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The Circle of Knowledge

by Henry W. Ruoff

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III | From the Development of the Assyrian Empire to the Time of Xerxes the Great, 1100-485 B. C.

Great Events of Period. 1100-1000: Heroic age of Greece; Hebrews reach their highest point of national power. Beginning of the Medo-Persian nations. Celts disperse over western Europe and into British Isles. 1000-900: Homeric age. Celts already in Britain, with bronze in use. Phœnician trade extended from Senegal to India. 900-800: Decline of Phœnician cities. 800-700: Ethiopian supremacy in Egypt. Assyrian conquests continue; Tiglath-Pileser III.; Sargon; Babylonia rises to height of its power. 700-600: Zenith and fall of Nineveh, and Assyrian empire. Media rises to power. Perhaps last migrations from the Aryan center—Teutonic and Slav races. 600-500: Zenith and fall of Babylon. Long reign of Nebuchadnezzar; he ravages Egypt. The seventy years’ captivity of Judah. Rise of Persia. Founding of the Roman republic. Establishment of democracy in Athens.

B. C.RomeGreeksEgyptPhœnicia-Lydia PhrygiaHebrewsBabylonia-AssyriaPersiansChina, Japan, IndiaB. C.
II. Formation of Greek States
(1100-500)
VI. The Assyrian Empire.
11001100. The Etruscans already in central Italy.1100-950. Great migrations in Greece of Dorians and Thessalians. Ionic colonies founded in Asia Minor.1091. At beginning of the twenty-first dynasty two lines of kings: one at Thebes and another at Tanis. Power of Tanis established and great wall built.1100. Tyre attains first rank among Phœnician seacoast towns.1100-930. History of Babylon of little importance until 600 B. C. Assyria the great power of Western Asia till the rise of the New Babylonian Empire after the destruction of Nineveh in 607 B. C.1100. Formation of a powerful empire in Bactria. Deeds of kings celebrated in the Shahnameh of Firdusi.China: 1123-255. Chow dynasty. Feudal system developed.1100
1068. Codrus, last king of Athens. Beginning of rule of archons.1040. Samuel, last of the “Judges.”
III. Period of Monarchy
1020. Saul, king. Jerusalem, the capital of all Israel.
10001000. Period of HOMER. Poems of Homer reflect the Mycenæan and Aegean period of the Greeks.A very complex and obscure period.1000. David, king.1000. Period of ZOROASTER and Zoroastrianism, was chief of the Magi, a priestly tribe of Media.1000
987-952. Pasebkhanu II. King Solomon married one of his daughters.970. King Hiram sent material for Solomon’s Temple.977-937. SOLOMON, king. Began building the temple about 973. Married a daughter of King Pasebkhanu II. of Egypt.
952. Sheshanq (Shishak of the Bible), married to sister of the wife of King Solomon. Great conquests in Syria. Capture of Jerusalem.930-640. Brilliant epoch of Assyria. A period of conquest, expansion, architecture, sculpture and literary activity.
IV. Divided Monarchy
(937)
900Judah and Israel886-858. Ashur-Nasir-Pal. One of the greatest Assyrian kings. Extended the empire. Moved the government to Calah (Nimrod) from Ashur. Built a great palace there.900
820. Legislation of Lycurgus founded the stability of Sparta.846. Carthage founded by Elissa (Dido).858-823. Shalmaneser II. Ceaseless wars made him master of Western Asia. First contact with Israelites. Jehu, King of Israel, among those who sent tribute. Built palace at Calah (Nimrod). Protectorate over Babylon.I. Ancient Persian Period
(836-640)
810-781. Ramari-nirrari IV. captured Damascus. Married Babylonian princess Semiramis.
800800. Phrygia an independent monarchy.India: 800. Bramanic period of Vedic literature.800
I. Mythical Period of the Kings
(753-510)
776. First Olympiad, or first year the Olympian victor was recorded.780. Rise of independent kingdom in Nubia.China: 780-700. Constant struggles between central power and feudal states.
