HISTORY OF THE WORLD
This chronology lists several of the events in mythology
and legend with known events in history along with several events of topical
interest.
- The
Hyborian Age (according to Robert Howard, this age occurs between the Ice Age
and the beginning of written history.)
- c.
4004 BC (?) - Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden
- c.
3100 Estimated construction of Stonehenge in Wales. Its components are
excavated from the Preseli Hills, 240 miles distant from its present
location.
- 2690
King Khufu (Cheops) begins construction of the Great Pyramid
- c.
2500 Construction of the pyramids begins in Egypt.
- Cronus
imprisons his children in Tartarus (Later legends erroneously claims he
swallows them and that they survived inside him until released.)
- Zeus
is born on Mount Ida in Crete. His birth is kept a secret from Cronus and
minor goddesses raise Zeus in secret.
- Metis
is the first wife of Zeus.
- Zeus
learns his destiny to conquer Olympus. He seduces and takes Themis,
Mnemosyne, Dione and Eurynome as wives.
- Zeus
frees his siblings from Tartarus.
- Zeus
seduces Demeter and Hera.
- c.
2404 Biblical Noah/Utnapishtim and his family survive the flood in an ark.
Zeus conquers Olympus and takes Hera as his queen; Cronus flees into
exile. Zeus and his brothers cast lots for the world as Poseidon inherits
the oceans and Hades takes over Tartarus with his kingdom centered and
named for himself.
- Hera
drives Zeuss other wives from Olympus. Leto flees to the island of Delos,
Metis for Libya and Dione for Cythera.
- Apollo
and Artemis born from Leto with Eileithyia as midwife.
- Ares
(Aphneius) is born to Zeus and Hera on Olympus.
- Aphrodite
born on Cythera (later legends claim she sprang from the ocean).
- Ares
and Hephaestus are young gods as their half-sister, Athena, daughter of
Zeus and Metis arrives at Olympus with the secret to the headaches, which
Zeus is suffering (Later legends erroneously claim she sprung from his
head).
- Hephaestus
remains humble, seeking to tinker as a blacksmith god. Zeus accuses Hera
of infidelity under the belief that Hephaestus is not his son. In the
scuffle, they blindly knock the young smith god from Olympus. He lands in
the sea near Lemnos and nursed from his injuries to full health by the
Nereids.
- c.
2395 BC Gilgamesh reigns as King of Ur
- Inanna/Aphrodite
tries to tempt Gilgamesh, but he spurns her advantages.
- As a
young god, Hermes steals the cattle of Apollo and sacrifices one to the
gods counting himself among them. Apollo backs Hermes acceptance into the
pantheon.
- c.
2190 Shi Huang Ti, first ruler of unified China, begins construction of the
Great Wall of China using prisoners of war as slave labor.
- c.
2000 The Ancient Greeks begin worshipping the Olympian Pantheon as gods.
Some of the Olympian Immortals begin choosing their favorite cities as
centers of their worship.
- Inachos
arbitrates Argos to Hera instead of Poseidon. His riverbed is dried up in
retaliation.
- Phoroneus
founds Phoronea.
- Pelasgus,
son of Inachos, becomes leader of the Pelasgians.
- c.
1900 - The first Battle of Magh Tureidh in Ireland between the Tuatha de
Danaan and the Fomore
- c.
1700 The Milesians conquer Eire from the Tuatha de Danaan
- c.
1600 - Zeus seduces Io, daughter of Inachos, but transforms her into a cow
to conceal the infidelity. Her sister, Mycene, marries Arestor, founder of
Mycenae.
- Hera
has Argus guard Io, but he is slain by Hermes. Io flees to her father,
Inachos, the river-god, who barely recognizes her. She flees to Egypt and
gives birth to Epaphus.
- Young
Epaphus is friend of Phaethon, son of Helios. Phaethon travels to his
father for proof he is his son. He scorches the Earth trying to maneuver
Helioss sun chariot and is knocked out of the sky by Zeus.
- c.
1585 Epaphus/Apepi reigns as King of Egypt.
- c.
