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600 BCE trade was greatly facilitated by the construction of specialised merchant ships

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600 BCE trade was greatly facilitated by the construction of specialised merchant ships

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Trade was a fundamental aspect of the ancient Greek world and following territorial expansion, an increase in population movements, and innovations in transport, goods could be bought, sold, and exchanged in one part of the Mediterranean which had their origin in a completely different and far distant region. Food, raw materials, and manufactured goods were not only made available to Greeks for the first time but the export of such classics as wine, olives, and pottery helped to spread Greek culture to the wider world.

From Local to International Trade

In Greece and the wider Aegean, local, regional, and international trade exchange existed from Minoan and Mycenaean times in the Bronze Age. The presence, in particular, of pottery and precious goods such as gold, copper, and ivory, found far from their place of production, attests to the exchange network which existed between Egypt, Asia Minor, the Greek mainland, and islands such as Crete, Cyprus, and the Cyclades. Trade lessened and perhaps almost disappeared when these civilizations declined, and during the so-called Dark Ages from the 11th to 8th centuries BCE international trade in the Mediterranean was principally carried out by the Phoenicians.

The earliest written sources of Homer and Hesiod attest to the existence of trade ( emporia) and merchants ( emporoi) from the 8th century BCE, although they often present the activity as unsuitable for the ruling and landed aristocracy. Nevertheless, international trade grew from 750 BCE, and contacts spread across the Mediterranean driven by social and political factors such as population movements, colonisation (especially in Magna Graecia), inter-state alliances, the spread of coinage, the gradual standardisation of measurements, warfare, and safer seas following the determination to eradicate piracy.

From 600 BCE trade was greatly facilitated by the construction of specialised merchant ships and the diolkos haulway across the isthmus of Corinth. Special permanent trading places ( emporia), where merchants of different nationalities met to trade, sprang up, for example, at Al Mina on the Orontes river (modern Turkey), Ischia-Pithekoussai (off the coast of modern Naples), Naucratis in Egypt, and Gravisca in Etruria. From the 5th century BCE, Athens' port of Piraeus became the most important trading centre in the Mediterranean and gained a reputation as the place to find any type of goods on the market.

Traded Goods

Goods which were traded within Greece between different city-states included:

cereals

wine

olives

figs

pulses

eels

cheese

honey

meat (especially from sheep and goats)

tools (e.g.: knives)

perfumes

fine pottery, especially Attic and Corinthian wares.

The most important trade exports were wine and olives, while cereals, spices, & precious metals Were Imported.

Fine Greek pottery was also in great demand abroad and examples have been found as far afield as the Atlantic coast of Africa. Other Greek exports included wine, especially from Aegean islands like Mende and Kos, bronze work, olives and olive oil (transported, like wine, in amphorae), emery from Delos, hides from Euboea, marble from Athens and Naxos, and ruddle (a type of waterproofing material for ships) from Keos.

The goods available at the market places ( agorai) of major urban centres which were imported from outside Greece included:

wheat

slaves from Egypt

grain from the Black Sea (especially via Byzantium)

salt fish from the Black Sea

wood (especially for shipbuilding) from Macedonia and Thrace

papyrus

textiles

luxury food such as spices (e.g.: pepper)

glass

metals such as iron, copper, tin, gold and silver.

Trade Incentives & Protection

Maritime loans enabled traders to pay for their cargoes and the loan did not have to be repaid if the ship failed to reach safely its port of destination. To compensate the lender for this risk, interest rates ( nautikos tokos) could be from 12.5 to 30% and the ship was often the security on the loan.

The involvement of the state in trade was relatively limited; however, a notable exception was grain. For example, so vital was it to feed Athens' large population and especially valuable in times of drought, trade in wheat was controlled and purchased by a special 'grain buyer' ( sitones). From c. 470 BCE the obstruction of the import of grain was prohibited, as was the re-exportation of it; for offenders the punishment was the death penalty. Market officials ( agoranomoi) ensured the quality of goods on sale in the markets and grain had its own supervisors, the sitophylakes, who regulated that prices and quantities were correct.

Besides taxes on the movement of goods (e.g.: road taxes or, at Chalkedon, a 10% transit charge on Black Sea traffic payable to Athens) and levies on imports and exports at ports, there were also measures taken to protect trade. For example, Athens taxed those citizens who contracted loans on grain cargo which did not deliver to Piraeus or those merchants who failed to unload a certain percentage of their cargo. Special maritime courts were established to tempt traders to choose Athens as their trading partner, and private banks could facilitate currency exchange and safeguard deposits. Similar trading incentives existed on Thasos, a major trading-centre and large exporter of high quality wine.