753-716. Romulus.
753. Rome founded.
750. Sabines incorporated with Romans.750-550. Colonizing period of the Greeks.745-727. Tiglath-Pileser II. (Identical with the king Pul of the Bible) made Babylonia subject to Assyria.
743-724. FIRST MESSENIAN WAR between Messenia and Sparta.728. Midas of Phrygia foments rebellion against rule of Sargon in Northern Syria.735-715. Ahaz became tributary to Assyria. Isaiah denounced the alliance.728. END OF OLD BABYLONIAN EMPIRE.740. Western Iran (Media and Persia) subject to Assyria.
VI. Nubian Period
(722-654)
727. Tyre captured by Assyria. Phœnician decline begins.727-722. Shalmaneser IV. suppressed the revolt of the Phœnician cities and the kingdom of Israel.
715-673. Numa Pompilius. Traditional founder of religious institutions.722. Egypt lost Palestine to Assyria.715-686. Hezekiah. Began religious and social reforms.722-705. Sargon II. conquered Samaria and destroyed the Kingdom of Israel. He received tribute from Arabia, Egypt, and Cyprus; suppressed revolts in Armenia, Media and Babylonia, and united the latter with Assyria.
707. Shabako, the Nubian, gains all Egypt, incites revolt in Syria and Palestine against Sargon. Later is defeated by Sennacherib.705. Sennacherib. Invaded Judah. Palace at Nineveh and library.
Assyrian art most flourishing from Ninth to end of Seventh Century.
700700-200. Etruscan influence very strong.700. Cimmerian invasion shortly destroys Phrygian Kingdom.700-600. Scythians sweep over Media, Persia and Assyria.700
689. Gyges, first important King of Lydia.681. Esarhaddon. Wars with Phœnicia, Cilicia, Edom, Medes, and Arabs. Conquest of Lower Egypt.
673-641. Tullus Hostilius. Alba Longa destroyed.670-660. Assyrian supremacy. Nubians expelled by Ashur-bani-pal but hold Thebes until 654.668. Ashur-Bani-Pal (Sardanapalus). Expelled Nubians from Egypt and established his supremacy for a time. Best period of art. Creation tablets and Deluge tablets. Gyges, King of Lydia, killed during a revolt.II. Period of the Median Empire.
655-633. Phraortes united Media.
641-616. Ancus Marcius. Capture of Ostia. War with Latins.645-628. SECOND MESSENIAN WAR. Sparta victorious.653-610. PSAMETIK I. re-united Egypt. In alliance with Gyges, King of Lydia, made Egypt independent of Assyria. Built a magnificent palace at Sais, the new capital. Revival of art, religion and literature.636. Last Assyrian governor of Phœnicia.640. Medes revolt from Assyria and establish the Median Empire (640-558).Japan: 660-585. Jimmu Tenno, first Mikado. Largely legendary.
625. Corinth at its zenith. Periander, tyrant.626. Assyrian power declining at death of Ashur-bani-pal. NABOPOLASSOR, Assyrian governor of Babylon, makes the latter independent, and wars against Assyria.633-593. Cyaxeres, with Nabopolassor of Babylonia, capture Nineveh and destroy the Assyrian Empire.
621. Laws of Draco at Athens.
616-578. Tarquinius Priscus. Treaty with Latins. Temple of Jupiter on the capitol.
Important advance in power and civilization.
610-595. Neku II. Invades Syria, but is vanquished at Carchemish by Nebuchadnezzar II. of Babylonia.610. Alyattes, King of Lydia, battles with Cyaxares of Media. Erected magnificent buildings at Sardis.610. Fall of Nineveh. END OF ASSYRIAN EMPIRE, divided among Medes and Babylonians.
608-597. Jehoiakim. Jeremiah.608. New Babylonian Empire.
