6th century BC
(7th century BC - 6th century BC - 5th century BC - other centuries)
(600s BC - 590s BC - 580s BC - 570s BC - 560s BC - 550s BC - 540s BC - 530s BC - 520s BC - 510s BC - 500s BC - other decades)
(2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD)
Events:
- Persians conquer Ancient Egypt, dominate eastern Mediterranean.
- Carthage's merchant empire slowly dominates the western Mediterranean
- Roman Republic founded
- Ruin of the Kingdom of Judah and the destruction of the First Temple (586 BC), return of the Jews several decades later.
- Buddha founds Buddhism in India. It became a major world religion.
- Dao de jing written (traditional date)
- Confucius formulates his ethical system of Confucianism, which proved highly influential in China
- The Sinhalese emigrate to Sri Lanka
- Apparent writing of the Book of Psalms
- Stesichorus of Sicily, lyric poet (c. 640-555 BC).
- Solon of Athens, one of the Seven Sages of Greece ( 638 - 558 BC).
- Thales Greek mathematician. has predicted an eclipse ( 635 - 543 BC).
- Pythagoras of Samos, Greek mathematician. See Pythagorean Theorem ( 582 - 496 BC).
- Cyrus the Great king of Persia ( 576 - 529 BC, reigned 559 - 529 BC).
- Gautama Buddha, founding figure of Buddhism (c. 563 - 483 BC).
- Confucius , founding figure of Confucianism ( 551 - 479 BC).
- Aeschylus of Athens , playwright ( 525 - 456 BC).
- Darius I , King of Persia (reigned 521 - 485 BC).