With the decline of the Greek city-states in the late Classical period, international trade moved elsewhere; nevertheless, many Greek cities would continue to be important trading centres in Hellenistic and Roman times, especially Athens and the free-trade ports of Delos and Rhodes.

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Trade was a fundamental aspect of the ancient Greek world and following territorial expansion, an increase in population movements, and innovations in transport, goods could be bought, sold, and exchanged in one part of the Mediterranean which had their origin in a completely different and far distant region.

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534 B.C. First Dionysian Drama/Theatre Festival Held in Ancient Greece

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534 B.C. First Dionysian Drama/Theatre Festival Held in Ancient Greece

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461 - 404 BC Peloponnesian War, or the Civil War between Sparta and Athens 

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461 - 404 BC Peloponnesian War, or the Civil War between Sparta and Athens 

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The two most powerful city-states in ancient Greece, Athens and Sparta, went to war with each other from 431 to 405 B.C. The Peloponnesian War marked a significant power shift in ancient Greece, favoring Sparta, and also ushered in a period of regional decline that signaled the end of what is considered the Golden Age of Ancient Greece.

The Cause of the Peloponnesian War

The formation of the Delian League, or Athenian League, in 478 B.C. united several Greek city-states in a military alliance under Athens, ostensibly to guard against revenge attacks from the Persian Empire. In reality, the league also granted increased power and prestige to Athens. The Spartans, meanwhile, were part of the Peloponnesian League (550 BC- 366 B.C.) of city-states. It was only a matter of time before the two powerful leagues collided.

The Great Peloponnesian War, also called the First Peloponnesian War, was the first major scuffle between them. It became a 15-year conflict between Athens and Sparta and their allies. Peace was decreed by the signing of the Thirty Years Treaty in 445 B.C., effective until 437 B.C., when the Peloponnesian War began.

A civil war in the obscure country of Epidamnus led to the involvement of Sparta's ally, Corinth. When Sparta was brought in to be part of conflict negotiations, Corinth's longtime enemy Corcyra targeted Epidamnus and seized it in a naval battle. Corinth retreated to rebuild its fleet and plan retaliation.

Did you know? The Athenians experienced a major setback when a plague broke out in 430 B.C. Between one-third and two-thirds of the Athenian population died, including the prominent general Pericles.

The Peloponnesian War Begins

In 433 B.C. the tension continued to build and Corcyra officially sought Athens' support by arguing that conflict with Sparta was inevitable and Athens required an alliance with Corcyra to defend itself. The Athenian government debated the suggestion, but its leader Pericles suggested a defensive alliance with Corcya, sending a small number of ships to protect it against Corinthian forces.

All forces met at the Battle of Sybota, in which Corinth, with no support from Sparta, attacked and then retreated at the sight of Athenian ships. Athens, convinced it was about to enter war with Corinth, strengthened its military hold on its various territories in the region to prepare.

Sparta was hesitant to enter the war directly, but was eventually convinced by Corinth to do so, though this was not a popular decision among Sparta's other allies. A year passed before Sparta took aggressive action. During that time, Sparta sent three delegations to Athens to avoid war, offering proposals that could be viewed as a betrayal of Corinth. These efforts conflicted with Pericles' agenda and the Athenians rejected peace.

Athens vs. Sparta

The first 10 years of the conflict are known as "Archidamian War," after Spartan King Archidamus. The Spartan slogan for that period was "Freedom for the Greeks," and its stated aim was to liberate the states under Athenian rule by destroying its defenses and dismantling its structure.

As Spartan forces surrounded Athens in a siege, decimating the countryside and farmland, Pericles declined to engage against them near the city's walls, instead leading naval campaigns elsewhere. He returned to Athens in 430 B.C. as a plague ravaged the city, killing nearly two-thirds of the population. Pericles, following a political uprising that led to his censure, succumbed to the plague in 429 B.C., fracturing the Athenian leadership. Despite this major setback for the Athenians, the Spartans saw only mixed success in their war efforts, and some major losses in western Greece and at sea.

The Peace of Nicias

In 423 B.C., both sides signed a treaty known as the Peace of Nicias, named for the Athenian general who engineered it. Meant to last 50 years, it barely survived eight, undermined by conflict and rebellion brought on by various allies.

