7th century BC
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The7th century BCbegan the first day of700 BCand ended the last day of601 BC.
TheNeo-Assyrian Empirecontinued to dominate theNear Eastduring this century, exercising formidable power over neighbors likeBabylonandEgypt.In the last two decades of the century, however, the empire began to unravel as numerous enemies made alliances and waged war from all sides. The Assyrians finally left the world stage permanently when their capitalNinevehwas destroyed in 612 BC. These events gave rise to theNeo-Babylonian Empire,which would dominate the region for much of the following century.
TheZhou Dynastycontinues inChinaand theLate Periodbegins in Egypt with the26th dynastystarting with the coronation ofPsamtik I.
InMesoamerica,theZapotec civilizationbegan to develop in the area later known as theValley of Oaxaca.
Events[edit]
690s BC[edit]
- 699 BC:KhallushusucceedsShuttir-Nakhkhunteas king of theElamite Empire.
- 697 BC:Death ofKing Huan of Zhou,King of theZhou DynastyofChina.
- 696 BC:King Zhuang of Zhoubecomes King of theZhou DynastyofChina.
- 696 BC:TheCimmeriansravagePhrygia,possible migration of theArmenians.
- 691 BC:KingSennacheribofAssyriadefeats kingHumban-nimenaofElamin theBattle of Halule.
- 690 BC:Taharqa,a king of theTwenty-fifth Dynasty,ascends the throne ofEgypt(approximate date).
- 690s BC:—W'rn HywtofD'mtinEthiopiaappears in the inscriptional record and mentions the king of Saba', Karib'il Watar.
- c. 690 BC-664 BC—Sphinxof Taharqa, from Temple T,Kawa,Nubia,is made.Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt.It is now kept atThe British Museum,London.
680s BC[edit]
- 689 BC:KingSennacheribofAssyriasacksBabylon.
- 687 BC:Gygesbecomes king ofLydia.
- 687 BC:Hezekiahsucceeded byManassehas king ofJudah.
- 682 BC:Death ofKing Zhuang of Zhou,King of theZhou DynastyofChina.
- 681 BC:King Xi of Zhoubecomes King of theZhou DynastyofChina.
- 681 BC:EsarhaddonsucceedsSennacheribas king ofAssyria.
670s BC[edit]
- 678 BC:Phraortesbecomes king of the Medes
- 677 BC:Death ofKing Xi of Zhou,King of theZhou DynastyofChina.
- 677 BC:Esarhaddonleads theAssyrianarmy against rebelliousArabtribes, advances as far as theBrook of Egypt.
- 676 BC:King Hui of Zhoubecomes King of theZhou DynastyofChina.
- 675 BC:Esarhaddonbegins the rebuilding ofBabylon.
- 674 BC:Esarhaddonputs down a revolt inAscalonsupported byTaharqa,king ofEgypt.In response, theAssyriansinvadeEgypt,butTaharqais able to hold the invaders off.
- 673 BC:Tullus Hostiliusbecomes king ofRome.
- 671 BC:Esarhaddonagain invadesEgypt,capturingMemphisas well as a number of the royal family.
660s BC[edit]
- 669 BC:Assurbanipalsucceeds his fatherEsarhaddonas king ofAssyria.
- 669 BC:Argos defeats Sparta for the last time, this time using ahoplite phalanx,at thebattle of Hysiae.
- 668 BC:Shamash-shum-ukin,son ofEsarhaddon,becomes King ofBabylon.
- 668 BC:Egyptrevolts againstAssyria.
- 668 BC:Nineveh,capital ofAssyriabecomes the largest city of the world, taking the lead fromThebesinEgypt.[1]
- 667 BC:Byzantiumfounded byMegarancolonists underByzas.(traditional date)
- 664 BC:First naval battle inGreekrecorded history, betweenCorinthandCorcyra.
- 664 BC:Assurbanipalcaptures and sacksThebes, Egypt.
- 664 BC:Psammetichus IsucceedsNecho Ias king ofLower Egypt.
- 664 BC:Taharqaappoints his nephewTantamanias his successor ofUpper Egypt.
- February 11, 660 BC—Traditional founding date ofJapanbyEmperor Jimmu.
- 660 BC:First known use of theDemoticscript.
- 660 BC:Psammetichus Idrives theAssyriansout ofEgypt.
- 660 BC:Estimated date of theimpactthat created theKaali crater
650s BC[edit]
- 650s BC:The Spartan Creedby Ancient Greek poetTyrtaeus
- 650s BC:Occupation begins atMayasite ofPiedras Negras, Guatemala.
- 657 BC:Cypselusbecomes the firsttyrantofCorinth.
- 656 BC:Psammetichusextends his control over all ofEgypt.End ofTwenty-fifth Dynasty.
- 653 BC:Atta-Khumma-In-ShushinakandKhumbanigash IIsucceedShilhak-In-ShushinakandTempti-Khumma-In-Shushinakas kings of theElamite Empire.
- 653 BC:Atlanersabecomes ruler of theNapatan kingdom of Kushafter the collapse of the 25th Dynasty of Egypt.
- 652 BC:Babyloniarises in revolt underShamash-shum-ukinagainst theAssyrians.
- 652 BC:Achaemenid dynastyinPersia.
- 651 BC:King Xiang of Zhoubecomes King of theZhou DynastyofChina.
- 650 BC:The town ofAbderainThraceis founded by colonists fromClazomenae.
- 650 BC:Aclimate changeaffects all theBronze Agecultures inEuropewith colder and wetter climate, and tribes from theScandinavianNordic Bronze Agecultures are pushed downwards into theEuropean continent.
640s BC[edit]
- 640s BC:AssyriankingAshurbanipalfoundslibrary,which included our earliest complete copy of theEpic of Gilgamesh.
