Document belonging to the Greek Mythology Link, a web site created by Carlos Parada, author of Genealogical Guide to Greek Mythology
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Copyright © 1997 Carlos Parada and Maicar Förlag.

Mythical Chronology
Chart


Limits of the Chart

The chart does not establish precise historical dates, but shows the relative position in time of certain legends and characters as may be deduced from the legends themselves.

Immortals

Among those listed as immortals (the first generations of beings), some have been reported dead: the CYCLOPES, the GIANTS, the Gorgon Medusa 1, Echidna, Orthus, Chimera, the Sphinx and Ladon 4 (see also BESTIARY). The ERINYES, the MELIAD NYMPHS, the GIANTS, and Aphrodite were born as a result of the Castration of Uranus. The immortals are listed in the order of their appearance, according to Hesiod. Dionysus 2 was born much later and is not included in this table. He is the grandson of Cadmus (found in the table in the list under Thebes).

Mortals

Each person in the lists of mortals counts as one generation, three generations completing one century. Continuity has been established, in most cases, through parentage or throne succession. Mortals written in red fought in the Trojan War. It may be seen, by comparing the lists horizontally, who were living at the same time. The assumption that some of these mortals became immortals has been disregarded.

Alphabetical list of names in the chart

Abas 2, Acrisius, Actaeus 1, Adrastus 1, Aegeus 1, Aegialeus 2, Aegyrus, Aeneas, Aeolus 1, Aepytus 2, Aeropus 2, Aether, Agamemnon, Agenor 1, Agesilaus, Agis 1, Agrippa, Alba, Alcamenes, Alcmena, Aleus, Allodius, Amphictyon, Ancus Marcius, Andropompus 1, Aphareus 1, Aphidas, Aphrodite, Apis 2, Apollo, Arcadia, Arcas 1, Arcisius, Ares, Argelaus 4, Argos, Argus 1, Aristodemus, Aristomachus 2, Artemis, Asteria 1, Astraeus 1, Athena, Athens, Atlas, Atreus, Autesion 1, Aventinus 2, Belus 1, Bia, Borus 3, Cadmus, Calchinia, Callisto, Capetus 2, Capys 2, Cecrops 1, Cecrops 2, Cephallenia, Cephalus 1, Cepheus 2, Ceto 1, Chaos, CHARITES, Chimera, Chrysorthe, Chthonophyle, Cleodaeus 2, Codrus, Cometes 4, Coronus 2, Cranaus, Cratos, Cresphontes, Crete, Cronos, Crotopus, CYCLOPES, Damasichthon 2, Danae, Danaus 1, Dardanus 1, Deimos, Deion, Demophon 1, Deucalion 1, Deucalion 2, Doryssus, Dotadas, Echemus, Echestratus, Echidna, Egypt, Electryon 1, Eos, Eosphorus, Epaphus 1, Epimetheus, Epytus 2, Erebus, Erechtheus, Erichthonius 1, Erichthonius 2, ERINYES, ERIS' OFFSPRING, Eros, Europa, Europs 1, Eurybia 1, Eurysthenes 1, Evarete, Gaia, Gelanor, GIANTS, Glaucus 8, GORGONS, GRAEAE, HARPIES, Hebe, Hecate, HECATONCHEIRES, Hector 1, Helius, Hellen 1, Hemera, Hephaestus, Heracles 1, Hermes, Hippodamia 3, Hippolytus 5, HORAE, Hyllus 1, Ianiscus, Iasus 3, Idas 2, Idomeneus 1, Ilithyia, Ilus 2, Io, Iris 1, Isthmius 2, Labdacus 1, Labotas, Lacestades, Ladocus, Ladon 4, Laertes, Laius 1, Lamedon, Laomedon 1, Latinus 2, Lelex 2, Leto, Leucippus 5, Leucus 1, Libya, Lycaon 2, Lycastus 1, Lynceus 2, Medon 11, Melanthus 1, MELIAD NYMPHS, Menoetius 1, Messenia, Minos 1, Minos 2, MUSES, Mycenae, Nemean Lion, NEREIDS, Nereus, Nestor, Nike, Niobe 1, Numa 3, Numitor 2, Nyx, NYX'S OFFSPRING, OCEANIDS, Odysseus, Oedipus, OLYMPIANS (CRONIDES), Orestes 2, Orthopolis, Orthus, Cerberus 1, Palaechthon, Pallas 1, Pandion 2, Pandion 4, Pandora 1, Pelasgus 1, Penthilus 2, Peratus, Perieres 1, Persephone, Perses 1, Perseus 1, Phaestus 2, Phintas, Phobus 1, Phocis, Phorbas 1, Phorcus, Phoroneus, PLEIADES, Plemnaeus, Polybus 9, Polycaon 1, Polydorus 2, Polynices, Pontus, Priam 1, Proca, Prometheus 1, Ptolemy 2, Rhopalus, RIVER GODS, Rome, Romulus, Selene, Servius Tullius, Sicyon, Sicyon, Silvius, Sphinx, Sthenelas, Sybotas, Tarquinius Priscus, Tarquinius Superbus, Tartarus, Telchis, Teleclus, Telemachus, Teucer 2, Thaumas 1, Thebes, Thelxion, Thersander 1, Theseus, Thessaly, Thurimachus, Tiberinus 2, Tisamenus 1, Tisamenus 2, TITANS, Triopas 1, Triton, Tros 1, Troy, Tullus Hostilius, Typhon, Uranus, WINDS, Xanthus 6, Zelos, Zeus.



List of Events 

Creation of the World

Castration of Uranus.

Titanomachy.

Beginning of the rule of Zeus.

