- 509 - Foundation of Roman republic
- 508 - reforms of Cleisthenes at Athens
- 506 - Athens defeats Chalcis and Beotians
- 490 - battle of Marathon
- 480 - Battles of Thermopylae and Salamis
- 478 - foundation of the Delian League against Persia
- 474 - Syracuse defeats Etruscans at battle of Cumae
- 461-451 - first Peloponnesian war
- 431-404 - second Peloponnesian war
- 396 - Romans capture Etruscan city of Veii
- 390 - Gauls sack Rome
- 378 - foundation the second Athenian Confederacy
- 366-360 - Satraps' Revolt from Persian King
- 359 - Philip II becomes King of Macedon
- 357 - war between Macedon and Athens; Social War between Athens and members of her confederacy (357-55)
- 340-338 - Latin War - Rome incorporates Latium and Campania
- 338 - Philip defeats Athens & Thebes
- 336-323 - reign of Alexander the Great
- 334 - Alexander crosses into Asia, conquest of Asia Minor.
- 331 - foundation of Alexandria; defeat of Darius at Gaugamela, capture of Mesopotamia, Babylon, Persepolis and Pasargadae.
- 326 - Alexander conquers Punjab, reaches Indian Ocean.
- c325 - Pytheas of Massilia's voyage to Britain
- 311 - division of Alexander's empire; foundation of Seleucid Empire and Ptolemaic Egypt.
- 310 - Romans advance into Etruria
- 303 - Seleucus cedes Indian territories to Chandragupta, founder of the Mauryan dynasty
- 279 - invasion of Macedon and Greece by Gauls
- 272 - surrender of Tarentum, Roman alliance with southern Italian Greek cities
- 298-290 - Third Samnite war
- 264-241 - First Punic War - Rome gains control of Sicily
- 228 - Rome establishes protectorate over the Illyrian coast
- 219-217 - Fourth Syrian War between Egypt and Seleucid Empire
- 218-201 - Second Punic War - Rome gains colonies in Spain
- 214-205 - first Macedonian War between Rome and Philip V
- 202-191 - Roman conquest of Cisapline Gaul
- 197-133 - wars in Spain
- 167 - defeat of Macedon; Romans order Antiochus IV out of Egypt; Maccabean revolt against Antiochus.
- 149-146 - third Carthaginian War - destruction of Carthage, Africa becomes a Roman province
- 148 - fourth Macedonian war; sack of Corinth. Macedonia becomes a Roman province.
- 141-130 - Parthians attack Seleucid Empire.
- 133 - Pergamum bequeathed to Rome; becomes province of Asia (129)
- 88-63 - Mithridatic wars. Pompey victorious; establishment of provinces of Bithynia, Cilicia, Syria, Crete.
- 82-80 - Dictatorship of Sulla
- 73-71 - slave revolt of Spartacus
- 63 - Consulate of Cicero; Catilinarian conspiracy; Caesar elected pontifex maximus
- 60 - first triumvirate - Pompey, Crassus and Caesar
- 58-49 - Caesar campaigns in Gaul
- 55-53 - Crassus campaigns in the East, killed by the Parthians at the battle of Carrhae.
- 49 - Ceasar crosses the Rubicon
- 47-44 - Dictatorship of Ceasar
- 42 - Republicans defeated at Philippi; Brutus & Cassius commit suicide
- 31 - Octavian defeats Antony at battle of Actium
- 30 - annexation of Egypt by Rome.
- 27 - 'Republic restored'; Octavian given the name 'Augustus'.