656 BC - Definition and Overview

Centuries: 8th century BC - 7th century BC - 6th century BC

Decades: 700s BC 690s BC 680s BC 670s BC 660s BC - 650s BC - 640s BC 630s BC 620s BC 610s BC 600s BC

Events and Trends

• Occupation begins at Maya site of Piedras Negras, Guatemala
• 657 BC - Cypselus becomes the first tyrant of Corinth.
• 656 BC - Psammetichus extends his control over all of Egypt. End of Twenty-fifth Dynasty
• 653 BC Atta-Khumma-In-Shushinak and Khumbanigash II succeeds Shilhak-In-Shushinak and Tempti-Khumma-In-Shushinak as kings of the Elamite Empire
• 652 BC - Babylonia rises in revolt under Shamash-shuma-ukin against the Assyrians
• 651 BC - Zhou xiang wang becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
• 650 BC - The town of Abdera in Thrace is founded by colonists from Clazomenae.

Significant People

• 653 BC - Death of Tantamani, last king of the Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt
• 652 BC - Death of Gyges, king of Lydia
• 652 BC - Death of Zhou hui wang, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
• 652 BC - First recorded mention of King "Kuras of Parsumas". He is possibly the same as King Cyrus I of Anshan, head of the Achaemenid dynasty.