Second Phase of War

War reignited decisively around 415 B.C. when Athens received a call to help allies in Sicily against invaders from Syracuse, where an Athenian official defected to Sparta, convincing them that Athens was planning to conquer Italy. Sparta sided with Syracuse and defeated the Athenians in a major sea battle.

Who Won the Peloponnesian War?

Athens did not crumble as expected, winning a string of naval victories against Sparta, which sought monetary and weapons support from the Persian Empire. Under the Spartan general Lysander, the war raged for another decade. By in 405 B.C. Lysander decimated the Athenian fleet in battle and then held Athens under siege, forcing it to surrender to Sparta in 404 B.C.

Impact of the Peloponnesian War

The Peloponnesian War marked the end of the Golden Age of Greece, a change in styles of warfare and the fall of Athens, once the strongest city-state in Greece. The balance in power in Greece was shifted when Athens was absorbed into the Spartan Empire. It continued to exist under a series of tyrants and then a democracy. Athens lost its dominance in the region to Sparta until both were conquered less than a century later and made part of the kingdom of Macedon.

Sources

The Peloponnesian War by Nigel Bagnall, published by St Martins Press, 2004.

The Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan, published by Viking Penguin, 2003.

Ancient Greece: From Prehistoric to Hellenistic Times by Thomas R. Martin, published by Yale University Press, 1996.

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The two most powerful city-states in ancient Greece, Athens and Sparta, went to war with each other from 431 to 405 B.C. The Peloponnesian War marked a significant power shift in ancient Greece, favoring Sparta, and also ushered in a period of regional decline that signaled the end of what is considered the Golden Age of Ancient Greece.

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447 BC Construction of Parthenon, the largest and most lavish temple the Greek mainland had ever seen

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447 BC Construction of Parthenon, the largest and most lavish temple the Greek mainland had ever seen

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Delian League

The Parthenon was the center of religious life in the powerful Greek city-state of Athens, the head of the Delian League. Developed to thwart the possibility of an attack by the Persian Empire or other foes, the Delian League was a cooperative alliance of Greek city-states founded in 478 B.C. during the invasions of the Persian Wars.

The celebrated Greek statesman Pericles is credited with ordering the design and construction of the Parthenon as a temple for Athena-the goddess of wisdom, arts, literature and war-but it may not have been the first attempt to house the deity.

An earlier structure known as the Older Parthenon or Pre-Parthenon once existed on the site of the current Parthenon. Many historians believe the Older Parthenon was under construction in 480 B.C. when the Persian Empire attacked Athens and destroyed the Acropolis, although some experts dispute this theory.

When Was the Parthenon Built?

In 447 B.C., some 33 years after the Persian invasion, Pericles commenced building the Parthenon to replace the earlier temple. The massive structure was dedicated in 438 B.C.

Sculpting and decorative work at the Parthenon continued until 432 B.C. It's estimated that 13,400 stones were used to build the temple, at a total cost of around 470 silver talents (roughly $7 million U.S. dollars today).

Doric Columns

Pericles commissioned the renowned Greek architects Ictinus and Callicrates and the sculptor Phidias to design the Parthenon, which became the largest Doric-style temple of its time.

The structure has a rectangular floor plan and is built on a 23,000-square foot base, part of which was the limestone foundation of the Old Parthenon.

Low steps surrounded each side of the building, and a portico of Doric columns standing on a platform create a border around it. There are 46 outer columns and 19 inner columns.

The columns are slightly tapered to give the temple a symmetrical appearance. The corner columns are larger in diameter than the other columns. Incredibly, the Parthenon contains no straight lines and no right angles, a true feat of Greek architecture.

Amazon Warriors

Many of the Parthenon's features depict scenes from Greek mythology. Ninety-two carved metopes (square blocks placed between three-channeled triglyph blocks) adorn the exterior walls of the Parthenon. The metopes on the West side depict Amazonomachy, a mythical battle between Amazon warriors and the ancient Greeks, and were thought to be designed by the sculptor Kalamis.

The metopes on the East side show Gigantomachy, mythical battles between gods and giants. Most metopes on the South side show Centauromachy, the battle of mythical centaurs with the Lapiths, and the metopes on the North side portray the Trojan War.

Parthenon Frieze

A broad, decorated horizontal band called a frieze runs along the entire length of the walls of the Parthenon's inner chamber (the cella). The frieze was carved using the bas-relief technique, which means the sculpted figures are raised slightly from the background.