Years BC

Events

Names of Contemporaries
(not necessarily related to the Events)

1870

 

Aegialeus 2.

1800

 

Phoroneus, Telchis.

1700

 

Phorbas 1, Aegyrus.

1600

 

Io, Calchinia.

1550

 

Gelanor.

1480

The Flood

Aegyptus 1, Danaus 1, Deucalion 1, Agenor 1, Lycaon 2, Cranaus, etc.

1450

The DANAIDS kill their husbands

Lynceus 2, Teucer 2, Callisto, Hellen 1.

1400

Foundation of Thebes

Europa, Cadmus, Arcas 1, Acrisius.

1350-1300

Foundation of Mycenae and Troy.
Killing of the NIOBIDS.

Perseus 1, Pelops 1, Ilus 2, Cecrops 2, Laius 1, Aeson, Procris 2, Minos 2.

1280-1200

Gigantomachy.
Expedition of the ARGONAUTS.
War of the SEVEN AGAINST THEBES.
War of the EPIGONI.
Trojan War.

(These important events take place during less than a century.)

 

1150

 

Pyrrhus 2, Silvius, Autesion 1.

1100

Return of the HERACLIDES.

Procles 2, Eurysthenes 1, Xanthus 6, Latinus 2, Melanthus 1.

1000

Colonization of Ionia.

Gras, Alba, Sous, Echestratus, Codrus 1.

950

 

Sybotas, Doryssus, Tiberinus 2.

850

 

Archelaus 4, Proca.

750

Foundation of Rome.

Alcamenes, Romulus.

600

 

Tarquinius Priscus.

550

 

Tarquinius Superbus, Croesus.


Marmor Parium - Pétau -Vico 

The Marmor Parium compared to the chronologies by Denis Pétau (1583-1652) from 1628, and Giambattista Vico (1668-1744) from 1744.

Tha Marmor Parium, deciphered by John Selden (1584-1654), is one of the so called Arundel marmors, which were secured in 1627 in Asia Minor. The Marmor Parium was found in the island of Paros, and parts of it were later used to repair Lord Arundel's house. Another fragment of the same marble was found in Paros in 1897. The chronology of the Marmor Parium was written about 264 BC. Pétau was a French chronologist. The chronologies of the Parian marble and of Pétau have not been consulted in order to establish the tables above.

A fourth column has been added reproducing some of the dates appearing in the chronology of the New Science (1744) by Giambattista Vico (1668-1744), historian, philosopher and professor in rhetoric in Naples.


Events
All dates BC

Marmor Parium
(264 BC)

Pétau
(AD 1628)

Giambattista Vico
(AD 1744)

Prometheus 1 steals the fire

   

2143

King Cecrops 1 of Athens.

1582

   

King Deucalion 1 reigns in the region about Parnassus.

1574

 

c. 2030

King Cranaus of Athens.
Conflict between Ares and Poseidon after the death of Poseidon's son Halirrhothius.

1532

   

The Flood in the age of Deucalion 1.

1529

1529

 

Amphictyon (son of Deucalion 1), king of Thermopylae.

1522

   

Hellen 1, king of Phthiotis, names Hellenes those who were called Greeks (Graikoí) and institutes the Panathenean games.

1521

 

1917

Cadmus founds Thebes.

1519

 

1551

Eurotas and Lacedaemon, kings of Laconia.

1516

   

The DANAIDS arrive to Rhodes.

1511

   

King Erichthonius 2 of Athens.

1511

1489

 

Hyagnis, father of Marsyas, invents the flute.
King Erichthonius 2 celebrates the Panathenean games for the first time.

     

Danaus 1 expels King Gelanor.

 

1475

1446

Pandion 2 king of Athens.

 

1439

 

Demeter teaches Triptolemus while Erechtheus reigns in Athens.

1409

   

Eumolpus 1 institutes the Eleusinian mysteries during the reign of Erechtheus in Athens.

 

1387

 

Tros 1 calls the people of the land Trojans, after his own name.

 

1370

 

Pelops 1 marries Hippodamia 3.

 

1350

 

Troy built.

 

1327

 

Reign in Athens of Pandion 4, son of Cecrops 2.

1326

1309

 

King Aegeus 1 of Athens.

 

1284

1247

The voyage of the ARGONAUTS.

 

1263

1199

Labours of Heracles 1.

 

1238

1199

Theseus king of Athens.

1259

1231

1199

SEVEN AGAINST THEBES.

1251

1221

 

AMAZONS invade Attica.

 

1209

 

Death of Heracles 1

 

1198

 

Abduction of Helen

 

1194

 

Beginning of the Trojan War.

1218

   

The fall of Troy.

1209

1184

1179

Demophon 1 king of Athens.
Teucer 1 builds Cyprian Salamis.
Orestes 2 acquitted in the trial at Athens.

1203

   

Orestes 2 kills Neoptolemus.

 

1164

 

Reign of Lydia founded by the HERACLIDES.

 

1137

 

Return of the HERACLIDES Cresphontes, Temenus 2 and Aristodemus.

 

1103

 

Eurysthenes 1 and Procles 2 start the two royal houses in Lacedaemon (Sparta).

 

1102

 

Reign of Codrus 1 in Athens

 

1091-1071

 

Colonization of Ionia by Neileus, son of Codrus 1.

1077

   

Foundation of Smyrna

 

1026

 

Lycurgus 7 (the Spartan lawgiver)

   

879

Olympic Games (see Olympia)

   

(776)

Foundation of Rome (other dates for the legendary foundation of Rome are 751 and 753 BC. For Throne Succession from Troy to Rome see Troy).

   

745

Servius Tullius (king of Rome)

   

531 or 541

Fall of the Tarquins (see Lucretia 2)

   

551 or 561


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