7th century BC

Millennium:	1st millennium BC
Centuries:	8th century BC 7th century BC 6th century BC
Decades:	690s BC 680s BC 670s BC 660s BC 650s BC 640s BC 630s BC 620s BC 610s BC 600s BC
Categories:	Births – Deaths Establishments – Disestablishments

The 7th century BC began the first day of 700 BC and ended the last day of 601 BC.

The Assyrian Empire continued to dominate the Near East during this century, exercising formidable power over neighbors like Babylon and Egypt. In the last two decades of the century, however, the empire began to unravel as numerous enemies made alliances and waged war from all sides. The Assyrians finally left the world stage permanently when their capital Nineveh was destroyed in 612 BC. These events gave rise to the Neo-Babylonian Empire, which would dominate the region for much of the following century.

Events

Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria who created "the first systematically collected library" at Nineveh

A 16th-century depiction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, by Martin Heemskerck, with Tower of Babel in the background.

690s BC

699 BC: Khallushu succeeds Shuttir-Nakhkhunte as king of the Elamite Empire.
697 BC: Death of King Huan of Zhou, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
696 BC: King Zhuang of Zhou becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
696 BC: The Cimmerians ravage Phrygia, possible migration of the Armenians.
691 BC: King Sennacherib of Assyria defeats king Humban-nimena of Elam in the Battle of Halule.
690 BC: Taharqa, a king of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty, ascends the throne of Egypt (approximate date).

680s BC

689 BC: King Sennacherib of Assyria sacks Babylon.
687 BC: Gyges becomes king of Lydia.
687 BC: Hezekiah succeeded by Manasseh as king of Judah.
682 BC: Death of King Zhuang of Zhou, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
681 BC: King Xi of Zhou becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
681 BC: Esarhaddon succeeds Sennacherib as king of Assyria.

670s BC

677 BC: Death of King Li of Zhou, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
677 BC: Esarhaddon leads the Assyrian army against rebellious Arab tribes, advances as far as the Brook of Egypt.
676 BC: King Hui of Zhou becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
675 BC: Esarhaddon begins the rebuilding of Babylon.
674 BC: Esarhaddon puts down a revolt in Ashkelon supported by Taharqa, king of Egypt. In response, the Assyrians invade Egypt, but Taharqa is able to hold the invaders off.
673 BC: Tullus Hostilius becomes king of Rome.
671 BC: Esarhadon again invades Egypt, capturing Memphis as well as a number of the royal family.

660s BC

669 BC: Assurbanipal succeeds his father Esarhaddon as king of Assyria.
669 BC: Argos defeats Sparta for the last time, this time using a Phalanx, at the battle of Hysiae.
668 BC: Shamash-shum-ukin, son of Esarhaddon, becomes King of Babylon.
668 BC: Egypt revolts against Assyria.
668 BC: Nineveh, capital of Assyria becomes the largest city of the world, taking the lead from Thebes in Egypt.^[1]
667 BC: Byzantium founded by Megaran colonists under Byzas. (traditional date)
664 BC: First naval battle in Greek recorded history, between Corinth and Corcyra.
664 BC: Assurbanipal captures and sacks Thebes, Egypt.
664 BC: Psammetichus I succeeds Necho I as king of Lower Egypt.
664 BC: Taharqa appoints his nephew Tantamani as his successor of Upper Egypt.
February 11, 660 BC—Traditional founding date of Japan by Emperor Jimmu.
660 BC: First known use of the Demotic script.
660 BC: Psammetichus I drives the Assyrians out of Egypt.
660 BC: Estimated date of the impact that created the Kaali crater

650s BC

650s BC: The Spartan Creed by Ancient Greek poet Tyrtaeus
650s BC: Occupation begins at Maya site of Piedras Negras, Guatemala.
657 BC: Cypselus becomes the first tyrant of Corinth.
656 BC: Psammetichus extends his control over all of Egypt. End of Twenty-fifth Dynasty.
653 BC: Atta-Khumma-In-Shushinak and Khumbanigash II succeed Shilhak-In-Shushinak and Tempti-Khumma-In-Shushinak as kings of the Elamite Empire.
652 BC: Babylonia rises in revolt under Shamash-shum-ukin against the Assyrians.
652 BC: Achaemenid dynasty in Persia.
651 BC: King Xiang of Zhou becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
650 BC: The town of Abdera in Thrace is founded by colonists from Clazomenae.
650 BC: A climate change affects all the Bronze Age cultures in Europe with colder and wetter climate, and tribes from the Scandinavian Nordic Bronze Age cultures are pushed downwards into the European continent.

