580s BC facts for kids

This article is about the 580s BC, a period of ten years from 589 BC to 580 BC. During this time, many important events happened in ancient civilizations like Egypt, Babylon, China, and Greece. Kings rose and fell, big battles took place, and new ideas in philosophy and math began to spread.

Key Events of the 580s BC

Changes in Ancient Egypt

• 589 BC: Apries became the new king of Egypt, taking over from Psamtik II.

The Fall of Jerusalem

• 588 BC: Nebuchadnezzar II, the powerful king of Babylon, started a long attack on the city of Jerusalem.
• 587 BC: Jerusalem finally fell to the Babylonians. This meant the end of the Kingdom of Judah. The Babylonians destroyed the important Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. They also forced many people from the land to leave their homes and live in other places.

Rulers in Ancient China

• 586 BC: Zhou ding wang, a king of the Zhou Dynasty in China, passed away.
• 585 BC: Later, Zhou jian wang became the new king of the Zhou Dynasty.

A Famous Solar Eclipse

• 28 May 585 BC: A solar eclipse happened exactly as the Greek thinker Thales had predicted! This happened while two kings, Alyattes II and Cyaxares, were fighting a battle. The eclipse was so surprising that it led to a truce (a stop to the fighting) between them. This date is very important because it helps historians figure out other dates from ancient times.

Rome's Victories

• 585 BC: Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, who was the king of Rome, won a big victory against the Sabines. He captured the town of Collatia. To celebrate his wins, he had a special parade called a Roman triumph on September 13th.

Changes in the Medes and Urartu

• 585/584 BC: Astyages became the new King of the Medes, taking over from Cyaxares.
• 585 BC: The Kingdom of Urartu came to an end after being invaded by the Medes. Some historians also say that the Scythians played a part in its downfall.

Ancient Games and Empires

• 582 BC: The Pythian Games were reorganized in Delphi, Greece. These were famous athletic and artistic competitions, similar to the Olympic Games.
• 581 BC: The Isthmian Games were started in Corinth. These were another set of important ancient Greek games.
• 580 BC (around this time): Cambyses I became king of Anshan and the leader of the Achaemenid dynasty. This was a powerful Persian family that would later rule a huge empire.

Important People of the 580s BC

• Nebuchadnezzar II: He was the powerful King of Babylon who conquered Jerusalem.
• 585 BC: The Greek philosopher Anaximenes of Miletus was born. He was a thinker who tried to understand how the world worked.
• 585 BC: Emperor Jimmu of Japan passed away.
• 582 BC: The famous Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras was born in Samos. He is well-known for his work in geometry.
• 580 BC (around this time): Cyrus I of Anshan, a king from Persia, passed away.

Images for kids

• Gorgon Medusa, detail of sculpture from the west pediment of the Temple of Artemis, Korkyra.jpg

  A sculpture of Gorgon Medusa from the Temple of Artemis in Korkyra, made around 580 BC.

• Standing Youth (Kouros).jpg

  A sculpture of a Standing Youth, also known as a Kouros, made around 580 BC.