4th century BC

Millennium:	1st millennium BC
Centuries:	5th century BC · 4th century BC · 3rd century BC
Decades:	390s BC 380s BC 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC 320s BC 310s BC 300s BC
Categories:	Births – Deaths Establishments – Disestablishments

The 4th century BC started the first day of 400 BC and ended the last day of 301 BC. It is considered part of the Classical era, epoch, or historical period.

Overview

Map of the world in 323 BC (at the death of Alexander the Great)

This century marked the height of Classical Greek civilization in all of its aspects. By the year 400 Greek philosophy, art, literature and architechture had spread far a wide with the numerous independent Greek colonies that had sprung up throughout the lands of the eastern Mediterranean.

Arguably the most important series of political events in this period were the conquests of Alexander, bringing about the collapse of the once formidable Persian Empire and spreading Greek culture far into the east. Alexander dreamed of an east/west union, but when his short life ended, his vast empire was plunged into civil war as his generals each carved out their own separate kingdoms. Thus began the Hellenistic age, a period characterized by a more absolute approach to rule, with Greek kings taking on royal trappings and setting up hereditary successions. While a degree of democracy still existed in some of the remaining independent Greek cities, many scholars see this age as marking the end of classical Greece.

Events

Bust of Alexander the Great in the British Museum.

• Mid-4th century BC — Priene, Western Turkey is rebuilt.
• 4th century BC — Pectoral, from the tomb of a Scythian at Ordzhonikidze, Russia, is made. It is now at Historical Museum, Kiev.
• Late 4th century BC — Diadem, reputed to have been found in a tomb near the Hellespont. It is now at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
• Praxiteles or his followers makes Hermes and the infant Dionysos. A Hellenistic or Roman copy after a Late Classical original is at Archaeological Museum, Olympia. Discovered in the rubble or the ruined Temple of Hera at Olympia in 1875.
• 399 BC Socrates is executed in Athens on charges of impiety and corrupting Athenian youth.
• 383 BC Second Buddhist council at Vesali, 100 years after the Parinirvana.
• 373 BC The Greek city of Helike sinks into the sea causing the death of its entire population
• c360 BC Theater of Tholos, at Epidauros is built
• 354 BC, the Battle of Guiling in China
• 342 BC, the Battle of Maling in China
• 323 BC Alexander the Great conquers the Persian Empire, decline and depopulation of Ancient Greece with large migrations towards the conquered lands.
• 316 BC The Chinese State of Qin conquers the State of Shu, located in modern-day Sichuan, the ultimate success of the conquest due large in part to the strategy of Zhang Yi.
• 312 BC Seleucus I Nicator establishes himself in Babylon, founding the Seleucid Empire.
• Invasion of the Celts into Ireland.
• Battle of the Allia and subsequent Gaulish sack of Rome.
• The Scythians are beginning to be absorbed into the Sarmatian people.
• The Romans conquer the Abruzzi region, decline of the Etruscan civilization.

Significant People

"The safest general characterisation of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato." (Alfred North Whitehead, Process and Reality, 1929).

• Marcus Furius Camillus, Roman dictator (c. 446–365 BC)
• Plato, philosopher (c. 427–347 BC)
• Tollund Man, Human sacrifice victim on the Jutland Peninsula in Denmark, possibly the earliest known evidence for worship of Odin
• Aristotle, philosopher and scientist (384–322 BC)
• Philip II of Macedonia (born 382, reigned 359–336 BC)
• Demosthenes (384–322 BC), a prominent Athenian statesman and orator, who became a fierce opponent of Philip II and Alexander of Macedon
• Gan De, Chinese astronomer
• Shi Shen, Chinese astronomer
• Darius III of Persia, last King of the Achaemenid dynasty (born 380, reigned 359–330 BC)
• Mencius, Chinese philosopher and sage (371–289 BC)
• Yang Zhu (also Yang Chu), Chinese philosopher for egoism and intellectual rival of Mencius
• Ptolemy I Soter, founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty (c. 367–283 BC)
• Shang Yang, Prime Minister of Qin, his reform helped Qin to become the strongest country and later unified China (term 361–338 BC)
• Seleucus I Nicator, founder of the Seleucid Empire (c. 358–281 BC)
• Alexander the Great, King of Macedon, invades Asia Minor, Persia and reaches India (born 356, reigned 336–323 BC)
• Brennus, Gaulish chieftain
• Zhuangzi, Chinese philosopher
• Archon of Pella, Babylonian satrap
• Sun Bin, Chinese general and military strategist (d. 316 BC)

Inventions, discoveries, introductions

A Han Dynasty Chinese crossbow from the second century BC.

• Oldest Brahmi script dates from this period (Brahmi is the ancestor of Indic scripts).
• Romans build first aqueduct.
• Chinese use the handheld trigger crossbow for the first time.
• The first crossbow, the gastraphetes, is invented at Syracuse.
• Burnt brick first used in Greece.
• Donkey-powered mills first used in Greece.
• Torque with lion's-head terminals, from Susa (modern Shush, Iran) was made. It is now in Musee du Louvre, Paris.
• Daric, a coin first minted under Darius I of Persia was made. It is now in Heberden Coin room, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.
• 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 Guanxian 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).
• 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. ISBN 7508508378).

