The sixth century BC was a turning point in world history. Though mighty conquerers like Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and Darius of Persia were expanding their boundaries, dictatorships were on the decline and democratic freedom in Europe was on the rise. The gods of the Assyrian Empire could not protect them from the fall of mighty Nineveh in 612 BC. Babylon was at this time the greatest city in the world, but they too would fall just as memories of the pharaohs of Egypt had become faded. Roman law was codified and the Republic was established toward the latter part of the sixth century BC. In the Greek territories the people were forced to become self sufficient, they lived in a very rocky terrain and it was difficult for any dictator to conquer it, so freedom and independence were in the heart of the Greek people. It is also important to note that many of the great religions of the world were born during the sixth century BC. The sixth century BC indeed saw powerful conquerors, expanding new religions, and a yearning for freedom, yet the world was being fashioned by the hand of the One who controls the destiny of mankind. The world was being prepared for the "fullness of time" in which God would send the Savior who would conquer the world through love, and deliver an everlasting message of freedom that would truly change the world.
B.C.
600 The Etruscans establish cities stretching from northern to central Italy.
600 At an unknown time the Persian people migrate from central Asia) to s. Iran
600 Greeks establish city-states along the s. coast of Italy and the island of Sicily.
600 Etruscan kings rule over Rome
600 Last Greek monarchies at Argos, Sparta, and Thera
600 Earliest known use of iron in China
598 Jehoichin (Jeconiah) becomes king of Judah till 597
597 Zedekiah (Mattaniah) becomes king of Judah till 587
594 Athen's laws reformed by Solon, the only Archon of Athens
593 Ezekiel is a prophet of Judah till 573
587 Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylonia sacks Jerusalem
587 Judah becomes a province of Babylonia
586 Exile of the Jews to Babylon
586 Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylonia conquers Phoenicia
586 Obadiah is a prophet in Judah
582 Birth of Pythagoras, Greek philosopher and mathematician
581 Nebuchadnezzar II burns Jerusalem
580 Nebuchadnezzar II builds the hanging gardens of Babylon
566 Birth of Prince Siddhartha Gautama who later became known as the Buddha
560 Croesus of Lydia subjugates Greek Ionian colonies
551 Birth of Confucius (K'ung Fu-tzu, the Chinese philosopher
550 Lao-tse founds Taoism in China
559 Cyrus the Great of Parsa rebels against the Medes and founds the Persian Empire
550 Persia conquers the Medes
547 Persians conquers Lydia, the battle of Sardis, and move through Asia Minor
543 Bimbisara expands his territories and introduces new administration
540 Vardhamana (Mahavira Jina) the ascetic founds Jainism
540 Peistratus the tyrant takes control of Athens
539 Greeks defeat the Carthaginians
539 Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylonia
539 Cyrus the Great allows the Jews to return to Judah (a Persian province)
539 Cyrus the Great absorbs Phoenicia into the Persian Empire
539 Fables of Aesop
534 Tarquinius Superbus (the proud), becomes the last king of Rome
533 Gandhara becomes a Satrap to the Achaemenid Empire of Persia
530 Cyrus conquers all of Asia Minor
530 Cyrus dies in battle
530 Cambyses (son of Cyrus) becomes ruler of Persia
525 Egypt conquered by the Persians
525 Persian empire extends from India to Asia Minor
522 Darius I puts down a rebellion in Persia and becomes king
521 Darius I divides the Empire into 20 provinces (satrapies)
520 The temple in Jerusalem building projects resumed
520 Haggai is a prophet in Judah till 515
520 Zechariah is a prophet in Judah till 515
519 Birth of Xerxes, future king of Persia
519 Pythagoras a Greek philosopher (so called demigod) introduces the octave in music
510 Reforms are introduced in Athens by Cleisthenes and introduces Democracy in Athens
509 Tarquinius Superbus, the last Etruscan king, is cast out of Rome
509 Birth of the Roman Republic, Etruscan rule ends
509 Nebuchadnezzar II builds the Hanging Gardens
509 Many wars with Rome and other inhabitants of Italy (the Etruscans and the Greeks).
508 Lars Porsena (Etruscan ruler) attacks Rome and loses at the Tiber bridge
507 Spartans try to restore the Aristocracy in Athens but Cleisthenes is given power
500 Germanic peoples of northern Europe expand their territories