chronology:

1. The Athenian year began in our month of July; so the Battle of Marathon in September 490 BC fell in the year 490–89 BC . For simplicity, dates in this book are given as single years; so Socrates was born in the year 469–8 , but the date given is 469 .

2. The symbol ~ below indicates that a date or event is conjectural.

500 Democracy in Athens following Cleisthenes’ reforms of 508.

490 Greco-Persian Wars: Darius’s army defeated at the Battle of Marathon.

480 Greco-Persian Wars: Xerxes’ fleet defeated at Battle of Salamis.

470 ~Birth of Aspasia. 469 Birth of Socrates.

460 Pericles leads Athens after the ostracism of Kimon in 461.Hostilities between Athens and Sparta: ‘First Peloponnesian War’. ~455 Pericles divorces his wife Deinomache. ~451 Birth of Alcibiades. Socrates visits Samos with Archelaus.

450 ~Aspasia arrives in Athens with her father-in-law Axiochus. 447 Battle of Coronea: ~Socrates’ earliest military service. Death of Cleinias, father of Alcibiades. ~445 Pericles and Aspasia living together.

440 Pericles’ campaign to subjugate Samos (440–439). 432 Socrates saves Alcibiades’ life at Battle of Potidaea.

430 The Peloponnesian War (431–404) enters its second year.Socrates and Alcibiades on military service in northern Greece.

429 Death of Pericles from plague. Aspasia marries Lysicles.

424 Socrates retreats at the Battle of Delium. 423 Aristophanes’ Clouds performed, with Socrates present. 421 Aristophanes’ comedy Peace. Peace of Nicias struck with Sparta. 420 Alcibiades in politics. Socrates in Xenophon’s Symposium. 416 Agathon wins prize for tragedy. Socrates depicted in Plato’s Symposium.

415–413 Sicilian Expedition; Alcibiades in exile from Athens.

410 Democracy restored after oligarchic coup (‘the Four Hundred’) of 411. 406 Socrates on Council argues against mass execution of generals.

404 Spartan victory in Peloponnesian War. Thirty Tyrants in Athens.Socrates refuses to arrest Leon of Salamis.

403 Democracy restored in Athens.