=469.= [E] Birth of Socrates.

=468.= [E] Democracy triumphs in the cities of Sicily.

=466.= Naval victory of the Greeks, under Cimon, over the Persians at Eurymedon.  B.C. 470 Cimon had reduced Eion, after a gallant defence by Boges, the Persian governor, who, rather than surrender, cast all his gold and silver into the river Strymon, raised a huge pile of wood, and on it placed the bodies of his wives, children, and slaves—­all of whom he had slain—­then, having set fire thereto, he flung himself into the flames and perished.

The Revolt of Naxos crushed by Cimon during the expedition against the
Persians.

Fall of the tyrants at Syracuse.

=465.= Murder of Xerxes I, by Artabanus, captain of his guard; accession of Artaxerxes I to the Persian throne.

=464.= Sparta destroyed by an earthquake which shook the whole of Laconia, opened great chasms in the ground, rolled down huge masses from the peaks of Taygetus, and threw Sparta into a heap of ruins.  Not more than five houses are said to have remained standing.  Twenty thousand persons lost their lives by the shock.  The flower of the Spartan youth was slain by the overthrow of the building in which they were exercising.

=464-455.= The Messenian helots rise against the Spartans, taking advantage of the confusion caused by the earthquake.  This was the beginning of the third Messenian war.

=463.= Mycenae is reduced by the Argives, who enslave or drive away its inhabitants.

=460.= Birth of Hippocrates, in the island of Cos, who became known as the “Father of Medicine.”

=458.= [E] Jews return from Babylonia to Jerusalem, under Ezra.

Esther, the Jewess, pleases King Ahasuerus and is made queen in place of Vashti.  This was the origin of the Jewish festival of Purim, celebrated on the 14th and 15th of the month Adar (March).

Beginning of the Long Walls of Athens; built to protect the communication of the city with its port.  One, four miles long, ran to the harbor of Phalerum, and others, four and one-half miles long, to the Piraeus.

=457.= Beginning of war of Corinth, Sparta, and AEgina with Athens:  Battle of Tanagra, in which the Athenians were defeated.

=456.= Athenian victory at OEnophyta; the Boeotians defeated by Myronides, who also secures the submission of Phocis and Locris.

=455.= End of the third Messenian war.

=451.= Ion of Chios, historian and tragedian, exhibits his first drama.

[E] Date uncertain.

END OF VOLUME I

[Illustration]

[Illustration:  The Sabine women—­now mothers—­suing for peace between the combatants (their Roman husbands and their Sabine relations).

Painting by Jacques L. David]

[Illustration:  Sphinx with Great and Second Pyramids of Gizeh

From an original photograph.]