1575 - Apis succeeds Phoroneus, king of Argos.
- Hephaestus
is welcomed back to Olympus by Hera. He creates thunderbolts for Zeus and
jewelry for Hera.
- Prometheus
steals fire to give to mortals, but is chained to the Caucasus Mountains
as punishment.
- Hephaestus
creates Pandora and Hera brings her to life to bring misfortune to mortal man
for accepting fire.
- Pandora
opens a jar she was warned to never open and a hive of demons are released
spawning evil in mortal man from it.
- Prometheus
warns Deucalion to build an ark.
- 1470
BC Thera/Atlantis explodes. The resulting flood washes away the earth.
Athens is flooded during the reign of King Cecrops believing it is
punishment for accepting Athena as their matron goddess over Poseidon.
Celtic Noah and his family survive in an ark as does Deucalion whose
father had a premonition of the disaster. Pelasgus, King of Arcadia and
heir to Argos, survives the flood.
- Greek
armies invade Phoenicia. Aphrodite joins the Olympian pantheon after an
existence as Ishtar of the Phoenician gods. Zeus seduces the Phoenician
princess Europa and takes her to Crete.
- Sons
of Japeth, the son of Noah, conquer Eire and Britain. Rivals of the native
Celtic gods, they become ancestors to the kings of Eire and Britain.
- c.
1465 Danaus and his daughters are received by King Galanor of Argos.
They claim Argos as ancestors of Io.
- 1462
Eight years after the flood, Cadmus founds Thebes by conquering the
indigenous Hyantes and Aonian tribes and slaying a dragon sacred to Ares.
- c.
1459 Hades abducts Persephone in the reign of King Celeus of Eleusis.
- 1454
Eight years after killing the dragon, Cadmus becomes king of Thebes.
- c.
1440 Zeus seduces Semele, daughter of Cadmus. Hera places doubts in her
of whether Zeus is her lover and she dies by accident when he calls upon
lightning to prove his identity. Zeus removes his son Dionysus from her to
spare his life and gives him to the Maenads, lesser goddesses to nurse to
health.
- 1420
Aethlius founds Elis fifty years after the flood.
- 1419
After a long reign, Cadmus supplanted by Pentheus.
- c.
1395 The city of Jericho in Ancient Palestine falls under forces
controlled by Israelite leader Joshua. All its inhabitants are massacred
and the city is cursed.
- 1379
Pentheus is deposed by Dionysus. Polydorus, his brother-in-law and son of
Cadmus, succeeds him.
- 1363 BC
During the Ming Dynasty, the Great Wall of China is restored after it is
nearly destroyed by Mongolian occupation.
- As an
adult, Dionysus joins the Olympian Pantheon.
- Hephaestus
discovers Aphrodite has been unfaithful with Ares and reveals the affair
to the gods. He lays his bad marriage on the fault of Hera and builds a
throne that imprisons her. Dionysus gets him drunk to release her.
- 1364
On Polydoruss death, Nycteus becomes regent for Labdacus, son of
Polydorus.
- 1338
Labdacus rules briefly before his death. Lycus, brother of Nycteus, is
regent for his son Laius.
- 1318
After twenty years, Lycus overthrown by Amphion, grandson of Nycteus.
Laius is sent to the court of King Pelops of Pisa.
- 1304
Laius hurries home to claim the throne after deaths of Amphion and Zethus.
- Zeus
seduces Danae in the reign of King Acrisius of Argos. An oracle reveals
her son will depose him and Acrisius casts her into the sea.
- Oedipus
born to Laius and Jocasta, but a prophecy claims he will depose his
father. Oedipus is exposed on a mountain and raised by farmers.
- c.
1290 Perseus leaves Argos to his cousin Megapenthes after the death of
King Acrisius. He rebuilds the walls of Mycenae.
- Laius
killed by Oedipus at Delphi. Jocasta names her brother Creon as regent.
- Perseus
succeeded by his son Electryon.
