Chronometer pertaining ancient Greek Literature from Homer to Phillip II

Note: The Plays within brackets are no longer extant in full.

c850 Homer possibly active.

c700 Hesiod. Poet

640 Stesichorus. Lyric Poet. (died 555)

630/612 Sappho born. Poet (died c570)

c600 Anaximender. Philosopher (died 540)

late 5^th cent Cratylus. Philosopher

late 5^th cent Thales. Philosopher

c585 Anaximenes. Philosopher (died c525)

580-572 Pythagoras. Mathematician. Philosopher (died 500-490)

570 Xenophanes (died 480) Philosopher

563 Anacreon. Lyric Poet (died 478)

c560 Ibycus. Greek Lyric poet

560-527 Tyranny of Peisistratus (died 527)

535 The first City Dionysia contest. Thespis wins the prize.

c535 Heraclitus. Philosopher (died 475)

525 Aeschylus born. Dramaturg. (died 424)

524 Choerilus (Dramaturg) exhibited. All plays lost (150 tragedies; thirteen

times winner of 1^st Prize)

522 Pindar born. Poet (died 443)

511 Phrynicus of Miletus. Dramaturg First tragic victory. Pupil of Thespis.

(The Capture of Miletus). In 476 (Phoenissae) introduced women on

the stage, played by men wearing masks.

c500 Anaxagoras born. Philosopher (died c428)

c500 Melanippides. Dithyrambic Poet

c500 Pratinas. Dramaturg. Introduced the satyr plays

c500 Anaxagoras (died 428)

early 5^th cent. Parmenides. Philosopher

498 Pindar’s earliest poem (The Tenth Pythian Ode)

496 Sophocles born . Dramaturg.(died 406)

495 Pericles born. Athenian politician. General. (died 429)

c490 Ion of Chios. Poet. Philosopher. Dramaturg (died c424)

c490 Zeno. Philosopher (died c430)

c490 Herodotus born. “Father of History.” (died between 430 and 420)

c490 Empedocles. Philosopher (died 430)

c490 Protagoras. Philosopher (died 420)

490 Athenian victory over the Persians at Marathon.

487 First ostracism held in Athens.

485 Aeschylus’ first victory

480 Xerxes invades Greece

479 Greek victories at Plataea and Mycale

478 Foundation of Delian League

476 Pindar’s First Olympian Ode

472 Aeschylus’ “Rhineus”, “Persae” (first surviving play) “Glaucus” and

“Prometheus Bound.”

470 Pindar’s First Pythian Ode

469 Socrates born. Philosopher (died 399)

468 Sophocles’ first exhibition (and victory over Aeschylus)

467 Aeschylus’ “Laius,” “Oedipus,” “Seven Against Thebes” and

“Sphinx”

c465 Prodicus. Philosopher (died 415)

463? Aeschylus’ “Suppliant Women.”

461-451 War between Athens and Sparta. (First Peloponnesian War)

c460 Hippias of Elis. Philosopher. (died c399)

c460 Aeschylus’ “Prometheus Bound”

458-7 Building of Long Walls from Athens to Piraeus.

458 Aeschylus’ “Oresteia” and “Proteus.”

457? 445? Aristophanes born. Dramaturg. Comedy. (died 385)

455 Euripides’ First production (at City Dionysia)

454 Treasury of the Delian League is moved from Delos to Athens.

454/3 Kratinos’ 1^st Victory. Dramaturg. Comedy. (The Bottle?)

c450 Praxilla of Sicyon. Lyric Poet

450 Alcibiades born. Athenian General. (died 404)

c507? Bacchylides of Ceos. Lyric Poet.(flourished c 467)

445 Thirty year peace between Athens and Sparta

445 Antisthenes (Socrates’ most devoted student) born (died 360)

445-426 Herodotus of Halicarnassus active

442-438 Parthenon Frieze

443 Ostracism of Thucydides; beginning of Pericles’ supremacy

441 Euripides’ first victory

441 Sophocles’ “Antigone”

c440 Euripides’ “Rhesus”

c440 Leucippus. Philosopher (floruit)

c440 Democritus. Philosopher (floruit)

438 Euripides’ “Alcestis” (Cressae, Alcmaeon in Psophis, Telephus)

436 Isocrates. Rhetorician (died 338)

435/4 Kalias. Dramaturg (Kyklopes)

432 Parthenon completed (built by Iktinos and Kalikrates)

431 Start of second Peloponnesian War

431 Thucydides begins his “History.”

431 Euripides’ “Medea.” (Philoctetes, Dictys, Thersitae)

431/0 Kratinos’ (Dionysalexandros)

c431 Xenophon born (died 355)

c430 Euripides’ “Heracleidae”

429 Plato born (died 347)

429 Euripides (Hippolytus)

426 Sophocles’ “Oedipus Rex” and “Trachiniae”

428/7 Aristophanes’ (Daitales)

428 Revolt of Mytelene

428 Euripides’ “Hippolytus”

428 Xenophon’s “Athinaion Politeia”

428? Publication of Herodotus’ “Histories”

427 First Athenian expedition to Sicily

427 Aristophanes’ “Banqueters”

426 Aristophanes’ “Babylonians.”

426 Chaerophon asks Delphi in Corinth if Socrates was wisest man.

Delphi replies “yes.”