604-551. NEBUCHADNEZZAR II. makes Babylonia the leading nation of the East. Conquered Jerusalem (586) and subdued Tyre (585).
Splendid architectural era at Babylon.
600600-590. FIRST SACRED WAR.600
594. Solon, archon of Athens.
Laws and reforms.
586-573. Tyre besieged by Nebuchadnezzar. Phœnicia a Persian province (538).586. Capture of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, temple destroyed and Jews made captive.593-558. Astyoges, last King of Medes. Cyrus revolted, deposed the king, became king of Persia and master of the East.
578-534. Servius Tulius. Rome consolidated. Rise of patricians and plebians.560-527. Pisistratus, tyrant of Athens. Ionia and Greek cities of Asia conquered by Cyrus of Persia.570-526. Aahmes II. Encouraged Greek settlement. Magnificent buildings at Naucratis and Sais.568. Crœsus, son of Alyattes, subdued all the Grecian cities of the coast.II. Period of the Persian Empire
(558-330)
546. Sardis captured and Lydia absorbed into Persian Empire.555. Nabonidus, father of the Biblical Belshazzar, great builder and restorer of temples.558-529. CYRUS, emperor. Conquered Crœsus, King of Lydia.China: 551. CONFUCIUS born. Greatest figure in Chinese history.
538. Phœnicia became a Persian province.538-332. Palestine under Persian dominion.539-538. War of Cyrus against the Babylonians. Babylon captured. The Babylonian Empire incorporated with the Persian.
534-510. Tarquinius Superbus. End of the Kings. Rome a Republic with two Consuls.The Rise of Athens.530. CARTHAGE becomes independent.529-522. Cambyses conquered Egypt by his victory at Pelusium.
525. Psametik III. defeated by Cambyses at Pelusium. Egypt a Persian province.
520. Capture of Thebes (Luxor) and transplantation of 6000 Egyptians to Susiana.520-516. Temple rebuilt at Jerusalem.521-485. DARIUS son of Hystaspes was made king.
Phœnicia: through its influence the whole country is allowed to carry on its trade as usual, under the authority and protection of the king of Persia.Darius has special interest because he was first to extend Persian authority into Europe, and thus paved the way for the subsequent invasion of Greece.This
great
Chinese
philosopher,
introduces
a new
religion,
opposed to
that of
Fohi,
and boldly
inveighs
against the
vice and
immorality
of the
times.
II. The Republic to the Beginning of the Punic Wars
(510-264)
The Persian kings exact a large tribute. The fisheries of Lake Mœris, etc.518. Revolt of Babylon, and destruction of that city after a twenty months? siege. Indian campaign, in which the countries north of the Indus become subject to Persia. Indus the boundary of the empire.
Struggle between patricians and plebians and development of Roman consolidation.510. Athenian democracy fully established.513. (?). Unsuccessful expedition of Darius against the Scythians with a land force of 700,000 men. Macedonia and Thrace tributary.
508. First commercial treaty with Carthage.508. Carthage makes its first commercial treaty with Rome.
500III. Persian Wars
(500-449)
500. Carthage trades with the Greeks.500-494. The Ionian colonies rebel, and are assisted by the Athenians, which gives rise to the Perso-Grecian wars and the national hatred between the two countries.500
See under Persia.
498. First Dictator.Carthage effects an alliance with the Persians against Sicily.According to Philo, the history of Judith and Holofernes falls under the reign of Artaxerxes.

Under the same king lived Esther and Haman.
499. Sardis burnt by the Ionians. Grecian wars follow.
First struggle, on account of the oppression of the debtors.494. The Greeks and their allies defeated in naval engagement at the island of Lade.
493. Tribunes of the people.493-490. War of Darius against the European Greeks. Revolt among the Egpyptians.
492. First expedition, under Mardonius, unsuccessful.
491. Comitia Tributa, in which the people have the preponderance.490. Marathon. The Athenians under Miltiades defeated the Persians under Datis. Free government and Greek civilization saved.490. Second expedition, defeated at Marathon by Miltiades.
