Seven Empires

 

Greek Period

 

Fifth of Seven Heads, Kings, Mountains, Revelation 12:3, 17:9-10
Belly and Thighs of Brass, Daniel 2:36-45

 

 

 

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.