640s BC

640s BC: Assyrian king Ashurbanipal founds library, which included our earliest complete copy of the Epic of Gilgamesh.
649 BC: Indabigash succeeds Tammaritu as a king of the Elamite Empire.
649 BC: Babylonian revolt under Shamash-shum-ukin is crushed by the Assyrians.
648 BC: Pankration becomes an event at the Ancient Olympic Games.
April 6, 648 BC: Earliest Greek-chronicled solar eclipse.^[2]
647 BC: King Assurbanipal of Assyria sacks Susa
642 BC: Ancus Marcius becomes king of Rome (traditional date).
c.641 BC: Josiah becomes king of Judah.
640 BC: Decisive victory of Assyria over Elamite Empire; Assurbanipal captures its last king Khumma-Khaldash III, annexes Elam, and lays waste the country.^[3]

630s BC

632 BC: Cylon, Athenian noble, seizes the Acropolis in a failed attempt to become king.
632 BC: In the Battle of Chengpu, the Chinese kingdom of Jin and her allies defeat the kingdom of Chu and her allies.
631 BC: Founding of Cyrene, a Greek colony in Libya (North Africa) (approximate date).
631 BC: Sadyates becomes king of Lydia.

620s BC

627 BC: Death of Assurbanipal, king of Assyria; he is succeeded by Assur-etel-ilani (approximate date).
626 BC: Nabopolassar revolts against Assyria, founds the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
625 BC: Medes and Babylonians assert their independence from Assyria and attack Nineveh (approximate date).
623 BC: Sin-shar-ishkun succeeds his brother Assur-etel-ilani as king of Assyria (approximate date).
622 BC: Text of Deuteronomy found in the Temple in Jerusalem.The Hebrew prophet Ezekiel said to be born this year.

610s BC

619 BC: Alyattes becomes king of Lydia.
619 BC: Death of King Xiang of Zhou, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
618 BC: King Qing of Zhou becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
616 BC: Lucius Tarquinius Priscus becomes king of Rome.
614 BC: Sack of Asshur by the Medes and Babylonians.
613 BC: Death of King Qing of Zhou, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
612 BC: King Kuang of Zhou becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
612 BC: An alliance of Medes, Babylonians and Susianians besiege and conquer Nineveh. King Sin-shar-ishkun of Assyria is killed in the sack.
612 BC: Ashur-uballit II attempts to keep the Assyrian empire alive by establishing himself as king at Harran.
612 BC: Babylon, capital of Babylonia becomes the largest city of the world, taking the lead from Nineveh, capital of Assyria.^[1]
610 BC: Necho II succeeds Psammetichus I as king of Egypt.

600s BC

609 BC: King Josiah of Judah dies in the Battle of Megiddo against Pharaoh Necho II of Egypt, who is on his way north to aid the rump Assyrian state of Ashur-uballit II.
609 BC: The Babylonians defeat the Assyrian army of Ashur-uballit II and capture Harran. Ashur-uballit, the last Assyrian king, disappears from history.
609 BC: Jehoahaz succeeds his father Josiah as King of Judah, but is quickly deposed by Necho, who installs Jehoahaz's brother Jehoiakim in his place.
607 BC: Death of King Kuang of Zhou, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
606 BC: King Ding of Zhou becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
605 BC: Battle of Carchemish: Crown Prince Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon defeats the army of Necho II of Egypt, securing the Babylonian conquest of Assyria. The Babylonians pursue the Egyptians through Syria and Palestine.
605 BC: Nebuchadnezzar II succeeds his father Nabopolassar as King of Babylon.
601 BC: The Medes from Media (western Iran) and the Scythians from modern Russia and Ukraine invade the northern and eastern parts of Assyria.
600 BC: Foundation of Capua.
600 BC: India—Age of the Mahajanapadas—16 great kingdoms rule India—Kasi, Kosala, Anga, Magadha, Vajji (or Vriji), Malla, Chedi, Vatsa (or Vamsa), Kuru, Panchala, Machcha (or Matsya), Surasena, Assaka, Avanti, Gandhara, Kamboja
600 BC: Foundation of Milan by Celts (approximate date).
600 BC: Foundation of Marseille by Phoceans (traditional date).
600 BC: Smyrna sacked and destroyed.
600 BC: Nebuchadnezzar builds the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Significant persons