Historians believe the frieze depicted either the Panathenaic procession to the Acropolis or the sacrifice of Pandora to Athena.

There are two sculpted, triangular-shaped gables known as pediments on each end of the Parthenon. The East pediment depicted Athena's birth from the head of her father, Zeus. The West pediment showed the conflict between Athena and Poseidon to claim Attica, an ancient region of Greece which included the city of Athens.

Athena Parthenos

A shrine within the Parthenon housed an extraordinary statue of Athena, known as Athena Parthenos, which was sculpted by Phidias. The statue no longer exists but is thought to have stood about 12 meters high (39 feet).

It was carved of wood and covered in ivory and gold. Historians know what the statue looked like thanks to surviving Roman reproductions.

The Athena statue depicted a fully-armed woman wearing a goatskin shield known as an aegis. She held a six-foot tall statue of the Greek goddess Nike in her right hand and a shield in her left hand that illustrated various battle scenes. Two griffins and a sphinx stood on her helmet and a large snake behind her shield.

It's unclear if the Parthenon served solely as a home for Athena or also as a treasury. It was undoubtedly an awe-inspiring sight for anyone who gazed upon it. Ancient spectators weren't allowed inside the structure but viewed its splendor from the outside.

Parthenon Changes Hands

In the sixth century A.D., the Christian Byzantines conquered Greece. They outlawed pagan worship of the ancient Greek gods and converted the Parthenon to a Christian church. They blocked the East side entrance and, following the custom of Christianity, forced worshipers to enter the church on the West side.

The massive statue of Athena was gone before the Byzantines arrived. In her place, they put a pulpit and marble bishop's chair.

The Parthenon remained a Christian church until 1458 A.D., when the Muslim Ottoman Empire seized Athens. The Ottoman Turks converted the Parthenon into a mosque, yet kept many Christian paintings and artifacts intact.

In 1687, facing attack from the Christian Holy League (an alliance of European powers against the Ottoman Empire), the Ottomans converted the Parthenon into an ammunitions depot and shelter, but it was anything but safe. The structure was bombarded with cannonballs and its ammunition stores exploded causing hundreds of deaths and massive structural damage.

After centuries of being ruled by the Turks, the Greeks fought for independence in the 1820s. The Acropolis became a combat zone and the Turkish Army removed hundreds of marble blocks from Parthenon ruins. They also used the lead-coated iron clamps which held the blocks together to make bullets.

Elgin Marbles

After the Holy League's assault and numerous military campaigns, by the 1800s the Parthenon sat in ruins and was at the mercy of looters and the elements.

In the early 19th century, Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin, removed the marble friezes and several other sculptures and shipped them to London, England, where they remain on public display in the British Museum today.

It's unclear if Elgin had permission to remove the sculptures, and the Greek government has requested they be returned.

Time, weathering and cleaning has caused the Elgin Marbles and other Parthenon sculptures to look white, but they and other parts of the structure were once painted with vivid colors.

Did you know? A full-scale replica of The Parthenon was built in Centennial Park, Nashville in 1897 for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition.

Parthenon Restoration

In the 1970s, the Greek government got serious about restoring the rapidly-deteriorating Acropolis and the Parthenon, which had become one of the country's national treasures. They appointed an archaeological committee called the Acropolis Restoration Project.

With Greek architect Manolis Korres at its helm, the committee painstakingly charted every relic in the ruins and used computer technology to identify their original location.

The restoration team plans to supplement original Parthenon artifacts with modern materials that are weather-resistant, corrosion-resistant and will help support the integrity of the structure. Where needed, new marble from the quarry where the original marble was obtained will be used.

Still, the Parthenon will not be restored to its original glory. Instead, it will stay a partial ruin and will feature design elements and artifacts that reflect its rich, diverse history.

Acropolis Museum

Renovations are ongoing at the Parthenon and the entire Acropolis; however, tourists can still visit the historical site. Areas undergoing a makeover may be off-limits.

Some important artifacts and remaining Parthenon sculptures were moved to the nearby Acropolis Museum. To see many of the Parthenon's original marble sculptures and other Acropolis artifacts, visitors are encouraged to tour the museum.

Sources

Secrets of the Parthenon. PBS NOVA.
The Glorious Parthenon. PBS NOVA.
The Parthenon. Ancient-Greece.org.
The Parthenon. Oxford Bibliographies.
The Parthenon. Reed College.
The Parthenon: Religion, Art and Politics. The State University of New York.

