Ancient Greek Maps

When Babylon fell to the Persian empire in 539 BC, it was probably the most populous city in the known world. It was famous for its thick double walls that were surrounded by a moat, and the city was supposed to be able to withstand a siege for several years. Aside from the city walls there was also an additional, second line of defense, that enclosed a much larger area around the city, more than 50 kilometers on each side. The northern border of this area was the famous "Median Wall" that Xenophon reports about in his Anabasis when the ten thousand Greek mercenaries passed through the region. Only a short section of this wall has been uncovered by archaeologists, but it's clear from the ancient sources that its western endpoint stretched to somewhere beyond Sippar, while its eastern endpoint was the city of Opis. The Babylonians also built a southern wall from Babylon to Kish, and from there towards the Tigris river, but it's not known where exactly the wall intersec

para. year event 5 1-2 c.512 Persian invasion of Thrace 5 +1 early 6 th century Paionians attack Perinthos 5 3-10 - Thracian tribes 5 11-24 c.512 Persian invasion of Paionia, embassy to Macedonia, Darius at Sardis 5 25-27 c.511 Otanes as Persian governor, captures Lemnos and Imbros 5 28-29 c.550-c.500 internal conflict of Miletos resolved by Paros 5 30-32 500 Naxos invasion planned 5 33-38 499 Persian invasion of Naxos fails, Ionian revolt starts 5 39-41 c. 540 ? Birth of Kleomenes, Dorieus, Leonidas, and Cleombrotus 5 42-43 btw. 524? and 510 Dorieus’s failed colony in Libya 5 44-45 510 Fall of Sybaris 5 46-48 btw. 510 and 490 Dorieus’s failed colony in Sicily and aftermath 5 49-51 499 Ionian embassy to Sparta 5 52-54 - Persian royal road 5 55-56 514 death of the Athenian tyrant Hypparkhos 5 57-61 c. 9 th century Phoenician alphabet introduced to