What happened in the 4th century BC

World10

• 400 BCAfter Cyrus has been killed, his Greek mercenaries make their way back to Greece, where Sparta is so impressed with their feats in and march through Persia that they declare war on the Persians.
• 395 BCThe "Corinthian War" begins, with Athens, Thebes, Corinth and Argos (with the backing of Persia) against Sparta.
• 390 BCThe Pharaoh of Egypt, Hakor (Akoris), concludes a tripartite alliance with Evagoras, king of Cyprus, and Athens.
• 388 BCPlato, having left Athens on Socrates' death to visit Megara and possibly Egypt, travels to Syracuse at the invitation of Dionysius I's brother-in-law Dion.
• 386 BCFreed from Spartan attacks by the Peace of Antalcidas of the previous year, Persia turns to quieting Cyprus and Egypt. Owing to the skill of King Evagoras of Cyprus and of Egypt's Greek mercenary general Chabrias, these wars drag on for the rest of the decade.
• 385 BCPlato forms his Academy, teaching mathematics, astronomy and other sciences as well as philosophy. It is dedicated to the Attic hero Academus. Philanthropists bear all costs; students pay no fees.
• 384 BCLysias, the Athenian orator, on the occasion of the Olympiad, rebukes the Greeks for allowing themselves to be dominated by the Syracusan tyrant Dionysius I and by the barbarian Persians.
• 380 BCPersia forces the Athenians to withdraw their general Chabrias from Egypt. Chabrias has been successfully supporting the Egyptian Pharaohs in maintaining their independence from the Persian Empire.
• 376 BCThe states of Han, Wei and Zhao deposed Duke Jing of Jin and divided the last remaining Jin territory between themselves, which marked the final end of the Jin state.
• The Chinese astronomer Gan De divides the celestial sphere into 365¼ degrees, and the tropical year into 365¼ days at a time when most astronomers used the Babylon division of the celestial sphere as 360 degrees (Deng, Yinke. [2005] (2005). Chinese Ancient Inventions. ).

Japan1

• 400 BCJōmon period ends in Ancient Japan.

Europe25

• 400 BCLondon has its origins as far back as this time.
• 399 BCThe Greek philosopher Socrates is sentenced to death by Athenian authorities, condemned for impiety and the corruption of youth. He refuses to flee into exile and dies by drinking hemlock.
• 387 BCUnder the threat of Spartan intervention, Thebes disbands its league, and Argos and Corinth end their shared government. Corinth, deprived of its strong ally, is incorporated back into Sparta's Peloponnesian League. After eight years of fighting, the Corinthian War is at an end.
• 387 BCPlato founds the Platonic Academy in Athens, where he teaches Aristotle until 347 BC.
• 384 BCThe Greeks found the colony of Pharos at the site of today's Stari Grad on the island of Hvar, defeating Iadasinoi warriors brought in for its defense.
• 380 BCCleombrotus I succeeds his brother Agesipolis I as king of Sparta.
• 309 BCPtolemy personally commands a fleet that captures the coastal regions of Lycia and Caria from Antigonus.
• 309 BCCassander, who has held Roxana, widow of Alexander the Great, in prison for a number of years, has her put to death along with her young son Alexander, the nominal King Alexander IV of Macedon.
• 308 BCPtolemy crosses from Asia Minor into Greece, where he takes possession of Corinth, Sicyon and Megara.
• 308 BCPtolemy makes peace with Cassander
• 308 BCCleopatra of Macedon is assassinated by the order of Antigonus
• 307 BCPtolemy founds the Museum and Library of Alexandria with the help of Demetrius Phalereus. Like Alexander the Great, Ptolemy has studied under Aristotle and staffs the museum with some 100 professors paid by the state.
• 307 BCThe city of Segesta in Sicily is destroyed by Agathocles.
• 304 BCThe tyrant Agathocles takes on the title of King of Sicily. He extends his influence into southern Italy and the Adriatic.
• 301 BCThe southern part of Syria is occupied by Ptolemy.