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Parthenon: Definition, Facts, Athens & Greece - HISTORY

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The Parthenon is a marble temple built atop the Acropolis in Athens during the classical age of ancient Greece. It was the largest and most lavish temple the Greek mainland had ever seen.

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Oxford Academic (Oxford University Press)

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How did the Romans conquer classical Greece?

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300 AD Oldest Written Record of Homer's Epics

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300 AD Oldest Written Record of Homer's Epics

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Earliest Known Written Record of Homer's Odyssey Found in Greece

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The Greek Ministry of Culture reports archaeologists have found the oldest written record of Homer's Odyssey. Considered to be one of the all-time greatest works of literature, the engraved clay slab contains 13 verses from the 12,109-line poem, with preliminary estimates dating it to Roman times, likely before the third century.

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618-626 CE Li-Yuan, the Duke of Tang, takes control of what once was the Sui Dynasty and founds the Tang Dynasty.

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618-626 CE Li-Yuan, the Duke of Tang, takes control of what once was the Sui Dynasty and founds the Tang Dynasty.

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624 CE Gaozu creates the Tang Legal Code.

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624 CE Gaozu creates the Tang Legal Code.

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Li-Yuan was named Gaozu after his death which is why there is a difference between this point and the previous.

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A portrait of Chinese emperor Gaozu, founder of the Tang Dynasty, r. 618-626 CE.

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Based on Wikipedia content that has been reviewed, edited, and republished. Original image by Unknown Artist. Uploaded by Mark Cartwright, published on 06 October 2017 under the following license: Public Domain. This item is in the public domain, and can be used, copied, and modified without any restrictions. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.

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Please help us create teaching materials on Mesopotamia (including several complete lessons with worksheets, activities, answers, essay questions, and more), which will be free to download for teachers all over the world. Based on Wikipedia content that has been reviewed, edited, and republished. Original image by Unknown Artist.

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626-649 CE The second Emperor, Taizong, comes into power and reforms the government, social structure, military, education, and religious practices.

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626-649 CE The second Emperor, Taizong, comes into power and reforms the government, social structure, military, education, and religious practices.

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Taizong ends up contributing a lot to the Tang Dynasty.

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A painted silk scroll depicting Taizong, second emperor during the Tang Dynasty of China, r. 626-649 CE. (National Palace Museum, Taipei)

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Based on Wikipedia content that has been reviewed, edited, and republished. Original image by Hardouin. Uploaded by Mark Cartwright, published on 07 March 2016 under the following license: Public Domain. This item is in the public domain, and can be used, copied, and modified without any restrictions. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.

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Please help us create teaching materials on Mesopotamia (including several complete lessons with worksheets, activities, answers, essay questions, and more), which will be free to download for teachers all over the world. Based on Wikipedia content that has been reviewed, edited, and republished. Original image by Hardouin.

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650 AD The earliest example of woodblock printing.

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650 AD The earliest example of woodblock printing.

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Woodblock printing is one of the ways that the Tang Dynasty's history was recorded.

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649-683 CE Taizong's successor, Gaozong, becomes the next emperor. Gaozong's wife, Wu Zetian, takes control of the government and continues to reform the dynasty.

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649-683 CE Taizong's successor, Gaozong, becomes the next emperor. Gaozong's wife, Wu Zetian, takes control of the government and continues to reform the dynasty.

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People have had opposing opinions on Wu Zetian for a while on whether or not she produced positive change to the Tang Dynasty but it has come to the conclusion that she improved it a lot.

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Li Bai is one of the most well known poets from the time of the Tang Dynasty. His poems focused on nature, friendship, and alcohol. There were many other poets during this time but I did not want to list them all.

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This article was most recently revised and updated by

Li Bai (born 701, Jiangyou, Sichuan province, China-died 762, Dangtu, Anhui province) was a Chinese poet who rivaled Du Fu for the title of China's greatest poet.

Li Bai liked to regard himself as belonging to the imperial family, but he actually belonged to a less exalted family of the same surname. At age 24 he left home for a period of wandering, after which he married and lived with his wife's family in Anlu (now in Hubei province). He had already begun to write poetry, some of which he showed to various officials in the vain hope of becoming employed as a secretary. After another nomadic period, in 742 he arrived at Chang'an, the Tang dynasty capital, no doubt hoping to be given a post at court. No official post was forthcoming, but he was accepted into a group of distinguished court poets. In the autumn of 744 he began his wanderings again.

