6th century BC

Events

Cyrus the Great conquered many countries and created the Persian Empire.
- Persians conquer Ancient Egypt, dominate eastern Mediterranean.
- Ruin of the Kingdom of Judah and the destruction of the First Temple (586 BC), return of the Jews several decades later (538 BC).
- Fall of the Babylonian Empire (539 BC), destroyed by Cyrus the Great.
- The Persians under Darius I and later Cyrus invade Transoxiana.
Carthage's merchant empire slowly dominates the western Mediterranean
Roman Republic founded
Gautama Buddha founds Buddhism in India. It becomes a major world religion.
Tao Te Ching written (traditional date)
Confucius formulates his ethical system of Confucianism, which proves highly influential in China
The Sinhalese emigrate to Sri Lanka
Apparent writing of the Book of Psalms
The prophet Lehi, according to the Book of Mormon, leaves Jerusalem and settles in North America.
Abkhazia is colonized by the Greek.
The celtic Bruthin or Priteni, invade Britain and Ireland the British Isles some time before the 5th century BC.

Stesichorus of Sicily, lyric poet (c. 640-555 BC).
Solon of Athens, one of the Seven Sages of Greece (638 - 558 BC).
Thales, Greek mathematician ( 635 - 543 BC). Predicts solar eclipse in 585 BC.
Pythagoras of Samos, Greek mathematician. See Pythagorean theorem. (582 - 496 BC).
Cyrus the Great, king of Persia ( 576 - 529 BC, reigned 559 - 529 BC).
Gautama Buddha, founding figure of Buddhism (c. 563 - 483 BC).
Confucius, founding figure of Confucianism (551 - 479 BC).
Aeschylus of Athens, playwright (525 - 456 BC).
Darius I, King of Persia (reigned 521 - 485 BC).
Lehi, first prophet recorded in the Book of Mormon

First archeological surveys of the Arabian peninsula by Babylonian king Nabonidus.