Hezekiah of the Kingdom of Judah (reigned 715–687 BC)
Sennacherib, king of Assyria and conqueror of Babylon (705–681 BC)
Gyges of Lydia (reigned 687–652 BC)
Manasseh of Judah (reigned 687–643 BC)
Esarhaddon, king of Assyria and conqueror of Egypt (reigned 681–669 BC)
Archilochus of Thasos, poet (c. 680 BC–645 BC). He is born on the island of Paros
673 BC—Death of Numa Pompilius, second King of Rome, successor to Romulus
670 BC—Death of Mettius Fufetius, Latin king of Alba Longa
664 BC—Death of Necho I, king of Egypt
663 BC—Death of Taharqa, king of Egypt
653 BC—Death of Tantamani, last king of the Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt
652 BC—Death of King Hui of Zhou, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China
652 BC—First recorded mention of King Kuras of Parsumas, possibly the same as King Cyrus I of Anshan, head of the Achaemenid dynasty
Tyrtaeus—Ancient Greek poet, general and musician
645 BC—Death of Guan Zhong, Prime Minister of the Chinese state of Qi
Nabopolassar king of Babylon
Josiah of the Kingdom of Judah (reigned 641 BC–609 BC)
Stesichorus of Sicily, lyric poet (c. 640 BC–555 BC)
Solon of Athens, one of the Seven Sages of Greece (638 BC–558 BC)
Thales of Miletus, Greek mathematician (635 BC–543 BC)
Nebuchadnezzar II king of Babylon
610 BC—Death of Psammetichus I, king of Egypt
610 BC—Birth of Anaximander, Greek philosopher
Sappho of Lesbos, Ancient Greek poet
Jeremiah Jewish prophet

Inventions, discoveries, introductions

The Chinese invent printing.
First metal coins used by the Lydians of western Anatolia. Until c. 525 BC, coins bore an image on one side only.
Greeks adopt coins from Asia Minor.
Iron allegedly discovered in China.
7th century BC – 4th century BC – Etruscan cemetery of La Banditaccia, Cerveteri is made.

Sovereign States

See: List of sovereign states in the 7th century BC.

Decades and years

7th century BC
9th century BC←8th century BC← ↔ →6th century BC→5th century BC

700s BC	709 BC	708 BC	707 BC	706 BC	705 BC	704 BC	703 BC	702 BC	701 BC	700 BC
690s BC	699 BC	698 BC	697 BC	696 BC	695 BC	694 BC	693 BC	692 BC	691 BC	690 BC
680s BC	689 BC	688 BC	687 BC	686 BC	685 BC	684 BC	683 BC	682 BC	681 BC	680 BC
670s BC	679 BC	678 BC	677 BC	676 BC	675 BC	674 BC	673 BC	672 BC	671 BC	670 BC
660s BC	669 BC	668 BC	667 BC	666 BC	665 BC	664 BC	663 BC	662 BC	661 BC	660 BC
650s BC	659 BC	658 BC	657 BC	656 BC	655 BC	654 BC	653 BC	652 BC	651 BC	650 BC
640s BC	649 BC	648 BC	647 BC	646 BC	645 BC	644 BC	643 BC	642 BC	641 BC	640 BC
630s BC	639 BC	638 BC	637 BC	636 BC	635 BC	634 BC	633 BC	632 BC	631 BC	630 BC
620s BC	629 BC	628 BC	627 BC	626 BC	625 BC	624 BC	623 BC	622 BC	621 BC	620 BC
610s BC	619 BC	618 BC	617 BC	616 BC	615 BC	614 BC	613 BC	612 BC	611 BC	610 BC
600s BC	609 BC	608 BC	607 BC	606 BC	605 BC	604 BC	603 BC	602 BC	601 BC	600 BC
590s BC	599 BC	598 BC	597 BC	596 BC	595 BC	594 BC	593 BC	592 BC	591 BC	590 BC

Centuries and millennia

Millennium	Century
BC (BCE)
4th	40th	39th	38th	37th	36th	35th	34th	33rd	32nd	31st
3rd	30th	29th	28th	27th	26th	25th	24th	23rd	22nd	21st
2nd	20th	19th	18th	17th	16th	15th	14th	13th	12th	11th
1st	10th	9th	8th	7th	6th	5th	4th	3rd	2nd	1st
AD (CE)
1st	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
2nd	11th	12th	13th	14th	15th	16th	17th	18th	19th	20th
3rd	21st	22nd	23rd	24th	25th	26th	27th	28th	29th	30th

Notes

1 2 "Largest Cities Through History". About.com Geography.
↑ F. Espenak and Xavier Jubier. "Total Solar Eclipse of -647 April 06". NASA.
↑ Potts, D. T. (1999) "The Archaeology of Elam: Formation and Transformation of an Ancient Iranian State" (Cambridge World Archaeology)

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