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Asia26

• 395 BCKalashoka succeeds his father Shishunaga to become king of Magadha. Second Buddhist Council is held during his reign.
• 356 BCShang Yang implemented his first set of reforms in Qin.
• Oldest Brahmi script dates from this period. Brāhmī is the ancestor of Brahmic scripts, used in much of India and Southeast Asia.
• Starting in the year 309 BC, the later Chinese historian Sima Qian (145 BC–90 BC) wrote that the Qin-employed engineer Bi Ling of the newly conquered State of Shu in Sichuan had the shoulder of a mountain cut through, making the 'Separated Hill' that abated the Mo River, and excavated two canals in the plain of Chengdu. The significance of this was phenomenal, as it allowed the new Guardian irrigation system to populate an area of some 40 by 50 miles (60 × 80 km) with over five million people, still in use today (Needham, Science and Civilization in China, Volume 4, Part 3, 288).
• 344 BCDuke Hui of Wei is the first to claim the royal title of king (Chinese: 王) for himself, proclaiming themselves fully independent kingdoms.
• 343 BCState of Qi wins the Battle of Maling over Wei that takes place in Maling, currently Dazhangjia Town, Shen County, Henan Province, during the Warring States period. After the death of Pang Juan, Prince Shen was captured by Qi. The power of the state of Wei decreased considerably after this battle.
• 338 BCKing Huiwen becomes ruler of Qin.
• 331 BCChu rises to its peak in 334 BC, when it conquers Yue to its east on the Pacific coast.
• 326 BCAlexander fights his last great battle, the Battle of the Hydaspes river. He and his general Craterus defeat the Indian king Porus.
• 322 BCChandragupta Maurya overthrows Dhana Nanda with help his guru Chanakya and becomes King of Magadha having Durdhara (Dhana Nanda's sister) as queen. Establishment of the Maurya dynasty.
• 316 BCQin conquers Shu and Ba.
• 311 BCKing Hui of Qin dies, follows by prime minister Zhang Yi one year later. The new monarch, King Wu, reigns only four years before dying without legitimate heirs.
• 309 BCSoon after the State of Qin has conquered the State of Shu (in modern-day Sichuan province), they employ the Shu engineer Bi Ling to create the Guanxian irrigation system, which will eventually provide for over five million people in an area of 40 to, still in use today.
• 307 BCThe Chinese King Wuling of Zhao reforms the military of the State of Zhao by putting more emphasis on cavalry over charioteers.
• 304 BCThe Mauryan emperor Chandragupta defeats Seleucos I as he tries to invade India. Seleucid Empire's Eastern Satrapies ceded to Mauryan Empire and establishment of diplomatic relations between Seleucos I and Chandragupta by him marrying Seleucos I's daughter in exchange for 500 elephant used in Diadochi Wars by Seleucos I.

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Middle East7

• 400 BCThe Egyptians successfully revolt against Persian rule.
• 383 BCThe 19 year lunar cycle is introduced into the Babylonian calendar.
• Torque with lion's-head terminals, from Susa (modern Shush, Iran) was made. It is now in Musée du Louvre, Paris.
• Daric, a coin first minted under Darius I of Persia is made. It is now kept in Heberden Coin Room, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.
• 331 BCAlexander the Great wins the Battle of Gaugamela, effectively ending Persian hegemony. He would spend much of the 330s conquering the remnants of the Achaemenid Empire.
• 323 BCAlexander the Great dies in Babylon.
• 323 BCThe Partition of Babylon sets out the division of the territories conquered by Alexander the Great between his generals. The partition is a result of a compromise, essentially brokered by Eumenes, following a conflict of opinion between the party of Meleager, who wishes to give full power to Philip III, and the party of Perdiccas, who wishes to wait for the birth of the heir of Alexander and his wife, Roxana to give him the throne under the control of a regent.

Africa2

• 400 BCThe Carthaginians occupy Malta.
• 400 BCThe Kingdom of D'mt is disestablished.