Decade · 559 BCE – 550 BCE
The world in the 550s BCE
From 559 BCE to 550 BCE the atlas holds 103 states standing at some time. 7 things began - Verona, Achaemenid Empire and Persian Empire among them - and 2 ended; 7 people were born and 5 died.
What began in the 550s BCE
By kind, the best known first.
States 4
- Verona · state · 550 BCE
- Achaemenid Empire · state · 550 – 330 BCE
- Persian Empire · state · 550 BCE – 1979 CE
- Kingdom of Armenia · state · 553 BCE – 428 CE
Wars and battles 2
- Battle of the Persian Border · battle · 551 BCE
- Battle of Hyrba · battle · 552 BCE
Unrest and atrocity 1
- Medo-Persian conflict · unrest · 553 – 550 BCE
What ended in the 550s BCE
States 1
- Median kingdom · state · 678 – 550 BCE
Unrest and atrocity 1
- Medo-Persian conflict · unrest · 553 – 550 BCE
Born and died
Born 7
- Confucius · philosopher · 551 – 479 BCE
- Darius the Great · monarch · 550 – 486 BCE
- Cambyses II · ruler · 559 – 522 BCE
- Simonides of Ceos · poet · 556 – 469 BCE
- Miltiades · military leader · 554 – 489 BCE
- Bimbisara · ruler · 558 – 491 BCE
- Atossa · ruler · 550 – 475 BCE
Died 5
- Zoroaster · prophet · 628 – 551 BCE
- Cambyses I · person · 600 – 559 BCE
- Zedekiah · ruler · 617 – 550 BCE
- Stesichorus · poet · 630 – 555 BCE
- Mandane of Media · monarch · 591 – 559 BCE
States of the 550s BCE
The states that stood at some time in the 550s BCE, by region, the best known first, with who held the highest office in 559 BCE.
Europe12 states
- Ancient Greece · 1201 BCE – 600 CE
- Ancient Rome · 753 BCE – 476 CE · Servius Tullius, King of Rome since 578 BCE
- Verona · 550 BCE
- Macedonia · 808 – 167 BCE
- Etruscan civilization · 750 – 265 BCE
- Scythians · 700 – 201 BCE
- Roman Kingdom · 753 – 509 BCE · Servius Tullius, King of Rome since 578 BCE
- Colchis · 1701 – 164 BCE
and 4 more; every state of Europe.
Middle East and North Africa28 states
- Ancient Egypt · 4001 – 30 BCE · Amasis II, pharaoh since 570 BCE
- Babylon · 1894 BCE – 1 CE · Neriglissar, King of Babylon since 560 BCE
- Troy · 3000 BCE – 500 CE
- Achaemenid Empire · 550 – 330 BCE · Cyrus the Great, King of Kings since 559 BCE
- Phoenicia · 2500 – 64 BCE
- Babylonia · 1901 – 539 BCE · Neriglissar, King of Babylon since 560 BCE
- Elam · 2700 – 539 BCE
- Lydia · 1200 – 546 BCE · Croesus, King of Lydia since 585 BCE
and 20 more; every state of Middle East and North Africa.
South Asia19 states
- Magadha · 1201 – 345 BCE
- Gandhara · 751 BCE – 535 CE
- Mahajanapadas · 600 – 345 BCE
- Kosala · 701 – 501 BCE
- Anga Kingdom · 1101 – 501 BCE
- Panchala · 901 – 401 BCE
- Avanti · 701 – 301 BCE
- Vajjika League · 701 – 401 BCE
and 11 more; every state of South Asia.
East and Southeast Asia26 states
- Zhou dynasty · 1101 – 256 BCE · King Ling of Zhou, Chinese king since 571 BCE
- Spring and Autumn period · 771 – 476 BCE · King Ling of Zhou, Chinese king since 571 BCE
- Old Chosŏn · 2333 – 108 BCE
- Chu (state) · 722 – 223 BCE
- Qin · 905 – 221 BCE
- Yan (state) · 750 – 223 BCE
- Qi (state) · 1045 – 221 BCE
- Lu · 1101 – 249 BCE
and 18 more; every state of East and Southeast Asia.
Americas and Oceania3 states
- Maya civilization · 2001 BCE – 1521 CE
- Olmecs · 650 – 351 BCE
- Zapotec civilization · 6701 BCE – 1201 CE
Location unknown15 states
- Argead dynasty · 700 – 309 BCE
- Chedi kingdom · 601 – 301 BCE
- Qedarites · 801 – 201 BCE
- Licchavis of Vaishali · 701 – 468 BCE
- Pradyota dynasty · 682 – 544 BCE
- Dao · 1001 – 222 BCE
- Kingdom of Rajarata · 601 BCE – 1300 CE
- Dai (Spring and Autumn period) · 1001 – 457 BCE
and 7 more; every state of Location unknown.
Open in the atlas
- On the timeline, 579 BCE – 530 BCE: every state, war and life of the 550s BCE, region by region.
- On the map in 554 BCE: the borders of the year, its cities under their names of the year, and what happened where.
Wikidata (CC0) · data built 2026-10-07 · Pastlas v2.13.1, by Oleh Voronko. The published atlas and its data are for non-commercial use.