem by the high priest (either Jaddua or Simon
the Just) as the predicted great horn of the Greek Shaggy Goat that would
swiftly defeat the Medo-Persian Ram, foretold in the biblical book of Daniel.
331
B.C.E. Alexander defeats
Darius at Arbela, the Persian Empire ends. The Greek army includes Jewish
auxiliaries who refuse to rebuild a pagan Babylonian temple. Antipater quells
Spartan uprising at the battle of Megalopolis.
330
B.C.E. King Darius of Persia
murdered, Alexander controls Persia. Persepolis burned in revenge for the
destruction of the Acropolis in 480 B.C.E.
329
B.C.E. Alexander subdues
eastern Persia.
328
B.C.E. Alexander conquers
Sogdiana and marries Roxanne, daughter of Sogdian prince. Persian royal
ceremonials are adopted by Alexander.
327
B.C.E. Alexander invades
India and wins battle of Hydaspes 326. His soldiers mutiny, refusing to go
farther east forcing Alexander to retreat.
326
B.C.E. Roman war against
Samnites in south-central Italy erupts.
324
B.C.E. Alexander plans to fuse the Macedonians and Persians into
new ruling class, and all conquered peoples through resettlement. Macedonians
marry Persian women in a multiple marriage ceremony at Susa. Alexander
marries Persian princesses.
323
B.C.E. Alexander dies in
Babylon and his generals divide the empire. Ptolemy rules in Egypt. Birth of
Euclid.
322
B.C.E. Death of orator
Demosthenes.
321
B.C.E. The Maurya Dynasty in
India founded by Chandragupta.
320
B.C.E. Ptolemy captures
Jerusalem. Libya becomes an Egyptian province. Birth of Theocrites.
316
B.C.E. Olympias, mother of
Alexander the Great, is murdered in revenge for killings she had ordered.
315
B.C.E. Aristotle conducts
philosophical dialogue with a Jewish wonder worker.
312
B.C.E. Seleucus takes
control of Syria. The Appian way from Rome to Capua is under construction.
310
B.C.E. Alexander the Great's
son is murdered. The Etruscans and Samnites attack Rome and are defeated at
Lake Vadimo.
306
B.C.E. Rome and Carthage
reach a treaty agreement on trade.
305
B.C.E. Ptolemy I claims
title of king, proclaimed Egyptian pharaoh. Seleucus I becomes king of
Babylon, establishes Seleucid dynasty. Syracuse in Sicily makes peace with
Carthage after defeat.
304
B.C.E. Seleucus grants
independence to India for 500 war-elephants. Rome makes peace with the
Samnites and other enemies.
301
B.C.E. Antigonus I is killed in battle against Seleucus I and
his allies. The central power of Hellenistic Empire is permanently divided.
300
B.C.E. Treaty signed between
Carthage and Rome.
c.300
B.C.E. Large Jewish
settlements in the Diaspora (dispersion) found in such places as Babylon and
Nippur in Babylonia, Susa and Ectabana in Persia, the southern coast of the
Caspian Sea at Hyrcania, Antioch in Syria, along the area of the Hejaz in
Arabia, at Elephantine in southern Egypt, at Alexandria and throughout the
Nile delta in northern Egypt, at Cyrene in Cyrenaica (northern Libya) and in
Greek cities in western Asia Minor such as Sardis and Ephesus. Elements
about geometry is written by Euclid.
298
B.C.E. Rome begins the third
Samnite War.
290
B.C.E. Roman victory in
central Italy.
285
B.C.E. Ptolemy II rules
Egypt.
280
B.C.E. Heliocentric theory
(planets orbit the sun) postulated by Aristarchus of Samos. Roman war with
Tarentum and Pyrrhus of Epirus. Colossus of Rhodes finished, 105 foot statue
of Apollos.
276
B.C.E. Ptolemy II marries
his sister. Antigonus II rules Greece.
270
B.C.E. Death of Epicurus.
265
B.C.E. All Italy south of
Apennines in Roman alliance.
264
B.C.E. First Punic War
between Rome and Carthage.
254
B.C.E. Panormus in Sicily
taken by Rome from Carthage.
c.250
B.C.E. The Hebrew Scriptures
are translated into Greek (Septuagint). Beginning of Parthian Empire in Iran.
247
B.C.E. Ptolemy III rules
Egypt. Asoka rules Maurya Empire in India and becomes a Buddhist.
241
B.C.E. Carthage surrenders
Sicily to Rome for peace pact. Sicily becomes a Roman province.
240
B.C.E. Mercenaries of
Carthage revolt, Hamilcar quells rebellion in 238.
239 B.C.E. A Pro-Ptolemy Jew,
Joseph, Son of Tobias, builds Jerusalem into commercial center with
Hellenistic character.
238
B.C.E. Rome takes Sardinia
from Carthage during a mercenary revolt.
237
B.C.E. Generals Hannibal and
Hamilcar of Carthage begin campaign in Spain.
227
B.C.E. Sicily organized as
first Roman province.
225
B.C.E. Celts are defeated by
Romans at Telamon, Italy.
223
B.C.E. Antiochus III is king
of the Seleucid Empire.
222
B.C.E. Po valley is
conquered by Rome.
221
B.C.E. Ptolemy IV rules
Egypt. Philip V rules Macedonia. Ch'in dynasty rules China (source of the
modern name).
218
B.C.E. Second Punic War
between Rome and Carthage. Hannibal leads Carthaginian army from Spain over
the Alps to invade Italy.
217
B.C.E. Judea is conquered by
the Seleucids. Hannibal destroys the Roman army at Lake Trasimene and defeats
the Romans at Cannae in 216 B.C.E.
