By place Greece • The
Greek city-states make peace with the
Persian Empire through the
Peace of Callias, named after
Callias II, the chief Greek ambassador to the Persian Court, an Athenian who is a brother-in-law of
Cimon.
Athens agrees to end its support for the
Egyptian rebels still holding out in parts of the
Nile Delta, while the Persians agree not to send ships of war into the
Aegean Sea. Athens now effectively controls all the Greek city states in
Ionia. •
Pericles begins a great building plan including the re-fortification of Athens main port
Piraeus and its long walls extending to Athens main city. • Pericles proposes the "Papyrus Decree" allowing the use of 5,000
talents to finance the massive rebuilding program of Athenian temples. This leads to a meeting ("Congress") of all Greek states in order to consider the question of rebuilding the temples destroyed by the Persians. The Congress fails because of
Sparta's opposition. • Pericles places the Athenian sculptor
Phidias in charge of all the artistic aspects of his reconstruction program. Construction begins on the
Temple of Hephaestus in
Athens, while the Athenian Senate commissions
Callicrates to construct a temple to
Athena Nike on the
Acropolis. • The
Second Sacred War erupts between Athens and Sparta, when Sparta forcefully detaches
Delphi from
Phocis and renders it independent.
Rome • The
Law of the Twelve Tables (developed by the
Decemvirates) is formally promulgated in 450 B.C. The Twelve Tables are literally drawn up on twelve ivory tablets which are posted in the
Forum Romanum so that all Romans can read and know them. • When the Decemvirate's term of office expires, the decemviri refuse to leave office or permit successors to take office.
Appius Claudius Crassus is said to have made an unjust decision which would have forced a young woman named
Verginia into prostitution, prompting her father to kill her. This leads to an uprising against the Decemvirate forcing the decemviri to resign their offices. The ordinary magistrates (
magistratus ordinarii) are re-instituted. Appius Claudius is said to have committed suicide as a result of these events.
By topic Literature •
Herodotus completes his
History, which records the events concerning the
Persian War. == Births ==