Decades and years

[[::Decades|Decades]] and [[::Years|Years]]

4th century BC

[[::6th century BC|6th century BC]] ←[[::5th century BC|5th century BC]] ← ↔ →[[::3rd century BC|3rd century BC]]→[[::2nd century BC|2nd century BC]]

[[::409–400 BC|409–400 BC ]]	[[::409 BC|409 BC ]]	[[::408 BC|408 BC ]]	[[::407 BC|407 BC ]]	[[::406 BC|406 BC ]]	[[::405 BC|405 BC ]]	[[::404 BC|404 BC ]]	[[::403 BC|403 BC ]]	[[::402 BC|402 BC ]]	[[::401 BC|401 BC ]]	[[::400 BC|400 BC ]]
[[::390s BC|390s BC ]]	[[::399 BC|399 BC ]]	[[::398 BC|398 BC ]]	[[::397 BC|397 BC ]]	[[::396 BC|396 BC ]]	[[::395 BC|395 BC ]]	[[::394 BC|394 BC ]]	[[::393 BC|393 BC ]]	[[::392 BC|392 BC ]]	[[::391 BC|391 BC ]]	[[::390 BC|390 BC ]]
[[::380s BC|380s BC ]]	[[::389 BC|389 BC ]]	[[::388 BC|388 BC ]]	[[::387 BC|387 BC ]]	[[::386 BC|386 BC ]]	[[::385 BC|385 BC ]]	[[::384 BC|384 BC ]]	[[::383 BC|383 BC ]]	[[::382 BC|382 BC ]]	[[::381 BC|381 BC ]]	[[::380 BC|380 BC ]]
[[::370s BC|370s BC ]]	[[::379 BC|379 BC ]]	[[::378 BC|378 BC ]]	[[::377 BC|377 BC ]]	[[::376 BC|376 BC ]]	[[::375 BC|375 BC ]]	[[::374 BC|374 BC ]]	[[::373 BC|373 BC ]]	[[::372 BC|372 BC ]]	[[::371 BC|371 BC ]]	[[::370 BC|370 BC ]]
[[::360s BC|360s BC ]]	[[::369 BC|369 BC ]]	[[::368 BC|368 BC ]]	[[::367 BC|367 BC ]]	[[::366 BC|366 BC ]]	[[::365 BC|365 BC ]]	[[::364 BC|364 BC ]]	[[::363 BC|363 BC ]]	[[::362 BC|362 BC ]]	[[::361 BC|361 BC ]]	[[::360 BC|360 BC ]]
[[::350s BC|350s BC ]]	[[::359 BC|359 BC ]]	[[::358 BC|358 BC ]]	[[::357 BC|357 BC ]]	[[::356 BC|356 BC ]]	[[::355 BC|355 BC ]]	[[::354 BC|354 BC ]]	[[::353 BC|353 BC ]]	[[::352 BC|352 BC ]]	[[::351 BC|351 BC ]]	[[::350 BC|350 BC ]]
[[::340s BC|340s BC ]]	[[::349 BC|349 BC ]]	[[::348 BC|348 BC ]]	[[::347 BC|347 BC ]]	[[::346 BC|346 BC ]]	[[::345 BC|345 BC ]]	[[::344 BC|344 BC ]]	[[::343 BC|343 BC ]]	[[::342 BC|342 BC ]]	[[::341 BC|341 BC ]]	[[::340 BC|340 BC ]]
[[::330s BC|330s BC ]]	[[::339 BC|339 BC ]]	[[::338 BC|338 BC ]]	[[::337 BC|337 BC ]]	[[::336 BC|336 BC ]]	[[::335 BC|335 BC ]]	[[::334 BC|334 BC ]]	[[::333 BC|333 BC ]]	[[::332 BC|332 BC ]]	[[::331 BC|331 BC ]]	[[::330 BC|330 BC ]]
[[::320s BC|320s BC ]]	[[::329 BC|329 BC ]]	[[::328 BC|328 BC ]]	[[::327 BC|327 BC ]]	[[::326 BC|326 BC ]]	[[::325 BC|325 BC ]]	[[::324 BC|324 BC ]]	[[::323 BC|323 BC ]]	[[::322 BC|322 BC ]]	[[::321 BC|321 BC ]]	[[::320 BC|320 BC ]]
[[::310s BC|310s BC ]]	[[::319 BC|319 BC ]]	[[::318 BC|318 BC ]]	[[::317 BC|317 BC ]]	[[::316 BC|316 BC ]]	[[::315 BC|315 BC ]]	[[::314 BC|314 BC ]]	[[::313 BC|313 BC ]]	[[::312 BC|312 BC ]]	[[::311 BC|311 BC ]]	[[::310 BC|310 BC ]]
[[::309–300 BC|309–300 BC ]]	[[::309 BC|309 BC ]]	[[::308 BC|308 BC ]]	[[::307 BC|307 BC ]]	[[::306 BC|306 BC ]]	[[::305 BC|305 BC ]]	[[::304 BC|304 BC ]]	[[::303 BC|303 BC ]]	[[::302 BC|302 BC ]]	[[::301 BC|301 BC ]]	[[::300 BC|300 BC ]]
[[::290s BC|290s BC ]]	[[::299 BC|299 BC ]]	[[::298 BC|298 BC ]]	[[::297 BC|297 BC ]]	[[::296 BC|296 BC ]]	[[::295 BC|295 BC ]]	[[::294 BC|294 BC ]]	[[::293 BC|293 BC ]]	[[::292 BC|292 BC ]]	[[::291 BC|291 BC ]]	[[::290 BC|290 BC ]]

[[::Centuries|Centuries]] and [[::Millennia|Millennia]]

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