6th century BC

Categories: 6th century BC

Centuries:	7th century BC - 6th century BC - 5th century BC
Decades:	00s 10s 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s

Contents

1 Overview
2 Events
3 Significant persons
4 Inventions, discoveries, introductions

Overview

The 5th and 6th centuries BC were a time of empires, but more importantly, a time of learning and philosophy.

Mediterranean: Beginning of Greek philosophy, flourishes during the 5th century BC
East Asia: Chinese philosophy become the "religion" of China. Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism, and Moism flourish.
Middle East: During the Persian empire, Zoroaster, aka Zarathustra, founded Zoroastrianism, a dualistic philosophy
India: The Buddha and Mahavira found Buddhism and Jainism, challenging Hinduism and the caste system

Events

Cyrus the Great conquered many countries and created the Persian Empire.
- Persians conquer Ancient Egypt, dominate eastern Mediterranean.
- Ruin of the Kingdom of Judah and the destruction of the First Temple (586 BC), return of the Jews several decades later (538 BC).
- Fall of the Babylonian Empire (539 BC), destroyed by Cyrus the Great.
- The Persians under Darius I and later Cyrus invade Transoxiana.
Carthage's merchant empire slowly dominates the western Mediterranean
Roman Republic founded
Gautama Buddha founds Buddhism in India. It becomes a major world religion.
Tao Te Ching written (traditional date)
Confucius formulates his ethical system of Confucianism, which proves highly influential in China
The Sinhalese emigrate to Sri Lanka
Apparent writing of the Book of Psalms
The prophet Lehi, according to the Book of Mormon, leaves Jerusalem and settles in North America.
Abkhazia is colonized by the Greeks.
The celtic Bruthin or Priteni, invade Britain and Ireland the British Isles some time before the 5th century BC.
emergence of the Proto-Germanic Jastorf culture

Significant persons

Stesichorus of Sicily, lyric poet (c. 640-555 BC).
Thales, Greek mathematician ( 635 - 543 BC). Predicts solar eclipse in 585 BC.
Solon of Athens, one of the Seven Sages of Greece (638 - 558 BC).
Mahavira of Vaishali (599 - 527).
Pisistratus, Tyrant of Athens in 561, 559-556 and 546-528 BC.
Pythagoras of Samos, Greek mathematician. See Pythagorean theorem. (582 - 496 BC).
Cyrus the Great, king of Persia ( 576 - 529 BC, reigned 559 - 529 BC).
Gautama Buddha, founding figure of Buddhism (c. 563 - 483 BC).
Confucius, founding figure of Confucianism (551 - 479 BC).
Aeschylus of Athens, playwright (525 - 456 BC).
Darius I, King of Persia (reigned 521 - 485 BC).
Lehi, legendary figure, first prophet recorded in the Book of Mormon
Sun Tzu, author of The Art of War.

Inventions, discoveries, introductions

First archaeological surveys of the Arabian peninsula by Babylonian king Nabonidus.

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