Over the next few months we’ll have a look at some things – things which seem to me to be interesting or curious – which happened during other years ending ..25. Some years are busy; in others little seemed to have happened. Each month we’ll progress a bit further through centuries, starting this month with 525 BC and reaching 1825 in November. Most years are fairly sparce, so until things really get going in 1525 each entry will contain multiple years. So off we go at 525 BC.
Some Notable Events in 525 BC
17 September. Venus occults Antares. The next such occurrence will not take place until 17 November 2400 AD.
Unknown Date. Battle of Pelusium. Cambyses II of Persia conquers Egypt by painting cats and other animals sacred to the Egyptians on his soldiers’ shields. The Egyptians run in fear of “harming” these animals. After conquering Egypt, the Persian king Cambyses II sent ambassadors to Macrobia, bringing luxury gifts for the Macrobian king to entice his submission. The Macrobian king replied instead with a challenge for his Persian counterpart in the form of an unstrung bow: if the Persians could manage to string it, they would have the right to invade his country; but until then, they should thank the gods that the Macrobians never decided to invade their empire.
Unknown Date. Born. Aeschylus, author of Greek tragedies.
Unknown Date. Died. Anaximenes of Miletus, Greek scientist and philosopher (b.585 BC).
Some Notable Events in 425 BC
Unknown Date. Demosthenes captures and fortifies the port of Pylos in the Peloponnesus, giving Athens a strong base close to Sparta. The Battle of Pylos results in an Athenian victory leading to the surrender of many of the Spartan troops. Pylos remains in Athenian hands.
Unknown Date. Euripides’ play Hecuba is performed.
Unknown Date. Aristophanes’ play The Acharnians is performed. Produced by Callistratus, it wins Aristophanes a first prize at the Lenaea.
Unknown Date. Died. Herodotus of Halicarnassos, Dorian Greek historian (b.484 BC).
Some Notable Events in 325 BC
Unknown Date. Alexander the Great leaves India and nominates his officer Peithon as the satrap of the region around the Indus.
Unknown Date. The first known reference to sugar cane appears in writings by Alexander the Great’s admiral Nearchus, who writes of Indian reeds “that produce honey, although there are no bees”.
Unknown Date. Born. Euclid, Greek mathematician who will come to live in Alexandria (d.c.275 BC).
Some Notable Events in 225 BC
Unknown Date. After the Battle of Faesulae (near Montepulciano) between the Gauls and a Roman army, the combined Roman forces succeed in outmanoeuvring the Gauls and force the invaders towards the coast of Tuscany. The Consul Regulus crossed from Sardinia, landed at Pisa, and was marching towards Rome. His scouts met the Celts’ advance guard head on near Telamon.
Unknown Date. Battle of Telamon: The Romans, led by the consuls Gaius Atilius Regulus and Lucius Aemilius Papus, defeated the Celts led by the Gaesatae kings Concolitanus and Aneroëstes.