In 756 Li Bai became unofficial poet laureate to the military expedition of Prince Lin, the emperor's 16th son. The prince was soon accused of intending to establish an independent kingdom and was executed; Li Bai was arrested and imprisoned at Jiujiang. In the summer of 758 he was banished to Yelang; before he arrived there, he benefited from a general amnesty. He returned to eastern China, where he died in a relative's house, though popular legend says that he drowned when, sitting drunk in a boat, he tried to seize the moon's reflection in the water.

Li Bai was a romantic in his view of life and in his verse. One of the most famous wine drinkers in China's long tradition of imbibers, Li Bai frequently celebrated the joy of drinking. He also wrote of friendship, solitude, the passage of time, and the joys of nature with brilliance and great freshness of imagination.

Encyclopaedia Britannica.

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Li Bai | Tang Dynasty, Poetry, Drunkenness

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Li Bai was a Chinese poet who rivaled Du Fu for the title of China's greatest poet. Li Bai liked to regard himself as belonging to the imperial family, but he actually belonged to a less exalted family of the same surname.

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712-756 CE Xuangzong becomes emperor and makes China one of the most prosperous countries in the world until his decline.

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712-756 CE Xuangzong becomes emperor and makes China one of the most prosperous countries in the world until his decline.

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Xuangzong made many contributions to the Tang Dynasty

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Emperor Xuanzong (r. 712-756 CE) of the Tang Dynasty.

License

Based on Wikipedia content that has been reviewed, edited, and republished. Original image by Zhuwq. Uploaded by Ibolya Horvath, published on 22 February 2016 under the following license: Public Domain. This item is in the public domain, and can be used, copied, and modified without any restrictions. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.

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# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Please help us create teaching materials on Mesopotamia (including several complete lessons with worksheets, activities, answers, essay questions, and more), which will be free to download for teachers all over the world. Based on Wikipedia content that has been reviewed, edited, and republished. Original image by Zhuwq.

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725 CE Yi Xing invents one of the first clocks.

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725 CE Yi Xing invents one of the first clocks.

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The picture is of a clock located in china that uses the same type of mechanism as the one Yi Xing originally invented.

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734 CE Li-Linfu is appointed to the position of chancellor.

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734 CE Li-Linfu is appointed to the position of chancellor.

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Once Li-Linfu becomes chancellor, he starts to plan a way for himself to become emperor. He works at slowly unraveling the Tang dynasty before dying in 753 CE.

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Learn about this topic in these articles:

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...Xuanzong's reign, and after 737, Li Linfu, chief representative of the aristocratic interest, became virtual dictator and the aristocratic party was firmly entrenched in power. From about 740 onward the emperor's actual control of affairs began to decline. The reforms, which theretofore had mostly been necessary for greater administrative efficiency,...
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An aristocratic chief minister, Li Linfu, became a virtual dictator, his powers increasing as Xuanzong in his later years withdrew from active affairs into the pleasures of palace life and the study of Daoism. In the latter part of his reign, Xuanzong, who had previously strictly circumscribed the power...
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Other articles where Li Linfu is discussed: An Lushan: Early life and career: ...rule of China's chief minister, Li Linfu, who was unwilling to appoint native Chinese as generals for fear that they would gain prestige that would enable them to rival his own position at court.

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755 AD An Lushan leads a rebellion and occupies the capital.

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755 AD An Lushan leads a rebellion and occupies the capital.

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Lushan is eventually killed after bringing harm to the Tang dynasty by losing it a lot of its western territory.

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841 AD The royal court decides to be more strict with Buddhism and other religions.

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841 AD The royal court decides to be more strict with Buddhism and other religions.

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They destroyed many monasteries and chapels and made monks and nuns return to normal life. These orders were abolished in 845 AD.

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860 AD The Tang dynasty is in chaos with many people bringing destruction to it. 

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860 AD The Tang dynasty is in chaos with many people bringing destruction to it. 

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To put a sort of end to this chaos, Huang Chao leads an army and takes control. He later orders the death of many poets after they wrote an insulting poem about him which greatly contrasts the other years of the Tang dynasty where they valued the arts.

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907 CE Zhu Wen declares himself Emperor Taizu and begins the Hou Liang dynasty

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907 CE Zhu Wen declares himself Emperor Taizu and begins the Hou Liang dynasty

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The Hou Liang dynasty will go on to become one of the "five dynasties" which are five dynasties that did not last long.

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Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com
History, A&E Television Networks, www.history.com
Ancient history encyclopedia, Ancient history encyclopedia foundation
www.ancient.eu