440s BC

This article concerns the period 449 BC – 440 BC.

449 BC

This section is transcluded from 449 BC. (edit | history)

By place

Greece

• The Greek city-states make peace with the Persian Empire through the Peace of Callias, named after Callias II, the chief Greek ambassador to the Persian Court, an Athenian who is a brother-in-law of Cimon. Athens agrees to end its support for the Egyptian rebels still holding out in parts of the Nile Delta, while the Persians agree not to send ships of war into the Aegean Sea. Athens now effectively controls all the Greek city states in Ionia.
• Pericles begins a great building plan including the re-fortification of Athens main port Piraeus and its long walls extending to Athens main city.
• Pericles proposes a "Congress Decree" allowing the use of 9,000 talents ^{[citation needed]} to finance the massive rebuilding program of Athenian temples. This leads to a meeting ("Congress") of all Greek states in order to consider the question of rebuilding the temples destroyed by the Persians. The Congress fails because of Sparta's opposition.
• Pericles places the Athenian sculptor Phidias in charge of all the artistic aspects of his reconstruction program. Construction begins on the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens, while the Athenian Senate commissions Callicrates to construct a temple to Athena Nike on the Acropolis.
• The Second Sacred War erupts between Athens and Sparta, when Sparta forcefully detaches Delphi from Phocis and renders it independent.

Rome

• The Law of the Twelve Tables (developed by the Decemvirates) is formally promulgated in 450 B.C. The Twelve Tables are literally drawn up on twelve ivory tablets which are posted in the Forum Romanum so that all Romans can read and know them.
• When the Decemvirate's term of office expires, the decemviri refuse to leave office or permit successors to take office. Appius Claudius Crassus is said to have made an unjust decision which would have forced a young woman named Verginia into prostitution, prompting her father to kill her. This leads to an uprising against the Decemvirate forcing the decemviri to resign their offices. The ordinary magistrates (magistratus ordinarii) are re-instituted. Appius Claudius is said to have committed suicide as a result of these events.

By topic

Literature

• Herodotus completes his History, which records the events concerning the Persian War.

Births

Transcluding articles: 449 BC, 448 BC, 447 BC, 446 BC, 445 BC, 444 BC, 443 BC, 442 BC, 441 BC, and 440 BC

448 BC

• Bardyllis, king of Dardania (d. 358 BC)^{[citation needed]}

446 BC

• Aristophanes, Greek playwright^[19] (approximate year) (d. c. 385 BC)^[20]
• Marcus Furius Camillus,^[21] Roman soldier and statesman (traditional date) (d. 365 BC)^[22]

445 BC

• Approximate date – Antisthenes, Athenian philosopher (d. c.365 BC)^[23]

440 BC

• Cynisca, Greek princess of Sparta

Deaths

Transcluding articles: 449 BC, 448 BC, 447 BC, 446 BC, 445 BC, 444 BC, 443 BC, 442 BC, 441 BC, and 440 BC

449 BC

• Appius Claudius Crassus, former decemvir (suicide)

446 BC

• Cleinias,^[24] a close relative of Roman politician and military commander Alcibiades. (approximate year) (b. disputed)^[25]

444 BC

• Udayin, king of Magadha in ancient India.

443 BC

• Duke Ligong of Qin, 22nd ruler of the Zhou dynasty
• Pindar, Greek poet (b. 522 BC)

442 BC

• Zhou zhen ding wang, king of the Zhou dynasty of China

441 BC

• King Zhending of Zhou, 28th king of the Zhou dynasty of China
• King Ai of Zhou, 29th king of the Zhou dynasty of China
• King Si of Zhou, 30th king of the Zhou dynasty of China

440 BC

• Ducetius, a Hellenized leader of the Sicels and founder of a united Sicilian state
• Ezra, Jewish scribe and priest (b. c. 480 BCE)
• Amestris, Achaemenid queen (approximate date)