215
B.C.E. Macedonians attack
Rome in support of Carthage in the first Macedonian War. Hannibal is defeated
at Nola by Marcus Claudius Marcellus.
214
B.C.E. Great Wall of China
under construction. Sicily, under control of Carthage, is invaded by Rome.
212
B.C.E. Death of physicist
Archimedes.
c.210
B.C.E. Testaments of the
Twelve Patriarchs is composed in Hebrew. Jewish chronological account of
biblical history is written in Greek by Demetrius.
206
B.C.E. Carthaginians are
defeated in Spain by Romans.
204
B.C.E. Hannibal is recalled
to defend Carthage from Rome.
203
B.C.E. Ptolemy V rules
Egypt. The Rosetta Stone is carved to record his accession.
201
B.C.E. The Empire of
Carthage is surrendered to Rome.
200
B.C.E. Second Macedonian
War. Roman supported Greeks rebel against Macedonian rule, the Macedonians
are forced to give up Greece.
199
B.C.E. Seleucid king
Antiochus III grants Jews internal rule, governed on the basis of the Law of
Moses.
192
B.C.E. Antiochus III defeated by Rome in Syrian War.
c.190
B.C.E. Ben Sirach composes a
book of Jewish wisdom in Hebrew, which is translated by his grandson into
Greek in 135 B.C.E.
184
B.C.E. Sunga dynasty rules
in India.
183
B.C.E. Hannibal commits
suicide to avoid capture by Romans.
181
B.C.E. Ptolemy VI rules
Egypt.
179
B.C.E. Perseus, king of
Macedonia, continues war against Romans.
175
B.C.E. Antiochus IV
Epiphanes, king of Seleucid Empire, offers citizenship to all inhabitants who
adopt Greek lifestyle. Many Jews accept the offer. Book of Jubilees is
composed in Hebrew.
174
B.C.E. Jason, son of Onais
III, is appointed high priest in Jerusalem and offers to increase the tribute
if Antiochus IV constructs a Greek gymnasium and Hellenize the Jewish
capital.
172 B.C.E. Menelaus, lacking
pedigree, bribes Antiochus IV for appointment as high priest, Jason flees.
171
B.C.E. Third Macedonian War
between Rome and Macedonia.
170
B.C.E. Antiochus IV invades
Egypt and captures Ptolemy VI. Ptolemy VIII, younger brother, becomes king.
Antiochus withdraws and the brothers rule Egypt jointly.
168
B.C.E. Romans defeat and
capture Perseus of Macedonia at Pydna.
167
B.C.E. High priest Menelaus
and Jewish Hellenizers, backed by Antiochus, attempt to forcibly hellenize
the Jews of Judea. Temple in Jerusalem dedicated to Greek idol, a bearded god
Zeus, with a sacrifice of swine. Pro-Hebrew Jews under Judas Maccabee, a
Hasmonean Jewish priest, revolt against Antiochus and hellenized Jews.
164
B.C.E. Mount Zion is
captured by Maccabean forces and the Temple is rededicated to God. Jewish
worship is restored. Jerusalem remains divided.
160
B.C.E. Judas Maccabee is
killed in battle against the Syrians, Jonathan Maccabee leads Jews. Roman
treaty recognizes the Hasmonean Jewish state.
157
B.C.E. Judea gains its
independence.
153 B.C.E. Jonathan takes
Jerusalem, and is appointed the high priest in 152 B.C.E.
149
B.C.E. Fourth Macedonian
War, third Punic War by Rome. Macedonia becomes a Roman province in 148 B.C.E. Romans destroy
Carthage in 146 B.C.E.
145
B.C.E. Ptolemy VII rules Egypt under his mother Cleopatra II.
Ptolemy VIII seizes throne and marries Cleopatra II, then her daughter
Cleopatra III.
143
B.C.E. Simon Maccabee is the
leader of the Jews.
141
B.C.E. All of Jerusalem is
captured by Maccabean forces. Judea is recognized by the Seleucid king as an
independent kingdom.
135
B.C.E. Revolt of Roman
slaves in Sicily is crushed.
134
B.C.E. John Hyrcanus, son of
Simon Maccabee, rules Judea.
133
B.C.E. Pergamum willed to
Rome.
128
B.C.E. The Seleucids restore
political independence to Judea. Hyrcanus captures Shechem, capital of
Samaria, destroys the Samaritan temple on Mt. Gerizim and forces circumcision
of Idumeans.
116
B.C.E. The Ptolemaic Empire
is divided.
115
B.C.E. The Parthians control
trade routes to China.
110
B.C.E. John Hyrcanus spoils
David’s tomb to pay his mercenaries and alienates the Pharisees.
108
B.C.E. Celts raid Gaul.
Wu-ti, the Chinese emperor conquers Choson.
105
B.C.E. Romans defeat
Numidia, North Africa. The defeated king is executed in Rome.
104
B.C.E. Jewish priest,
Aristobulus I, king of Judea.
103
B.C.E. Aristobulus dies, his
widow marries his brother, Alexander Janneus, who becomes priest and king of
Judea. The Pharisees are alienated, since Mosiac Law forbids a priest from
marrying widows. Slave uprising in Sicily.
91
B.C.E. Civil war in Rome.
90
B.C.E. Beginning of the
revolt of the Pharisees in Judea, 800 crucified in Jerusalem in 88 B.C.E.
89
B.C.E. Roman army regains
control of Italy. All Italians are granted Roman citizenship.
88
B.C.E. First Mithridatic
War, Rome against Pontus in Asia Minor; Second Mithridatic War, 83 B.C.E.; Third Mithridatic
War, 74 B.C.E.
Civil
war again erupts in Rome.
82
B.C.E. Sulla, dictator of
Rome.
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