The 6th century BC started on the first day of 600 BC and ended on the last day of 501 BC.

In Western Asia, the first half of this century was dominated by the Neo-Babylonian Empire, which had risen to power late in the previous century after successfully rebelling against Assyrian rule. The Kingdom of Judah came to an end in 586 BC when Babylonian forces under Nebuchadnezzar II captured Jerusalem, and removed most of its population to their own lands. Babylonian rule was ended in the 540s by Cyrus, who founded the Persian Empire in its stead. The Persian Empire continued to expand and grew into the greatest empire the world had known at the time.

In Iron Age Europe, the Celtic expansion was in progress. China was in the Spring and Autumn period.

• Mediterranean: Beginning of Greek philosophy, flourishes during the 5th century BC
• The late Hallstatt culture period in Eastern and Central Europe, the late Bronze Age in Northern Europe
• East Asia: the Spring and Autumn period. Confucianism, Legalism and Moism flourish. Laozi founds Taoism
• West Asia: During the Persian empire, Zoroaster, a.k.a. Zarathustra, founded Zoroastrianism, a dualistic philosophy. This was also the time of the Babylonian captivity of the ancient Jews.
• Ancient India: the Buddha and Mahavira founded Buddhism and Jainism respectively
• The decline of the Olmec civilization in Central America

The world in the 6th century BC

Map of the Eastern Hemisphere in 600 BC, the beginning of the sixth century BC.

Map of the Eastern Hemisphere in 500 BC, the end of the sixth century BC.

Events

590s BC

Monument 1, an Olmec colossal head at La Venta

• Mid-6th century BC: Foundation of Temple of Olympian Zeus (Athens).
• 598 BC: Jehoiachin succeeds Jehoiakim as King of Judah.
• 16 March 597 BC: Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king.
• 595 BC: Psammetichus II succeeds Necho II as King of Egypt.
• 594 BC: Solon appointed Archon of Athens; institutes democratic reforms.
• 590 BC: Egyptian army sacks Napata, compelling the Cushite court to move to a more secure location at Meroe near the sixth Cataract.^[1]

580s BC

An engraving on an eye stone of onyx with an inscription of Nebuchadnezzar II

Medieval image of Thales

• 589 BC: Apries succeeds Psammetichus II as King of Egypt.
• 588 BC: Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon begins siege of Jerusalem; some sources set the date at 587 BC.
• 587 BC/586 BC: Jerusalem falls to the Babylonians, ending the Kingdom of Judah. The conquerors destroy Solomon's Temple and exile the land's remaining inhabitants. Babylonian Captivity for the Jews begins.
• 586 BC: death of King Ding of Zhou, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China
• 28 May 585 BC: A solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Thales, while Alyattes is battling Cyaxares. This leads to a truce. This is one of the cardinal dates from which other dates can be calculated.
• 585 BC/584 BC: Astyages succeeds Cyaxares as King of the Medes.
• 585 BC: King Jian of Zhou becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty.
• 583 BC: The Babylonians begin a siege against Tyre.
• 582 BC: Pythian Games founded at Delphi (traditional date).
• 580 BC: Cambyses I succeeds Cyrus I as King of Anshan and head of the Achaemenid dynasty (approximate date).
• 580 BC: Isthmian Games founded at Corinth (traditional date)

560s BC

Croesus on the pyre, Attic red-figure amphora

Faravahar, a symbol of Zoroastrianism in Persepolis

• 568 BC: Amtalqa succeeds his brother Aspelta as King of Kush.
• 562 BC: Amel-Marduk succeeds Nebuchadnezzar as King of Babylon.
• 560 BC: Neriglissar succeeds Amel-Marduk as King of Babylon.
• 561 BC/560 BC: Croesus becomes King of Lydia.
• 560 BC: Pisistratus seizes the Acropolis of Athens and declares himself tyrant. He is deposed in the same year.

530s BC

Tomb of Cyrus in Pasargadae

• 539 BC: Babylon is conquered by Cyrus the Great, defeating Nabonidus.
• 538 BC: Return of some Jews from Babylonian exile who build the Second Temple about fifty years after the destruction of the First Temple, from 520 BC–516 BC.
• 537 BC: Jews transported to Babylon are allowed to return to Jerusalem, bringing to a close the Babylonian captivity.
• 536 BC: According to tradition, the Biblical prophet Daniel receives an angelic visit from the archangel Gabriel.^[2]
• 534 BC: Lucius Tarquinius Superbus becomes King of Rome.
• 534 BC: Competitions for tragedy are instituted at the City Dionysia festival in Athens.
• 530 BC: Cambyses II succeeds Cyrus as King of Persia.

520s BC

Gautama Buddha

• 528 BC: Gautama Buddha attains Enlightenment, and begins his ministry. He founds Buddhism in India. It becomes a major world religion.
• 526 BC: Psammetichus III succeeds Amasis II as King of Egypt.
• 525 BC: Cambyses II, ruler of Persia, conquers Egypt, defeating Psammetichus III. This is considered the end of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty, and the start of the Twenty-seventh Dynasty.
• 522 BC: Smerdis succeeds Cambyses II as ruler of Persia.
• 522 BC: Babylon rebels against Persian rule.
• 521 BC: Darius I succeeds Smerdis as ruler of Persia.
• 521 BC: The Babylonian rebellion against Persian rule is suppressed
• 520 BC: King Dao of Zhou becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China but dies before the end of the year
• 520 BC: Cleomenes I succeeds Anaxandridas II as King of Sparta (approximate date)

510s BC

Image of Laozi

• 519 BC: King Jing of Zhou becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
• 516 BC: Indian subcontinent—Occupation of Punjab is completed by the Achaemenid King Darius I.
• 12 March 515 BC: Construction is completed on the Temple in Jerusalem.
• 514 BC: King Helü of Wu establishes the "Great City of Helü", the ancient name for Wuxi, as his capital in China.
• 513 BC: Darius the Great subdues the Getae and east Thrace in his war against the Scythians.
• 512 BC: The Kingdom of Macedonia, under King Amyntas I, becomes a vassal state to the Achaemenid Empire.
• 510 BC: Hippias, son of Pisistratus and tyrant of Athens, is expelled by a popular revolt supported by Cleomenes I, King of Sparta and his forces.
• 510 BC: End of reign of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, last King of the traditional seven Kings of Rome.
• 510 BC: Establishment of the Roman Republic.
• 510 BC: Demaratus succeeds Ariston as King of Sparta (approximate date).

Inventions, discoveries, introductions

• The earliest operation for treating Lithiasis treatment is given in Sushruta Samhita(India).
• First archaeological surveys of the Arabian peninsula by Babylonian King Nabonidus
• Cataract surgery was known to Indian Physician Sushruta.
• Sunshu Ao (孫叔敖), China's first hydraulic engineer, creates an enormous artificial reservoir by damming a river for a massive irrigation project while employed in the service of King Zhuang of Chu (died 591 BC)
• Lost-wax casting is spread to Ancient Greece
• The oldest surviving map of the world, the Imago Mundi, is made in Babylon.

Sovereign States

See: List of sovereign states in the 6th century BC.

References