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5th century BC

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The 5th century BC started the first day of 500 BC and ended the last day of 401 BC.

The Parthenon in Athens, a symbol of Ancient Greece and Western Philosophy.

This century saw the establishment of Pataliputra as a capital of the Magadha Empire. This city would later become the ruling capital of different Indian kingdoms for about a thousand years. This period saw the rise of two great philosophical schools of the east, Jainism and Buddhism. This period saw Mahavira and Buddha spreading their respective teachings in the northern plains of India. This essentially changed the socio-cultural and political dynamics of the region of South Asia. Buddhism would later go on to become one of the major world religions.

This period also saw the work of Yaska, who created Nirukta, that would lay the foundation stone for Sanskrit grammar and is one of the oldest works on grammar known to mankind.

This century is also traditionally recognized as the classical period of the Greeks, which would continue all the way through the 4th century until the time of Alexander the Great. The life of Socrates represented a major milestone in Greek philosophy though his teachings only survive through the work of his students, most notably Plato and Xenophon. The tragedians Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, as well as the comedian Aristophanes all date from this era and many of their works are still considered classics of the western theatrical canon.

The Persian Wars, fought between a coalition of Greek cities and the vast Achaemenid Persian Empire was a pivotal moment in Greek politics. The Greeks successfully prevented the annexation of Greece by the Persians in Battle of Plataea, Battle of Mycale, and further counter attacks. Afterwards, Sparta, the dominant power in the coalition, had no intention of further offensive action and considered the war over. Meanwhile, Athens counter-attacked, liberating Greek subjects of the Persian Empire up and down the Ionian coast and mobilizing a new coalition, the Delian League. Tensions between Athens, and its growing imperialistic ambitions as leader of the Delian League, and the traditionally dominant Sparta led to a protracted stalemate in the Peloponnesian War.

The world in the 5th century BC

Map of the Eastern Hemisphere in 500 BC, the beginning of the fifth century BC.
Map of the world in 400 BC, the end of the fifth century BC.

Events

490s BC

480s BC

470s BC

460s BC

450s BC

440s BC

430s BC

420s BC

410s BC

  • 419 BC: The Peace of Nicias is broken when Sparta defeats Argos.
  • 418 BC: The Spartans win a major victory over the Athenians in the Battle of Mantinea, the biggest land battle of the Peloponnesian War.
  • 416 BC: The Athenians capture the island of Melos and treat the inhabitants with great cruelty.
  • 416 BC: The Athenians adhere to a plea of help from Sicily and start planning an invasion of the island.
  • 415 BC: The sacred Hermae busts in Athens are mutilated just before the expedition to Sicily is sent away. One of the culprits, Andocides, is captured and is forced to turn informer. He names the other mutilators, among them Alcibiades, who are sentenced to death in their absence.
  • 415 BC: Alcibiades defects from Athens to Sparta after having learned about his death sentence.
  • 414 BC: The Athenians try to make a breakthrough in their siege of Syracuse but are defeated by the Spartans.
  • 413 BC: Nagadaska is deposed by people of Magadha. Thus, ending Haryanka dynasty. He succeeded by Shishunaga who founded Shaishunaga dynasty.
  • 413 BC: Demosthenes suggests the Athenians leave Syracuse in order to return to Athens, where help is needed. However, Nicias refuses and they are again defeated in battle by the Spartans. Both Demosthenes and Nicias are killed.
  • 413 BC: Caria allies itself with Sparta.
  • 412 BC: The Persian Empire starts preparing an invasion of Ionia and signs a treaty with Sparta about it.
  • 411 BC: The democracy in Athens is overthrown and replaced by the oligarchic Council of Four Hundred. This council is itself soon defeated and order is almost restored, when the Five Thousand start ruling. Early next year, they are also overthrown and the old democracy is restored.
  • 410 BC: Athens regains control over its vital grain route from the Black Sea by defeating Sparta in the Battle of Cyzicus.

400s BC

Inventions, discoveries, introductions

Sovereign states

See: List of sovereign states in the 5th century BC.

References

  1. Zhao, Dingxin (2004). "Comment: Spurious Causation in a Historical Process: War and Bureaucratization in Early China". American Sociological Review. 69 (4): 603–607. doi:10.1177/000312240406900407.
Decades and years
5th century BC
7th century BC ← 6th century BC ← ↔ → 4th century BC → 3rd century BC
500s BC 509 BC 508 BC 507 BC 506 BC 505 BC 504 BC 503 BC 502 BC 501 BC 500 BC
490s BC 499 BC 498 BC 497 BC 496 BC 495 BC 494 BC 493 BC 492 BC 491 BC 490 BC
480s BC 489 BC 488 BC 487 BC 486 BC 485 BC 484 BC 483 BC 482 BC 481 BC 480 BC
470s BC 479 BC 478 BC 477 BC 476 BC 475 BC 474 BC 473 BC 472 BC 471 BC 470 BC
460s BC 469 BC 468 BC 467 BC 466 BC 465 BC 464 BC 463 BC 462 BC 461 BC 460 BC
450s BC 459 BC 458 BC 457 BC 456 BC 455 BC 454 BC 453 BC 452 BC 451 BC 450 BC
440s BC 449 BC 448 BC 447 BC 446 BC 445 BC 444 BC 443 BC 442 BC 441 BC 440 BC
430s BC 439 BC 438 BC 437 BC 436 BC 435 BC 434 BC 433 BC 432 BC 431 BC 430 BC
420s BC 429 BC 428 BC 427 BC 426 BC 425 BC 424 BC 423 BC 422 BC 421 BC 420 BC
410s BC 419 BC 418 BC 417 BC 416 BC 415 BC 414 BC 413 BC 412 BC 411 BC 410 BC
400s BC 409 BC 408 BC 407 BC 406 BC 405 BC 404 BC 403 BC 402 BC 401 BC 400 BC
390s BC 399 BC 398 BC 397 BC 396 BC 395 BC 394 BC 393 BC 392 BC 391 BC 390 BC
Centuries and millennia
Millennium Century
BC (BCE)
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3rd 30th 29th 28th 27th 26th 25th 24th 23rd 22nd 21st
2nd 20th 19th 18th 17th 16th 15th 14th 13th 12th 11th
1st 10th 9th 8th 7th 6th 5th 4th 3rd 2nd 1st
AD (CE)
1st 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th
2nd 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th
3rd 21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th 29th 30th
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