Athens in the Ancient World

The atlas holds 17 people and 44 moments here, from 525 BC to 176. The most recorded lives are Plato, Socrates and Sophocles.

Notable people

  1. Plato

    from 428 BC to 347 BC

    9 moments here

    Ancient Greek philosopher of Classical Athens, student of Socrates, teacher of Aristotle, and founder of the Academy.…

  2. Socrates

    from 469 BC to 399 BC

    5 moments here

    Classical Athenian philosopher known chiefly through Plato, Xenophon, Aristophanes, and later ancient testimony.…

  3. Sophocles

    from 480 BC to 406 BC

    4 moments here

    Ancient Athenian tragic playwright, probably born at Colonus in Attica and active chiefly in Athens.…

  4. Hadrian

    from 124 to 131

    4 moments here

    Roman emperor from 117 to 138. Hadrian traveled extensively through the Roman Empire, inspecting frontiers and armies, intervening in provincial…

  5. Cicero

    from 79 BC to 50 BC

    3 moments here

    Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 BC) was a Roman lawyer, orator, philosopher, consul, provincial governor, and defender of the late Republic.…

  6. Euripides

    from 480 BC to 408 BC

    3 moments here

    Euripides was an Athenian tragic playwright traditionally born on Salamis around 480 BC and conventionally said to have died in Macedon around 406…

  7. Epicurus

    from 323 BC to 270 BC

    3 moments here

    Ancient Greek philosopher and founder of Epicureanism. The securely documented outline of his movements runs from his birth and upbringing on Samos…

  8. Aristotle

    from 367 BC to 335 BC

    2 moments here

    Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath whose surviving biography is reconstructed from sparse and sometimes conflicting ancient traditions.…

  9. Aeschylus

    from 525 BC to 480 BC

    2 moments here

    Ancient Greek tragedian and soldier, born at Eleusis in Attica and active in the Persian Wars.…

  10. Aristophanes

    from 446 BC to 424 BC

    2 moments here

    Athenian comic playwright of Old Comedy. The surviving biographical record is unusually sparse: reliable evidence securely places him in Athens at…

  11. Virgil

    in 19 BC

    1 moment here

    Publius Vergilius Maro, known as Virgil, was a Roman poet of the Augustan age and the author of the Eclogues, Georgics, and Aeneid.…

  12. Herodotus

    in 447 BC

    1 moment here

    Greek historian and geographer, conventionally dated c. 484–c. 425 BC. The surviving biographical evidence is unusually sparse and often late or…

  13. Paul the Apostle

    in 50

    1 moment here

    Paul (Saul of Tarsus) was a first-century Jewish Christian apostle and missionary. The chronology below follows the traditional reconstruction used…

  14. Marcus Aurelius

    in 176

    1 moment here

    Roman emperor from 161 to 180 and Stoic philosopher. This chronology records securely attested physical presence from his birth and Roman residences…

  15. Cleopatra

    in 32 BC

    1 moment here

    Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (born early 69 BC, possibly late 70 BC; died 10 or 12 August 30 BC) was the last active ruler of Ptolemaic Egypt.…

  16. Horace

    in 45 BC

    1 moment here

    Quintus Horatius Flaccus, known as Horace, was a Roman lyric poet, satirist, and former republican military tribune.…

  17. Plutarch

    in 66

    1 moment here

    Greek Platonist philosopher, biographer, essayist, magistrate, and Delphic priest. He was born at Chaeronea between 45 and 47 CE and died after 119…

Moments

  1. 525 BC Birth at Eleusis Aeschylus
  2. 480 BC Military service at Salamis Aeschylus
  3. 480 BC Birth on Salamis Euripides
  4. 480 BC Victory paean after Salamis Sophocles
  5. 469 BC Born in the deme of Alopece Socrates
  6. 468 BC First Dionysia victory Sophocles
  7. 455 BC First City Dionysia competition Euripides
  8. 447 BC Migration to Athens Herodotus
  9. 446 BC Birth in Athens Aristophanes
  10. 428 BC Born in Athens Plato
  11. 424 BC Production of The Knights at the Lenaia Aristophanes
  12. 420 BC Reception of Asclepius at his house Sophocles
  13. 408 BC Final competition in Athens Euripides
  14. 406 BC Mourning appearance at the City Dionysia proagon Sophocles
  15. 404 BC Summoned to the Tholos by the Thirty Socrates
  16. 399 BC Attends Socrates’ trial Plato
  17. 399 BC Appears at the Royal Stoa Socrates
  18. 399 BC Defends himself at trial Socrates
  19. 399 BC Spends his final day in the state prison Socrates
  20. 394 BC Returns to Athens Plato
  21. 394 BC Studies in the grove of Hecademus Plato
  22. 383 BC Establishes the Academy Plato
  23. 367 BC Studies at Plato’s Academy Aristotle
  24. 366 BC Accompanies Chabrias up the Acropolis Plato
  25. 365 BC Reunites with Dion at the Academy Plato
  26. 360 BC Returns permanently to Athens Plato
  27. 347 BC Dies and is buried at the Academy Plato
  28. 335 BC Founds his school at the Lyceum Aristotle
  29. 323 BC Athenian military service Epicurus
  30. 306 BC Return to Athens and the Garden Epicurus
  31. 270 BC Death in Athens Epicurus
  32. 79 BC Studies philosophy at Athens Cicero
  33. 51 BC Arrives in Athens en route to Cilicia Cicero
  34. 50 BC Visits Athens on return from Cilicia Cicero
  35. 45 BC Study at Athens Horace
  36. 32 BC Joined Antony in Athens Cleopatra
  37. 19 BC Met Augustus in Athens Virgil
  38. 50 Preaching and Areopagus appearance at Athens Paul the Apostle
  39. 66 Studies under Ammonius Plutarch
  40. 124 Visits Athens on his first imperial Greek tour Hadrian
  41. 125 Advances the Olympieion program at Athens Hadrian
  42. 128 Resides in Athens through the winter Hadrian
  43. 131 Returns to Athens for the Olympieion dedication Hadrian
  44. 176 Initiation at Athens Marcus Aurelius

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