480 BC - Definition and Overview

Centuries: 6th century BC - 5th century BC - 4th century BC

Decades: 530s BC 520s BC 510s BC 500s BC 490s BC - 480s BC - 470s BC 460s BC 450s BC 440s BC 430s BC

Years: 485 BC 484 BC 483 BC 482 BC 481 BC - 480 BC - 479 BC 478 BC 477 BC 476 BC 475 BC

Events

• King Xerxes I of Persia sets out to conquer Greece.
• Cimon and his mates burn horse-bridles as offering to Athena and join marines
• August 11 Battle of Thermopylae.
• Pleistarchus succeeds his father Leonidas as king of Sparta.
• August Battle of Artemisium Persian fleet fights an inconclusive battle with the Greek allied fleet.
• September 23 Battle of Salamis.
• Persian invasion of Corfu.
• Battle of Himera The Carthaginians under Hamilcar are defeated by the Greeks of Sicily, led by Gelon of Syracuse.

Births

• Euripides, Greek playwright.
• Antiphon, Attic orator.
• Philolaus, Greek mathematician and philosopher (+ circa 405 BC) (estimated date).

Deaths

• Leonidas and 300 Spartans (died at Thermopylae).
• Nabu-rimanni, Chaldean astronomer and mathematician (estimated date).