Timeline (Guardians)

1800 - 753 B.C.

 * 1800 - Alphabetic Writing emerges.
 * 1700 - The Indus Valley Civilization mostly collapses.
 * 1600 - Beginning of Mycenaean Greece.
 * 1600 - Hittite dominance over the Eastern Mediterranean begins.
 * c. 1180 - End of Hittite dominance and the beginning of the end of their empire.
 * c. 1050 - 850 - The Greeks expand around the Aegean and the Mediterranean.

753 - 534 B.C.

 * 753 - Traditional founding of Rome by Romulus.
 * 745 - Tiglath-Pileser III becomes the new king of Assyria and he turns it into an empire.
 * 728 - Establishment of the Median Empire.
 * 612 - Fall of Nineveh and the Assyrian Empire.
 * 586 - Fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonian Empire during the Jewish Revolt.
 * 563 - Siddhartha Gautama is born in India.
 * 560 - Amel Marduk survives a coup instigated by his brother-in-law.
 * 556 - End of the Jewish Exodus and return of the Jews to Israel and Judah.
 * 553 - Cyrus of Persia begins a revolt against the Median Empire, starting the Persian-Median Wars.
 * 551 - Confucius is born in China.
 * 550 - Cyrus the Persian defeats Astyages at the Battle of Pasargadae.
 * 549 - A joint Median-Babylonian force is defeated by the Persian Army at Bisitun.
 * 546 - Taking advantage of the war between Persia and Media, Lydia advances into Eastern Anatolia.
 * 545 - Babylon defeats Persia at the Battle of Opis.
 * 543 - A joint Babylonian-Median force defeats the Persians at Susa.
 * 542 - A peace treaty ends the Persian-Median Wars.

542 - 323 B.C.

 * 541 - After the Persian-Median War and general bad management from the ruling kings of Babylon, the Babylonian Empire collapses into civil war. Several successor states arise from the ashes.
 * 540 - Judea re-establishes its independence. Phoenicia does the same shortly after.
 * 539 - Persia conquers a weak and war weary Media.
 * 537 - Persia conquers the Mesopotamian states one by one.
 * 535 - Persia and Lydia fight each other to a standstill, prompting Persia to expand south and east and Lydia to expand west.
 * 533 - Jewish forces defeat an Egyptian invasion at the battle of Gaza.
 * 530 - Persia conquers Phoenicia and subjugates the Arabs at the Battle of the Sinai.
 * 528 - Siddhartha Gautama achieves Enlightenment as the Buddha, and starts his ministry.
 * 527 - Judea falls to the Persians after considerable resistance.
 * 526 - Lydia pushes into Europe, exerting influence over Thrace and Macedon.
 * 525 - Egypt falls to the Persians after being weakened by court intrigue and general public malaise.
 * 512 - Persia subjugates the eastern Berber tribes and Libya, reaching its greatest extent and farthest extent west.
 * 510 - End of the Kingdom of Rome and beginning of the Republic of Rome.
 * 508 - Foundation of Democracy in Athens.
 * 499 - The Greek cities of Asia Minor revolt against the Lydian Empire, starting the Greco-Lydian Wars.
 * 490 - The Athenians defeat the Lydians at the Battle of Marathon.
 * 480 - The Lydians are decisively crushed at the Battle of Thermopolyae driving them out of Greece. In the aftermath, the Greeks                force the Lydians to withdraw from the Ionian cities and Macedon.