See also: List of centuries , Roman numerals

The ^fifth century BC. BC starts on January ^1, -500 and ends on December 31 -401.

• Cooling between -500 and -100. Advancing glaciers of Greenland , the Alps , of Sweden , to Iceland , from New Zealand and Patagonia between -500 and -300.

Africa

Nok sculpture of civilization

• Peak of the Nok civilization in Nigeria ( -500 / -200 ).
  • In 1943 , miners discovered tin at Nok terracotta statuettes of great beauty and an undeniable unity of style, most of whom are heads or characters. We discover with them traces of iron industry dating back to around -500 for the oldest. A little later were exhumed a dozen blast furnaces that were used to melt ores (Tarouga, -460 ).

Americas

• Ritual destruction of the city Olmec of La Venta (-500 / -400 ). The Epi-Olmecs to succeed the 0lmques Tres Zapotes.

• Zapotec civilization. Established in the current state of Oaxaca , the Zapotec build over two hundred cities.
• Temple Danzantes (dancers) at Monte Alban , a vast flat-topped mound flanked by over 150 tiles depicting naked men figured in strange postures, as if they were dancing or swimming.

Europe

Greek World

• This is the Age of Pericles. Athens reached its peak economic, intellectual, artistic and military. After the Median wars , Athens created the Delian League with its allies. But after the long Peloponnesian War , Athens lost its military power permanently. At the height of its population , the city is home to nearly 400 000 people, including 300,000 slaves and 50,000 metics (including women and children).
• In the fifth ^century,Thessaly is divided into four regions (tetrads): the Thessaliotide the Fthiotida , the Plasgiotide and Hestiaotide. Each is headed by a polemarch have quotas provided by 150 constituencies ( klroi ). In case of war, one leader (tagos), may be appointed. But divisions between the great aristocratic families undermine this system.
  • Thessalian society is divided between free men Perioikoi (statements which are true but are subject to tribute) and penestae. These are perhaps the philistines who had not migrated in Boeotia during the invasion of the country by Thessaly and enslaved. They are attached to the land and sold at the same time as the domain. They will be released progressively during the fourth and ^third century BC. AD
  • The population of Thessaly is estimated at 330,000 or 370,000 people. Agricultural output can feed them and export the surplus wheat. The plains are suitable for livestock, including horses.

Do not forget that Pericles was very important and has made many changes during the 5th century. Indeed, he was elected 15 times governor of the city of Athens.

Roman World

• Latin League against Etruscans , Volscians and Aequi led Tusculum (thirty cities including Alva, Tusculum, Aricia, Tiber , Caro, Ardea, Pometia, Lavinium Fidenae, Lanuvium Praeneste later ...). His federal center is the fountain of the goddess Ferentina the territory of Aricia. Rome refused at first to recognize it.

• The Samnites (people Sabellian) settled in the Sannio, Italy. The Iapyges , coming from Illyria , settled south-east of Italy.

Spain

• Multiplication of the treasures of torques and Celtic fortified sites in central and western Spain from -500. Massive sculptures, Celtiberian say, come from these forts, they are wild boars, bulls and warriors hieratic holding a shield and wearing a wreath.

World Celtic

• The Greek geographer Hecataeus ( -548 / -475 ) mentions for the first time the Celts in the sixth ^centuryBC. AD
• Reign of Ambigatos king of Bituriges in Gaul. Legend has it that then owned Bituriges have hegemony over the Celts of Gaul. Ambigatos their king, desiring to avoid overcrowding in his kingdom, decided to send his nephews Bellovesus Sgovse and settle in places that the gods assign. At Sgovse, the oracle tells the Hercynian forest; Bellovesus in the direction of Italy.