426 Euripides’ “Andromache”

425/4 Kratinos. Dramaturg (Deliades)

425 Aristophanes’ “Acharnians.”

425 Cleon dominant in Athens. Date of birth uncertain. Died 422

424/3 Kratinos 1^st Prize with (Pytine)

424 Thucydides exiled from Athens

424 Euripides’ “Hekabe.”

424 Aristophanes’ “Knights”

424/3 Aristophanes (Holkades); Ameipsias (Konnos)

423 Aristophanes’ “Clouds”

423/2 Aristophanes (Proagon); Leukon (Presbeis)

422 Brasidas and Cleon (Generals) killed in northern Greece

422 Aristophanes’ “Wasps.”

c422 Death of Kratinos

c422 Euripides’ “Supplices”

422/1 Eupolis. Dramaturg (Marikas, Kolakes))

421/0 Pherekrates. Dramaturg (Agrioi)

421/0 Eupolis’(Autolykos)

421 Peace of Nikias between Athens and Sparta

421 Aristophanes’ “Peace.”

c417 Euripides’ “Heracles Furens”

416 Athenians attack Melos and enslave inhabitants.

416 Plato’s “Symposium” is supposed to have taken place around now.

But Plato was ten years old. He published it in the 380s.

416 Agathon wins tragic victory at Lenea.

416/5 Phrynicus. Dramaturg (Monotropos)

415 Athenian expedition to Sicily.

415 Alcibiades exiled.

415 Euripides’ “Trojan Women” (Sisyphus, Alexander, Palamedes)

415/4 Aristophanes’ “Birds,” (Amphiaraus, produced by Philonides);

Ameipsia (Komastai)

c414 Euripides’ “Ion.”

c414 Euripides’ “Iphigeneia in Tauris.”

413 Athenian expedition in Sicily devastated.

413 Euripides’ “Elektra.”

413 Sophocles’ “Elektra.”

413/2 Eupolis’ (Demoi)

412 Euripides’ “Helen”

412? 404? Diogenes of Sinope. Philosopher (died 323)

411 Aristophanes’ “Lysistrata” “Thesmophoriazousae.”

410 Democracy restored in Athens

410-387 Andocides and Lysias speech writers.

409 Sophocles’ “Philoctetes.” 1^st Prize.

c409 Euripides’ “Phoenissae (Oenomaus, Chrysippus)

c408 Sophocles’ “Ajax”

408 Euripides’ “Orestes.”

408 Aristophanes’ first “Plutus.”

408/7 Aristophanes (Gerytades)

407-6 Alcibiades returns from exile

406/5 Phrynicus (Mousai) Platon (Kleophon)- Dramaturgs.

405 Aristophanes’ “Frogs.”

405 Euripides’ “Bacchae” and “Iphigeneia in Aulis.” (Alcmaeon in

Corinth)

404 End of war between Athens and Sparta

401 Sophocles’ “Oedipus at Colonus.”

c400 Timotheus. Athenian General from 378 to 356. Imperialist. (died 354)

400 Ephoros. Historian (died 330)

399 Trial and execution of Socrates. Plato leaves Athens.

397-338 Isocrates, educator and writer active

395 Publication of Thucydides’ “History.”

395 Antimachus, epic poet, active.

395/4 Aristomenes. Dramaturg (Dionysus)

395-393 Athens rebuilds her Long Walls.

392 Aristophanes’ “Ecclesiazousae.”

392/1 Platon’s (Phaeon)

390-354 Xenophon, historian and essayist, active. “Anabasis”

(post)388 Aristophanes’ (Aiolosikon and Cocalus) produced by his son,

Araros

389/8 Alkaios (Pasiphae); Nikophon (Adonis); Nikochares (Lakones):

Dramaturgs

388 Aristophanes’ second “Plutus”

387 Plato founds the Academy.

387 Gauls sack Rome

387/6 Aristophanes’ (Kokalos)

384 Aristotle born. (Died 322)

384 Demosthenes born. (Died 322)

380 Theopompous (Athenian historian, rhetorician)

367 Aristotle joins the Academy

359 Philip II becomes King of Macedon –End of period of the free City

States. Macedonian domination and the Hellenistic period begin.