400 - 300 BC (Guardians)

The 4th century BC is famous for the rise of both Macedon and Rome, who emerge from nearly total isolation to become major political players in their respective fields. In particular, the 4th century bears witness to the conquests of Alexander the Great, the man who unites the various Greek states, creating the first unified nation-state in the history of the Western world. He then goes on a campaign to conquer the world and nearly does so, creating the largest Empire the world had ever yet seen. His untimely death put an end to his unfulfilled imperial ambitions, leaving his successors and the rising powers of Rome and Carthage to battle for supremacy over the Mediterranean world. India saw the rise and fall of the Nanda dynasty as well as the rise of the Maurya, who moved to take advantage of Alexander's easternmost domains in its quest to expand the Buddhist faith. The Zhou dynasty in China continued its long slide into irrelevancy.