Map of the Gauls (click to enlarge)

• Installing Gaul in Gaul : Allobroges (-VII - VI ^century,Grenoble , Vienna and Geneva ), Andcaves ( Angers ), Arverni ( Gergovie ) Aulerci ( Eburovices in Evreux , Cenomani at Le Mans and in the Po valley, Brannovices at Brienne ) Bituriges (Cubi in Bourges , Vivisci to Bordeaux ), Boii (in Bologna , Italy and Bohemia ⁱⁿ the fifth century, and then hunted by Marcomanni in the ^first century in Pannonia , in Bordeaux and in the Allier ) Cadurci ( Cahors , Uxellodunum ) Carnutes ( Chartres , Orleans ), Coriosolites (Cte d'Armor), AEdui ( Bibracte , Chalon-sur-Saone , Macon , Nevers ), Gabali ( Gevaudan ) Lemovices ( Limousin ), Lingones ( Langres ) Lexovii ( Caen ), Mandubii ( Morvan ), Namnetes ( Nantes ), Osismii ( Finistere North) Parisii ( Paris ), Ptrocoriens ( Perigord ), Rauraci (northern Jura ) Redones ( Rennes ), Ruteni ( Rodez ) Salyens ( Provence ), Santon ( Saints ), Senonian ( Sens ), Sequani ( Besanon ), Tricasses ( Troyes ), Turones ( Tours ), Unelli ( Cotentin ) Veneti ( Vannes and Veneto since the first millennium), Voconces ( Dauphine ) Volces ( Arcomiques to Narbonne , Tectosages to Toulouse and NW of Galatia ).

• On the left bank of the Rhine, in the hills of the Hunsrck and the Eifel , a group of Celts is distinguished by its dynamism and conservatism (late sixth-mid ^fourth century). The concentration of rich graves is the largest for its time, often grouped under mounds, and sometimes in conjunction with fortified settlements. The princes are buried according to the rite of the ancient Celts. Torques, bracelets, brooches, gold waist features, tank bronze or iron, abound. The same civilization flourished in Bohemia , where the fortified towns, as Zavist, are built or rebuilt.
  • Princely burials provide women remains startling: that of Bad Drkheim ⁱⁿ the fifth century (tripod Stamos and Etruscan gold bracelet and torques) of Reinheim (early ^fourth century), of Waldalgesheim (late ^fourth century).

Germanic World

• Appearance of Frisians , came from Germany to Northern Netherlands. Faced with rising water, they settled on artificial hills, the terpenes , defense sites, housing and storage, which are the center of a complex economy based on herding, fishing, trade Marine and operation of sea salt.

Russia

• The agglomeration of Kamenskoi , north of the Black Sea, has a walled area of more than 8 sq km in area. It is occupied without interruption the fifth to the ^second century BC. AD

Asia

China

• In China , the emergence of the 7 kingdoms that fought over 280 years ( -403 to -221 ), until the final victory of TSCHINE (Qin) and the unification of China in 221 BC. AD
• Construction of defensive walls (Changcheng) in the states of Chu and Qi, dams, dikes and canals to irrigate and contain floods.

• From the fifth to ^third century BC. BC, the landscape and natural conditions of China are experiencing rapid and complete: huge areas of forest are cleared, drained, seeded and irrigated frequently. Cropland come to touch the borders of the kingdoms. The population of China to the basin of the Yangtze is growing rapidly despite bloody wars. The cities are expanding their walls, are peopled and surrounded by a second fortified walls.

Southeast Asia

• Achieving the bronze drums of Dong Son ( Vietnam North).

• Colonization of Ceylon by Indo-European tribes (Sinhalese) came from the valleys of the Ganges and the Indus.

• Appearance of the first major cities in India , as Kausambi or Rajagriha , extending over two square kilometers. Baked brick to be used again (Kausambi walls).

• Taxila and Charsadda are becoming important commercial cities in India. They provide translation of Persian influence, and Hellenistic.
• Visiting many sites of Northern India with a black glazed ceramic (-500 / -100 ).

Central Asia

• The expansion of livestock gradually disintegrating family in favor of the patriarchal family in Mongolia.
  • Archaeological sources from the ^fifth-third century BCE indicate that breeding is so widespread in Mongolia, the grasslands of the valleys of the Orkhon and Kerulen (rings snouts and bronze tools in connection with livestock, jewelry designed to adorn the animals, remains of bones of horses, cattle, sheep and goat). The mountains abound with game. Primitive agriculture is evidenced by mortars and grinders bronze.
  • Rock drawings illustrating the expansion of farming hunters, shepherds driving their flocks, stylized tanks.