- 1276,
October 31 Hercules born in Thebes during the earlier reign of King
Creon, brother of Jocasta. He loses his claim to throne of Mycenae to his
cousin, Eurystheus.
- 1261
Theseus born in Troezen.
- 1256
Twenty years old, Hercules marries Megaera, daughter of Creon.
- Oedipus
slays the Sphinx and becomes King of Thebes.
- c.
1255 Oedipus learns that Jocasta is his mother and blinds himself. He
abdicates and places Eteocles and Polyneices on the throne.
- 1250
Philistine armies from Caphtor (Crete) invade Gerar (Palestine). The
Philistines are rumored to be descendants of the Pelasgians.
- Eteocles
banishes Polyneices who raises an army in Argos to retake the throne in
the reign of King Adrastus. Both brothers slay each other in battle.
Elderly Creon becomes regent for Laodamas, son of Eteocles.
- c.
1242 - Creon is murdered by Lycus, who is in turn is deposed by Hercules.
Thersander, son of Polyneices, takes the throne. Peleus and Telamon born to Aeacus and Endeis in Phthia.
- c.
1229 Peleus and Telamon join the Argonauts.
- 1223
Helen and Pollux born in Sparta to Zeus and Leda. Leda also conceives
Castor and Clytemnestra to King Tyndareus restored to the Spartan throne
by Hercules.
- c. 1220
During his tenth labor, Hercules visits Ancient Briton ruled by Albion,
son of Poseidon.
- 1211
Helen (12) abducted by Theseus (50).
- Hercules
rescues Theseus from the Underworld.
- 1209
Achilles born in Phthia.
- Hercules
killed through the treachery of Nessus, but restored to life by Zeus as a
god.
- 1205
Helen (18) approached by suitors.
- 1200
Achilles (9) hidden in the court of King Lycomedes of Scyros.
- 1196 -
Achilles (13) seduces Deidameia who gives him a son, Pyrrhus.
- 1194 -
The Trojan War begins. Achilles is 15 years old. King Thersander of Thebes
dies at the onset of the throne. His regent, Peneleus, dies alongside him.
- 1184
Odysseus secrets Greek soldiers inside a Wooden Horse into Troy and
successfully takes the city. Neoptolemus (Pyrrhus) (13), son of Achilles,
slays King Priam.
- Tisamenus
inherits the throne at Thebes.
- Autesion
ascends the throne of Thebes.
- Trojan
refugees from Thrace conquer lands north of Gaul. Their ancestors will
found the region of Saxony upon which modern Germany is built and conquer
Britain from the Celts, developing later the British Empire.
- c.
1114 BC Damasichthon, son of Peneleus, becomes King of Thebes.
- 1050
BC Samson, defender of the Israelites, topples the temple of Samson down
upon himself and 1000 Philistines after being betrayed by his mistress.
- 1000
David slays Goliath and becomes Ruler of Israel.
- Legendary
King Brutus, great-grandson of Aeneas, becomes founder and the first king
of Britain.
- c. 750
Romulus and Remus are the legendary founders of Rome.
- 660 BC
Jimmu Tenno, grandson of the goddess Amaterasu, begins his rule as
Emperor of Japan.
- Reign
of Queen Medb of Ireland
- c. 605
BC - King Nebuchadnezzar creates the Hanging Gardens of Babylon for his wife,
Queen Semiramis.
- c. 600
BC Athenian poet first Solon receives the story of Atlantis from
Egyptian priests.
- 468 BC
Mycenae is besieged and destroyed by inhabitants of Argos and is never
restored.
- 430 BC
A two-year plague begins in Athens.
- c. 390
BC Belinus and Brennus, legendary kings of Britain lay siege on the
Roman army and sack Rome
- c. 350
BC Plato first relates the story of Atlantis.
- 334 BC
Alexander the Great makes a sacrifice to the gods near the ruins of Troy
before his siege of Persia.
- 68 BC
Cicilian pirates introduce worship of the Eastern God Mithras to Rome.
- 49 BC
Julius Caesar becomes Ruler of Rome. He leads three expeditions trying
to seize Britain, but is defeated by Lud, King of Britain.
