Chronology:

478: Foundation of Delian League.

461-429: Political ascendancy of Pericles.

431: War breaks out. Pericles’ Funeral Oration.

429: Plague hits Athens. Pericles dies.

428: Mytilene revolts. Athens orders massacre, but changes mind at last minute.

427: Civil war in Corcyra. Athens backs democrats, Sparta backs oligarchs.

420: Alcibiades elected general.

416: Athenians massacre rebellious population of Melos.

415-413: Sicilian Expedition ends in disaster for Athenians.

411: Thucydides’ History breaks off. Xenophon’s History continues the story.

404: Athenian navy defeated at Aegospotami; Athens forced to surrender. Critias and the "Thirty Tyrants" seize power in Athens and institute oligarchic reign of terror.

403: Athenian democrats overthrow the Thirty; Spartan forces withdraw.

399: Trial and execution of Socrates.

436-338: Isocrates.

384-322: Demosthenes.

404-371: Period of Spartan hegemony.

387: The King’s Peace: Greek states accept peace settlement imposed by Persian king.

371-362: Period of Theban hegemony.

360-336: Reign of Philip of Macedon.