Second struggle, respecting the division of lands.Athens mistress of the sea.
486. First Agrarian law.489. Miltiades attacks Poros and fails. His condemnation and death follow.486. Revolts, but is again subdued by Xerxes.486. Egypt revolts and is not reduced to subjection until 484.
Continual wars against the neighboring states.485. Gelo, master of Syracuse.The tribute increased.485. Death of Darius. He was succeeded by his son XERXES.
B. C.RomeGreeksEgyptPhœnicia-Lydia Phrygia
II. Formation of Greek States
(1100-500)
11001100. The Etruscans already in central Italy.1100-950. Great migrations in Greece of Dorians and Thessalians. Ionic colonies founded in Asia Minor.1091. At beginning of the twenty-first dynasty two lines of kings: one at Thebes and another at Tanis. Power of Tanis established and great wall built.1100. Tyre attains first rank among Phœnician seacoast towns.
1068. Codrus, last king of Athens. Beginning of rule of archons.
10001000. Period of HOMER. Poems of Homer reflect the Mycenæan and Aegean period of the Greeks.A very complex and obscure period.
987-952. Pasebkhanu II. King Solomon married one of his daughters.970. King Hiram sent material for Solomon’s Temple.
952. Sheshanq (Shishak of the Bible), married to sister of the wife of King Solomon. Great conquests in Syria. Capture of Jerusalem.
900
820. Legislation of Lycurgus founded the stability of Sparta.846. Carthage founded by Elissa (Dido).
800800. Phrygia an independent monarchy.
I. Mythical Period of the Kings
(753-510)
776. First Olympiad, or first year the Olympian victor was recorded.780. Rise of independent kingdom in Nubia.
753-716. Romulus.
753. Rome founded.
750. Sabines incorporated with Romans.750-550. Colonizing period of the Greeks.
743-724. FIRST MESSENIAN WAR between Messenia and Sparta.728. Midas of Phrygia foments rebellion against rule of Sargon in Northern Syria.
VI. Nubian Period
(722-654)
727. Tyre captured by Assyria. Phœnician decline begins.
715-673. Numa Pompilius. Traditional founder of religious institutions.722. Egypt lost Palestine to Assyria.
707. Shabako, the Nubian, gains all Egypt, incites revolt in Syria and Palestine against Sargon. Later is defeated by Sennacherib.
700700-200. Etruscan influence very strong.700. Cimmerian invasion shortly destroys Phrygian Kingdom.
689. Gyges, first important King of Lydia.
673-641. Tullus Hostilius. Alba Longa destroyed.670-660. Assyrian supremacy. Nubians expelled by Ashur-bani-pal but hold Thebes until 654.
641-616. Ancus Marcius. Capture of Ostia. War with Latins.645-628. SECOND MESSENIAN WAR. Sparta victorious.653-610. PSAMETIK I. re-united Egypt. In alliance with Gyges, King of Lydia, made Egypt independent of Assyria. Built a magnificent palace at Sais, the new capital. Revival of art, religion and literature.636. Last Assyrian governor of Phœnicia.
625. Corinth at its zenith. Periander, tyrant.
621. Laws of Draco at Athens.
616-578. Tarquinius Priscus. Treaty with Latins. Temple of Jupiter on the capitol.
Important advance in power and civilization.
610-595. Neku II. Invades Syria, but is vanquished at Carchemish by Nebuchadnezzar II. of Babylonia.610. Alyattes, King of Lydia, battles with Cyaxares of Media. Erected magnificent buildings at Sardis.
600600-590. FIRST SACRED WAR.
594. Solon, archon of Athens.
Laws and reforms.
586-573. Tyre besieged by Nebuchadnezzar. Phœnicia a Persian province (538).