- c. 35
BC During the reign of Judean ruler Herod the Great, the fortifications
at Jericho are strengthened and several structures are rebuilt.
- c. 8
BC King Conchobor begins his twelve-year rein of Ancient Eire. Warrior
Cu Chulainn is born during his rule.
- 6 BC
Jesus Christ born in Bethlehem, Judea controlled by the Roman Empire. He
begins the foundation for Christianity.
- 43 BC
Emperor Claudius of Rome begins conquest of Britain, bringing an end to
the rule of legendary King Llud
- 64, July
19 AD A fire beginning in Circus Maximus claims much of Rome during the
reign of King Nero.
- 72 AD
Construction of the Roman Coliseum began under Emperor Vespasian on site
of a villa, which belonged to Nero.
- 79 AD
An eruption at Vesuvius buries Pompeii and Herculaneum.
- 80 AD
Emperor Titus dedicates the Coliseum to his father.
- 107 AD
Tarjan, Emperor of Rome, conquers Dacia (modern Romania) and makes it a
Roman province.
- c. 120
AD Hadrians Wall constructed
- c. 390
AD King Vortigern meets with Saxon leaders Hengist and Horsa,
descendants of Odin, in allowing the Saxons into Britain. He slays King
Constantine of Britain and takes the throne for himself.
- c. 395
AD Merlin commissions the moving of Stonehenge to its present location
at Salisbury.
- c. 400
AD King Gunther of Burgundy takes over land down river on the Rhine and
meets Siegfried, son of King Sigmund, of the Netherlands. In the South
Pacific, Polynesians led by Chief Hotu Matua land at Easter Island.
- Siegfried
helps Gunther win the hand of Brynhild.
- 404 AD
Last tournament held in Roman Coliseum
- 410 AD
King Arthur begins his reign as King of Britain.
- 433 AD
Attila the Hun and his armies lay siege to much of Western Europe
- 465 AD
Arthur is slain by his treacherous son, Mordred, at the Battle of
Camlann. He bequeaths Excalibur to be returned to the Lady of the Lake.
- 476 AD
The collapse of the Roman Empire
- 534 AD
Burgundy absorbed into the Frank Empire (now part of modern France).
- c. 600
AD Beowulf slays Grendel
- 613 AD
Queen Brynhilda, Visigoth Warrior Queen, controls parts of Northern
Gaul.
- 786 AD
Sindbad travels the Middle East during the reign of King Mihrjan of
Persia.
- 800 AD
Charlemagne crowned ruler of the Holy Roman Empire
- 957
King Hrothgar, future king of the Danes is born.
- 985
The Vikings build a series of small settlements along Greenland and
western North America
- 1000
AD By now, 887 statues dot Easter Island.
- Reign
of Brian Boru of Ireland
- 1100 AD
Last pagan rituals held at Stonehenge.
- 1160
AD Traditional date of birth of Robin Hood
- 1206
AD Genghis Khan rules the Mongols, leading a siege over much of Eastern
Europe
- 1456
1462 Reign of Vlad Tepes of Wallachia. A descendant of Genghis Khan, his
brutality as a ruler inspires the legend of Dracula
- 1492,
October 12 Christopher Columbus begins his exploration of the New World.
- 1600
Deforestation and lost top soil force the inhabitants of Easter Island to
depart.
- 1614
August The trial of Elizabeth Bathory, believed responsible for the
deaths of over 800 young girls
- 1850
Marie LaVeau at the height of her popularity in New Orleans
- 1888,
Summer Five prostitutes are slain in White Chapel, an area of London by
a figure known only as Jack The Ripper
- 1898
AD Heinrich Schliemann begins excavation on the site of Ancient Troy.
- 1922,
November 26 Howard Carter breaks in to the tomb of Tutankhamen. A curse
supposedly claims the majority of his archeological team.
- 1929
Archaeologist Leonard Woolley digging pits near Ur comes upon evidence of
a great flood dating back to the Second Millennium BC.
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