Join us for a short tour back in time to when the roots of modern culture were set. No surprise that the greatest leaders of the time were also among the greatest organizers, simplifiers and humanitarians.
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Golden Age of Greece, 500—300 BC, giving us the building blocks of modern civilization. A new system of government was developed in Athens – democracy (meaning ‘rule by the people’). Empire stretched from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea.
The Roman Republic, established in 510 BC. After more than 450 years, the rise of Julius Caesar (44 BC), marked the transition from Republic to Empire. By 29 BC, Rome completed its transition, becoming the capital of a world empire that would last for 500 years.
Achaemenid Persian Empire (550–330 BC). Founded by Cyrus the Great (~600BC), hailed as a great humanitarian. Under Darius the Great (549–486 BC) it became the largest empire of the ancient world. Among many innovations, he established the first pony express postal system.
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Celtic “La Tène” period from 500—50 BC, a time of affluence and power. Celtic civilization flourished until the Roman conquest in the 1st century BC. Until then, Celtic tribes dominated France, Switzerland, Austria, southwest Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
Scythians and Thracians bordering the Black Sea. By 500 BC the Thracian presence was so pervasive that Herodotus called them the second-most numerous people known by him. The Scythians, too, prospered in 500 BC. Expert horsemen, they dominated vast lands north of the Black Sea and east to the Caspian Sea.
Northern European Iron Age cultures were emerging as distinct tribal cultures in 500 BC: Nordic, German, Slavs, Baltic and Pomeranian. According to tradition, Odin, legendary Germanic deified chieftain, invented the Runic alphabet in 500 BC. It has several parallels to the Celtic Ogham alphabet.
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500 BC was an apex of the Zhou Dynasty (1045—256 BC), when China’s (and the world’s) greatest philosophers emerged: Confucius (551-479 BC), and Laozi, his contemporary, and founder of Daoism. Zhou was the longest lasting dynasty in Chinese history, paving the way for the first China’s unification in 221BC.
Some of the most influential thinkers in history emerged from India in 500 BC. Prince Siddhartha Gautama is enlightened under the sacred fig tree, becoming the Buddha. Jainism is founded in northern India, and the Upanishads are composed in Sanskrit, reinterpreting the old Vedas marking the beginning of Hinduism.
Many elements of Japanese culture date from 500 BC, the Final Jōmon period. This includes the roots of Shintoism, the native religion which stresses the need to live "a simple, harmonious life with nature and people." Jomon is the first recorded culture in Japanese history. It is also known as the “Tree Culture" due to their practical and ceremonial importance.
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The Libyans (Berbers and Garamantes) were a local power in the Sahara from 500 BC—500 AD. Herodotus described them as the healthiest people in the world and wrote of their chariot-driving women. They developed an elaborate underground irrigation system to survive harsh conditions.
The 5th century BC is often considered the starting point of the Ethiopian civilization with the founding of the Empire of Axum. However, human settlement in Ethiopia dates to the beginnings of the human race. Studies suggest that present-day Addis Ababa is the point from which human beings migrated around the world.
The Nok civilization appeared in Nigeria around 500 BC and mysteriously vanished around 200 AD. The civilization’s social system and art were highly advanced and are heralded as prime evidence of the refinement of African civilizations. The society later evolved into the later Jos Plateau community.
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The Olmecs (1400—400 BC) were the first Mesoamerican civilization and laid the foundations for the civilizations that followed. The word "Olmec" also refers to the rubber balls used for their ancient ball game, introduced in 500 BC. The Olmec writing system and language are similar to that of the people of West Africa.
The Mayan civilization left an enormous cultural legacy, with its unique architecture, jewelry, advanced written language, and amazing knowledge of math and astronomy. And now there is hard evidence that the Mayans were drinking chocolate (from seeds of the cacao tree) in 500 BC.
The Chavín civilization developed in the northern Andean highlands of Peru from 900 BC to 200 BC. The most well-known archaeological ruin of the Chavín era is Chavín de Huántar, located in the Andean highlands north of Lima. It is believed to have been built around 900 BC and was the religious center of the Chavin people. It is now a UNESCO world heritage site community.