578-534. Servius Tulius. Rome consolidated. Rise of patricians and plebians.560-527. Pisistratus, tyrant of Athens. Ionia and Greek cities of Asia conquered by Cyrus of Persia.570-526. Aahmes II. Encouraged Greek settlement. Magnificent buildings at Naucratis and Sais.568. Crœsus, son of Alyattes, subdued all the Grecian cities of the coast.
546. Sardis captured and Lydia absorbed into Persian Empire.
538. Phœnicia became a Persian province.
534-510. Tarquinius Superbus. End of the Kings. Rome a Republic with two Consuls.The Rise of Athens.530. CARTHAGE becomes independent.
525. Psametik III. defeated by Cambyses at Pelusium. Egypt a Persian province.
520. Capture of Thebes (Luxor) and transplantation of 6000 Egyptians to Susiana.
Phœnicia: through its influence the whole country is allowed to carry on its trade as usual, under the authority and protection of the king of Persia.
II. The Republic to the Beginning of the Punic Wars
(510-264)
The Persian kings exact a large tribute. The fisheries of Lake Mœris, etc.
Struggle between patricians and plebians and development of Roman consolidation.510. Athenian democracy fully established.
508. First commercial treaty with Carthage.508. Carthage makes its first commercial treaty with Rome.
500III. Persian Wars
(500-449)
500. Carthage trades with the Greeks.
See under Persia.
498. First Dictator.Carthage effects an alliance with the Persians against Sicily.
First struggle, on account of the oppression of the debtors.
493. Tribunes of the people.
491. Comitia Tributa, in which the people have the preponderance.490. Marathon. The Athenians under Miltiades defeated the Persians under Datis. Free government and Greek civilization saved.
Second struggle, respecting the division of lands.Athens mistress of the sea.
486. First Agrarian law.489. Miltiades attacks Poros and fails. His condemnation and death follow.486. Revolts, but is again subdued by Xerxes.
Continual wars against the neighboring states.485. Gelo, master of Syracuse.The tribute increased.
B. C.HebrewsBabylonia-AssyriaPersiansChina, Japan, India
VI. The Assyrian Empire.
11001100-930. History of Babylon of little importance until 600 B. C. Assyria the great power of Western Asia till the rise of the New Babylonian Empire after the destruction of Nineveh in 607 B. C.1100. Formation of a powerful empire in Bactria. Deeds of kings celebrated in the Shahnameh of Firdusi.China: 1123-255. Chow dynasty. Feudal system developed.
1040. Samuel, last of the “Judges.”
III. Period of Monarchy
1020. Saul, king. Jerusalem, the capital of all Israel.
10001000. David, king.1000. Period of ZOROASTER and Zoroastrianism, was chief of the Magi, a priestly tribe of Media.
977-937. SOLOMON, king. Began building the temple about 973. Married a daughter of King Pasebkhanu II. of Egypt.
930-640. Brilliant epoch of Assyria. A period of conquest, expansion, architecture, sculpture and literary activity.
IV. Divided Monarchy
(937)
900Judah and Israel886-858. Ashur-Nasir-Pal. One of the greatest Assyrian kings. Extended the empire. Moved the government to Calah (Nimrod) from Ashur. Built a great palace there.
858-823. Shalmaneser II. Ceaseless wars made him master of Western Asia. First contact with Israelites. Jehu, King of Israel, among those who sent tribute. Built palace at Calah (Nimrod). Protectorate over Babylon.
810-781. Ramari-nirrari IV. captured Damascus. Married Babylonian princess Semiramis.I. Ancient Persian Period
(836-640)
800India: 800. Bramanic period of Vedic literature.
China: 780-700. Constant struggles between central power and feudal states.
745-727. Tiglath-Pileser II. (Identical with the king Pul of the Bible) made Babylonia subject to Assyria.
735-715. Ahaz became tributary to Assyria. Isaiah denounced the alliance.728. END OF OLD BABYLONIAN EMPIRE.740. Western Iran (Media and Persia) subject to Assyria.
