550s 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 (traditional date). c. 551 BC—Commonly accepted date of the Death of Zoroaster, Founder of Zoroastrianism. 550 BC—Birth of Epicharmus, Greek poet (d. 460 BC).