550s BC
This article concerns the period 559 BC – 550 BC.Events and trends
- Carthage conquers Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica.
- 559 BC—King Cambyses I of Anshan dies and is succeeded by his son Cyrus II the Great.
- 558 BC—Hegesias is removed as Archon of Athens.
- 558 BC—The Chinese state of Jin defeats its rival Qin in battle.
- 556 BC—Pisistratus is exiled from Athens to Euboea.
- 556 BC—Labashi-Marduk succeeds Neriglissar as king of Babylon.
- 556 BC—Nabonidus succeeds Labashi-Marduk as king of Babylon.
- c. 550 BC—Colonisation of Greeks ends.
- 550 BC—Abdera is destroyed by the Thracians.
- 550 BC—Mago I begins rule of Carthage.
- 550 BC—The Temple of Artemis completed in Ephesus.
- 550 BC—Cyrus II the Great overthrows Astyages of the Medes, establishing the Persian Empire.
- c. 550 BC—Temple of Hera I, Paestum, Italy, is built.
- 550 BC—Siddhartha Gautama founded Buddhism in Northern India after achieving enlightenment after six years of practicing penance and meditation.
Significant people
- 556 BC — Rule of Labashi-Marduk as king of Babylon
- 556 BC — Rule of Nabonidus as king of Babylon
- 558 BC—Death of Solon, Athenian, Statesman, Poet.
- c. 556 BC—Birth of Simonides of Ceos.
- 555 BC—Death of Stesichorus, Greek lyric poet..
- September 28, 551 BC—Birth of Confucius, philosopher.
- c. 551 BC—Commonly accepted date of the Death of Zoroaster, Founder of Zoroastrianism.
- 550 BC—Birth of Epicharmus, Greek poet.
