(Redirected from 481 BCE)
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Events
By place
Persian Empire
★ The Persian King
Xerxes I arrives at
Sardis and begins to build up his great army and navy for the invasion of
Greece.
Egypt contributes 481 ships.
Greece
★ The
Congress at the Isthmus of Corinth, under the presidency of
Sparta, bring together a number of the Greek city states, who agree to the end of the war between
Athens and
Aegina. They also discuss the threat from the
Persians. Athens is unwilling to place her forces under Sparta and its King Leonidas.
Gelon,
tyrant of
Syracuse, wants high command, but Sparta and Athens refuse. However, during the Congress, Gelon has to withdraw due to
Carthage's plans to invade
Sicily. Finally, Themistocles agrees that Athens' navy serve under a Spartan admiral to achieve the unity of the Greek states. Nevertheless,
Thebes and
Thessaly are unwilling to support Athens against the Persians and
Crete decides to remain neutral.
China
★ The
Spring and Autumn Period, which has begun in
722 BC, ends, while the
Warring States officially begins in
403 BC.
Births
★
Protagoras,
Greek presocratic philosopher (d. c.
420 BC)
Deaths
★
Sima Niu, the highest ranking
aristocrat among disciples of
Confucius