Editing 540s BC

{{Short description|Decade}}
This article concerns the period '''549 BC – 540 BC'''.
{{Decadebox BC|54}}

==Events and trends==
* [[546 BC]]—[[Croesus]], Lydian king, is defeated by [[Cyrus the Great|Cyrus]] of [[Achaemenid Empire|Persia]] near the [[Halys River|River Halys]].
* 546 BC—Cyrus of Persia completes his conquest of [[Lydia]], and makes [[Pasargadae]] his [[capital (political)|capital]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Jarzombek |first1=Mark M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HL2I_t_ZyQoC |title=A Global History of Architecture |last2=Prakash |first2=Vikramaditya |date=4 October 2011 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-0-470-90248-6 |page=117 |language=en}}</ref>
* 546 BC—Cyrus establishes a garrison in [[Sardis]] and incorporates the [[Greece|Greek]] cities of [[Ionia]] in [[Asia Minor]] into [[Achaemenid Empire|Persian Empire]]. Thus he gains the important ports that look out to the [[Mediterranean]] world.
* 546 BC—[[Peisistratos (Athens)|Pisistratus]], supported by [[Ancient Thebes (Boeotia)|Thebes]] and [[Argos, Peloponnese|Argos]], finally takes power in [[Athens]] from the [[Aristocracy (class)|aristocratic party]] and imposes a moderate tyranny, respect, and even imposing against the oligarchy, the laws of Solon and leaving intact the magistracy (he "merely" to save his family). The same year Pisistratus cut taxes, grants of land and resources to the poor and caters for sick and old. It unifies the Attica, extending the influence of Athens, resuming [[Sigeion]], who commanded the entrance of the Hellespont (Dardanelles), and acquires Taurica (Crimea).
* 546 BC—[[Sparta]] and [[Argos, Peloponnese|Argos]] fight the [[Battle of the 300 Champions]]. Both sides had agreed beforehand to resolve their dispute with just 300 picked men on each side, in the end just one Spartan and two Argive soldiers remained alive. Both sides claimed victory.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Bury |first1=John Bagnell |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_cnUAAAAMAAJ |title=The Cambridge Ancient History ... |last2=Charlesworth |first2=Martin Percival |last3=Adcock |first3=Frank Ezra |last4=Baynes |first4=Norman Hepburn |date=1925 |publisher=The University Press |isbn=978-0-521-04493-6 |page=569 |language=en}}</ref>
* 546 BC—The architect [[Eupalinos]] of [[Megara]] built aqueducts that supply water to Athens.
* 546 BC—The peace conference between the kingdoms in [[China]]. A treaty between [[Jin (Chinese state)|Jin]], [[Chu (state)|Chu]] and some other kingdoms was signed.
* 546 BC—A coup d'état in [[Qi (Shandong)|Qi]] kingdom.
* [[544 BC]]—People of [[Teos]] migrate to [[Abdera, Thrace]] to escape the control of [[Iran|Persia]].
* 544 BC—[[King Jing of Zhou (Ji Gui)|King Jing]] becomes king of the [[Zhou dynasty]] of [[China]].
* [[543 BC]]—[[North Indian]] [[Prince]] [[Vijaya of Sri Lanka|Vijaya]] invades [[Ceylon]] and establishes a [[Sri Lanka]]n dynasty.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Deme |first=Jacob |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dYZsEAAAQBAJ |title=A Boy From Serendib: A Novelized Memoir: Part 1 - Coming of Age |date=12 October 2019 |publisher=Jacob Deme |isbn=978-1-6934-6430-0 |page=3 |language=en}}</ref>
* 543 BC—[[Peisistratos (Athens)|Pisistratus]], [[tyrant]] of [[Athens]], purifies the island of [[Delos]] (approximate date).
* 543 BC—Guided by the [[China|Chinese]] statesman [[Zi Chan]], the [[Zheng (state)|State of Zheng]] institutes a formal [[code of law]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Zhu |first=Yi-ting |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FH0xEAAAQBAJ |title=A Panoramic History of Traditional Chinese Ethics |date=2021-06-02 |publisher=Springer Nature |isbn=978-981-16-1252-7 |page=45 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[540 BC]]—Cyrus attacks [[Babylonia]].
* 540 BC—[[Ancient Greece|Greek]] city of [[Velia|Elea]] of [[southern Italy]] founded (approximate date).
* 540 BC—Persians conquer [[Lycia|Lycian]] city of [[Xanthos]] now in southern [[Turkey]] (approximate date).
* c. 540 BC—[[Amasis Painter]] makes [[Dionysos]] with [[maenad]]s, black-figure decoration on an [[amphora]]. It is now at [[Bibliotheque Nationale de France]], [[Paris]].
* c. 540 BC—[[Exekias]] makes ''The Suicide of [[Ajax the great|Ajax]]'', black-figure decoration on an [[amphora]]. It is now at [[Chateau-Musee]], [[Boulogne-sur-Mer]], [[France]].

==Significant people==
* [[549 BC]]—Birth of [[Darius I]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tucker |first=Spencer C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AuTNEAAAQBAJ |title=500 Great Military Leaders [2 volumes]: [2 volumes] |date=16 December 2014 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-1-59884-758-1 |page=185 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[547 BC]]—Death of [[Croesus]]?
* [[546 BC]]—Death of [[Anaximander]], [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] [[philosopher]] (approximate date)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gregory |first=Andrew |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7TE0CwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Anaximander%22+%22546%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA1 |title=Anaximander: A Re-assessment |date=25 February 2016 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-1-4725-0625-2 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[545 BC]]—Death of [[Zhou ling wang]], king of the [[Zhou dynasty]] of [[China]]
* [[544 BC]]—Birth of [[Sun Tzu]]
* [[543 BC]]—Death of [[Gautama Buddha]] (traditional in [[Thailand]] and elsewhere—basis of the [[Thai solar calendar]])
* 543 BC—Death of [[Thales]], [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] [[philosopher]]
* [[540 BC]]—[[Amyntas I of Macedon|Amyntas I]] becomes king of [[Macedon]]ia (approximate date)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Thomas |first=Carol G. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eIkBCMnAARsC |title=Alexander the Great in His World |date=15 April 2018 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-4051-7828-0 |page=58 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Amasis Painter]], [[Greece|Greek]] [[Painting|painter]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:540s Bc}}
[[Category:540s BC| ]]