727-722. Shalmaneser IV. suppressed the revolt of the Phœnician cities and the kingdom of Israel.
715-686. Hezekiah. Began religious and social reforms.722-705. Sargon II. conquered Samaria and destroyed the Kingdom of Israel. He received tribute from Arabia, Egypt, and Cyprus; suppressed revolts in Armenia, Media and Babylonia, and united the latter with Assyria.
705. Sennacherib. Invaded Judah. Palace at Nineveh and library.
Assyrian art most flourishing from Ninth to end of Seventh Century.
700700-600. Scythians sweep over Media, Persia and Assyria.
681. Esarhaddon. Wars with Phœnicia, Cilicia, Edom, Medes, and Arabs. Conquest of Lower Egypt.
668. Ashur-Bani-Pal (Sardanapalus). Expelled Nubians from Egypt and established his supremacy for a time. Best period of art. Creation tablets and Deluge tablets. Gyges, King of Lydia, killed during a revolt.II. Period of the Median Empire.
655-633. Phraortes united Media.
640. Medes revolt from Assyria and establish the Median Empire (640-558).Japan: 660-585. Jimmu Tenno, first Mikado. Largely legendary.
626. Assyrian power declining at death of Ashur-bani-pal. NABOPOLASSOR, Assyrian governor of Babylon, makes the latter independent, and wars against Assyria.633-593. Cyaxeres, with Nabopolassor of Babylonia, capture Nineveh and destroy the Assyrian Empire.
610. Fall of Nineveh. END OF ASSYRIAN EMPIRE, divided among Medes and Babylonians.
608-597. Jehoiakim. Jeremiah.608. New Babylonian Empire.
604-551. NEBUCHADNEZZAR II. makes Babylonia the leading nation of the East. Conquered Jerusalem (586) and subdued Tyre (585).
Splendid architectural era at Babylon.
600
586. Capture of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, temple destroyed and Jews made captive.593-558. Astyoges, last King of Medes. Cyrus revolted, deposed the king, became king of Persia and master of the East.
II. Period of the Persian Empire
(558-330)
555. Nabonidus, father of the Biblical Belshazzar, great builder and restorer of temples.558-529. CYRUS, emperor. Conquered Crœsus, King of Lydia.China: 551. CONFUCIUS born. Greatest figure in Chinese history.
538-332. Palestine under Persian dominion.539-538. War of Cyrus against the Babylonians. Babylon captured. The Babylonian Empire incorporated with the Persian.
529-522. Cambyses conquered Egypt by his victory at Pelusium.
520-516. Temple rebuilt at Jerusalem.521-485. DARIUS son of Hystaspes was made king.
Darius has special interest because he was first to extend Persian authority into Europe, and thus paved the way for the subsequent invasion of Greece.This great Chinese philosopher, introduces a new religion, opposed to that of Fohi, and boldly inveighs against the vice and immorality of the times.
518. Revolt of Babylon, and destruction of that city after a twenty months? siege. Indian campaign, in which the countries north of the Indus become subject to Persia. Indus the boundary of the empire.
513. (?). Unsuccessful expedition of Darius against the Scythians with a land force of 700,000 men. Macedonia and Thrace tributary.
500500-494. The Ionian colonies rebel, and are assisted by the Athenians, which gives rise to the Perso-Grecian wars and the national hatred between the two countries.
According to Philo, the history of Judith and Holofernes falls under the reign of Artaxerxes.499. Sardis burnt by the Ionians. Grecian wars follow.
Under the same king lived Esther and Haman.494. The Greeks and their allies defeated in naval engagement at the island of Lade.
493-490. War of Darius against the European Greeks. Revolt among the Egpyptians.
492. First expedition, under Mardonius, unsuccessful.
490. Second expedition, defeated at Marathon by Miltiades.
486. Egypt revolts and is not reduced to subjection until 484.
485. Death of Darius. He was succeeded by his son XERXES.

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