• Steles deer Mongolia : stone pillars on the sides of which are represented groups of deer drawn up and crowned with a stylized sun disk ^(fifth-third century).

• Kurgan of Pazyryk in the Altai : trolley wheel, wall hangings of felt, bits and bridles, saddle pads embroidered silk, carved wooden objects. The tumulus 2 contains the corpse of a head covered with tattoos, with bronze mirrors from China.

Middle East

• From ^fifth to ^fourth century BC. BC , thanks to the freedoms that prevail in the Persian Empire, Judea and Samaria become more successful. Jews restore Jerusalem (rebuilt in 445 BC. ) and Temple (rebuilt from 516 BC. ). The high priest of Jerusalem was named director of the Persian province of Judea , which made it a theocracy.
• Writing the Book of Malachi in the early ^fifth century (Anonymous). The last of the " prophets "in the biblical tradition.
• Writing the Book of Job ^(mid-fifth century BC.)
• Writing the Book of Jonah ^(fifth century and ^fourth century).

Significant Figures

• Pericles (Athenian, v. 495 to 429 BC. ) Historians call it the ^fifth century BC. AD "the century of Pericles."
• Socrates (Athenian, around -469 to -399 ) is considered the founder of the philosophy Western. It is known from the works of his disciple Plato.
• Archelaus of Miletus , Timaeus , philosophers of the Ionian school. Zeno of Elea , Melissus of Samos , Timon the misanthrope, philosophers.
• Protagoras of Abdera , Prodikos Kea, Hippias of Elis, Antiphon the Athenian Aklidamas , Gorgias , Tracymachos , Kallikratis , Kritias , philosophers, sophists installed in Athens.
• Meton , Athenian astronomer.
• Philolaus , Pythagorean astronomer and philosopher.
• Mnesicles , architect.
• Alcamenes ,
• Callimachus ,
• Calamis ,
• Myron , Polykleitos , Phidias , sculptor.
• Polygnotus , Parrhasius , Zeuxis , painters.
• Brygos , Douris , vase painters.
• Corinna , a poet and teacher of Pindar.
• Cratinus , Crates , Athenian comic poets.
• Tragic Phrynichus the Athenian tragic poet.
• Bacchylides of Ceos , the poet.
• Panyasis , epic poet.
• Ctesias , historian and physician of Cyrus and Artaxerxes II.

Inventions, Discoveries, Introductions

Asia

• Blacksmiths use Chinese large-scale process of melting iron to produce huge quantities of weapons and tools, which will allow to significantly increase the productivity of agricultural lands and allow the development of cities and towns.
• In China, early use of money initially with the use of swords and knives miniature bronze bearing an inscription indicating their origin.
• Grains of coriander from Asia found in the southern kurgans Pazyryk.
• Use of iron in the center of Siam.
• Wet cultivation of rice in Japan.
• The Persians acclimate new species food (rice, peach, apricot ...) in West Asia.

Europe

• Adoption of the Greek alphabet with vowels and reading from left to right.
• In Greece , the concept of atom germ among philosophers Presocratics.
• Developed by the Corinthians of the trireme, warship with three rows of oarsmen.
• Improving techniques in Greece (-500 / -300 ): traction, stereotomy, mining, architecture, sculpture, urban, music, etc..
• The wine , shipped as a concentrated flavor in amphoras, replaces the mead in the traditional Celtic ceremony of the symposium. Traces are present in the bottom of the gourd Prince of Hallein. Dinner of Greek and Etruscan (oinochoe) are used during the festive meal and princely funeral.

Africa

• First copper smelting in sub-Saharan Africa ( Niger and Mali ).

Americas

• First hieroglyphic inscription at Monte Albn , in Mexico.

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• Portal of the ancient world

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