- 649 BC:IndabigashsucceedsTammarituas a king of theElamite Empire.
- 649 BC:Babylonianrevolt underShamash-shum-ukinis crushed by theAssyrians.
- 648 BC:Pankrationbecomes an event at theAncient Olympic Games.
- April 6, 648 BC:EarliestGreek-chronicledsolar eclipse.[2]
- 647 BC:KingAssurbanipalofAssyriasacks Susa.
- 642 BC:Ancus Marciusbecomes king ofRome(traditional date).
- c.641 BC:Josiahbecomes king ofJudah.
- 640 BC:Decisive victory ofAssyriaoverElamite Empire;Assurbanipalcaptures its last kingKhumma-Khaldash III,annexes Elam, and lays waste the country.[3]
630s BC[edit]
- 632 BC:Cylon,Atheniannoble,seizes theAcropolisin a failed attempt to become king.
- 632 BC:In theBattle of Chengpu,theChinesekingdom ofJinand her allies defeat the kingdom ofChuand her allies.
- 631 BC:Founding ofCyrene,aGreekcolony inLibya(North Africa) (approximate date).
- 631 BC:Sadyatesbecomes king ofLydia.
620s BC[edit]
- 627 BC:Death ofAssurbanipal,king ofAssyria;he is succeeded byAssur-etel-ilani(approximate date).
- 626 BC:Nabopolassarrevolts againstAssyria,founds theNeo-Babylonian Empire.
- 625 BC:MedesandBabyloniansassert their independence fromAssyriaand attackNineveh(approximate date).
- 623 BC:Sin-shar-ishkunsucceeds his brotherAssur-etel-ilanias king ofAssyria(approximate date).
- 622 BC:Text ofDeuteronomyfound in theTemple in Jerusalem.The Hebrew prophetEzekielsaid to be born this year.
610s BC[edit]
- 619 BC:Alyattesbecomes king ofLydia.
- 619 BC:Death ofKing Xiang of Zhou,King of theZhou DynastyofChina.
- 618 BC:King Qing of Zhoubecomes King of theZhou DynastyofChina.
- 616 BC:Lucius Tarquinius Priscusbecomes king ofRome.
- 614 BC:Sack ofAshurby theMedesandBabylonians.
- 613 BC:Death ofKing Qing of Zhou,King of theZhou DynastyofChina.
- 612 BC:King Kuang of Zhoubecomes King of theZhou DynastyofChina.
- 612 BC:An alliance ofMedes,BabyloniansandSusianiansbesiege and conquerNineveh.KingSin-shar-ishkunofAssyriais killed in the sack.
- 612 BC:Ashur-uballit IIattempts to keep theAssyrianempire alive by establishing himself as king atHarran.
- 612 BC:Babylon,capital ofBabyloniabecomes the largest city of the world, taking the lead fromNineveh,capital ofAssyria.[1]
- 610 BC:Necho IIsucceedsPsammetichus Ias king ofEgypt.
600s BC[edit]
- 609 BC:KingJosiahofJudahdies in theBattle of MegiddoagainstPharaohNecho IIofEgypt,who is on his way north to aid the rumpAssyrianstate ofAshur-uballit II.
- 609 BC:TheBabyloniansdefeat theAssyrian armyofAshur-uballit IIand captureHarran.Ashur-uballit, the lastAssyrianking, disappears from history.
- 609 BC:Jehoahazsucceeds his fatherJosiahasKing of Judah,but is quickly deposed byNecho,who installs Jehoahaz's brotherJehoiakimin his place.
- 607 BC:Death ofKing Kuang of Zhou,King of theZhou DynastyofChina.
- 606 BC:King Ding of Zhoubecomes King of theZhou DynastyofChina.
- 605 BC:Battle of Carchemish:Crown PrinceNebuchadnezzarofBabylondefeats the army ofNecho IIofEgypt,securing theBabylonianconquest ofAssyria.TheBabylonianspursue the Egyptians throughSyriaandPalestine.
- 605 BC:Nebuchadnezzar IIsucceeds his fatherNabopolassaras King ofBabylon.
- 601 BC:An alliance ofMedes(from westernIran) andScythians(who originated from theEurasian Steppe) invade the northern and eastern parts ofAssyria.
- 600 BC:Foundation ofCapua.
- 600 BC:India—Age of theMahajanapadas—16 polities rule India—Kasi,Kosala,Anga,Magadha,Vajji(or Vṛji),Malla,Chedi,Vatsa(or Vamsa),Kuru,Panchala,Matsya(or Maccha),Surasena,Assaka,Avanti,Gandhara,Kamboja
- 600 BC:Foundation ofMilanbyCelts(approximate date).
- 600 BC:Foundation ofMarseillebyPhoceans(traditional date).
- 600 BC:Smyrnasacked and destroyed.
- 600 BC:Nebuchadnezzarbuilds theHanging Gardens of Babylon.
Inventions, discoveries, introductions[edit]
- First metalcoinsused by theLydiansof westernAnatolia.Until c.525 BC,coinsbore an image on one side only.
- Greeksadopt coins fromAsia Minor.
- Ironallegedly discovered inChina.
- 7th century BC –4th century BC– Etruscan cemetery of LaBanditaccia,Cerveteriis made.
Sovereign states[edit]
See:List of sovereign states in the 7th century BC.
Notes[edit]
- ^ab"Largest Cities Through History".About.com Geography.Archived fromthe originalon 2005-05-27.Retrieved2006-05-09.
- ^F. Espenak and Xavier Jubier."Total Solar Eclipse of -647 April 06".NASA.
- ^Potts, D. T. (1999) "The Archaeology of Elam: Formation and Transformation of an Ancient Iranian State" (Cambridge World Archaeology)
