istoryworld
Events relating to athens
Cleisthenes, brought to power by popular support, puts into effect a major programme of political reform in Athens
Cleisthenes gives every Athenian citizen a voice in the demos, the local council at village or town level
The great network of roads built by Darius I has at its centre the 2000-mile royal road from Susa to Sardis
The Greek cities of Ionia rebel against Persian rule, with the partial support of Athens
Pericles is born in Attica, the son of distinguished parents and the great-nephew of Cleisthenes
After six years the Persians recover control of Ionia, but Athens is now identified as a target for invasion
Darius sends a fleet across the Aegean, carrying a large army of infantry and cavalry for an attack on Athens
The Persian fleet secures the Greek island of Euboea before making the short crossing to Marathon on the mainland – where they await the Greeks
Pheidippides, given the task of running from Athens to Sparta to request help at Marathon against the Persians, completes the journey in two days
At Marathon the Athenian hoplites, heavily outnumbered, win a spectacular victory against the Persians – of whom the survivors escape in their ships
The Persian fleet moves south towards Athens, but then heads home across the Aegean without attempting an assault on the city
Ostracism is introduced in Athens as a way of getting rid of unpopular politicians
Aeschylus wins the prize for tragedy at the City Dionysia in Athens
Themistocles persuades the Athenians to build up their fleet against the expected renewal of the threat from Persia
Xerxes I, renewing the campaign of his father Darius against the Greeks, leads a large army round the Aegean and through Thrace
The Greek city-states meet in Corinth to devise a joint strategy against the Persians
300 Spartans, led by Leonidas, die attempting to hold the pass of Thermopylae against the advancing Persian army
Athens, abandoned to the advancing Persians, is looted and destroyed
The Athenian fleet defeats a considerably larger Persian force in the narrow strait between Salamis and the mainland
A Spartan army, led by Pausanias, wins a victory at Plataea, completing the rout of the Persians on the Greek mainland
An Athenian force destroys at Mykale the remainder of the Persian fleet, ending the threat from them at sea
In the last joint campaign by Sparta and Athens the strategically important city of Byzantium is liberated from Persian rule
Representatives of Athens and other Aegean city-states meet in Delos to form a coalition, later known as the Delian League
The Delian League is formed for mutual defence, but also to liberate the Greek cities of Ionia from Persian rule
Sophocles wins the prize for tragedy in Athens, defeating Aeschylus in the competition
