Map of Europe in 500 BC (500 BCE)
In 500 BCE the atlas maps 7 states and empires with territory in Europe. The largest by mapped territory was Achaemenid Empire, at about 5.55M km², followed by Scythia. The map below is set to 500 BCE; the table lists every state shown, with the modern countries its borders covered.
- States Mapped
- 7
- Largest
- 5.55M km²
- Modern Countries Covered
- 28
- Longest Established
- 800–500 BCE
Map of Europe in 500 BCE
Borders are drawn for 500 BCE. Drag the timeline to move to another year.
The Major Powers of 500 BCE
Achaemenid Empire
550–327 BCEThe Achaemenid Empire was an ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty in 550 BC. 5 million square kilometres, making it the largest empire of its time.
Mapped extent in 500 BCE: 5.55M km²
Scythia
650–224 BCEThe Scythians or Scyths, also known as the Pontic Scythians, were an ancient Eastern Iranic equestrian nomadic people who migrated during the 9th to 8th centuries BC from Central Asia to the Pontic Steppe in modern-day Ukraine and Southern Russia, where they remained until the 3rd century BC.
Mapped extent in 500 BCE: 644,921 km²
Greek City-States
800 BCE – 83 CEPolis is a term used to refer to Ancient Greek city-states. About 1,500 such states are known to have existed.
Mapped extent in 500 BCE: 146,290 km²
Carthage
650–145 BCEAncient Carthage was an ancient civilization based in North Africa. It grew from a small settlement in present-day Tunisia into the Carthaginian Empire, a major power that dominated the western half of the Mediterranean Sea.
Mapped extent in 500 BCE: 124,878 km²
Etruscans
750–265 BCEThe Etruscans created a civilization in Etruria, in ancient Italy, with a common language and culture, and formed a federation of city-states. After adjacent lands had been conquered, its territory covered, at its greatest extent, roughly what is now Tuscany, western Umbria and northern Lazio, as well as what are now the Po Valley, Emilia-Romagna, south-eastern Lombardy, southern Veneto and western Campania.
Mapped extent in 500 BCE: 65,593 km²
The Macedonian Empire of Alexander
675–292 BCEMacedonia, also called Macedon, was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, which later became the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled by the royal Argead dynasty, which was followed by the Antipatrid and Antigonid dynasties.
Mapped extent in 500 BCE: 28,540 km²
Descriptions are the opening of each state's Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
States and Empires in 500 BCE
7 mapped, largest territory first. Dates are the span of each state's mapped borders.
| # | State | Mapped area | Dates | Modern countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Achaemenid Empire | 5.55M km² | 550–327 BCE | Pakistan, Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Iraq and 14 more |
| 2 | Scythia | 644,921 km² | 650–224 BCE | Russia, Ukraine |
| 3 | Greek City-States | 146,290 km² | 800 BCE – 83 CE | Turkey, France, Italy, Greece, Albania |
| 4 | Carthage | 124,878 km² | 650–145 BCE | Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Malta |
| 5 | Etruscans | 65,593 km² | 750–265 BCE | France, Italy |
| 6 | The Macedonian Empire of Alexander | 28,540 km² | 675–292 BCE | Greece, North Macedonia |
| 7 | Peloponnesian League | 15,334 km² | 550–338 BCE | Greece |
500 BCE by Region
500 BCE: Quick Answers
- What empires and states existed in Europe in 500 BCE?
- The atlas maps 7 states in Europe in 500 BCE. The largest by mapped territory were Achaemenid Empire, Scythia, Greek City-States, Carthage, Etruscans, The Macedonian Empire of Alexander.
- What was the largest empire in Europe in 500 BCE?
- Achaemenid Empire had the largest mapped territory among states present in Europe in 500 BCE, about 5.55M km², followed by Scythia (644,921 km²). Areas are measured from the mapped borders and are approximate.
- What did the map of Europe look like in 500 BC?
- In 500 BCE the map of Europe was divided between 7 mapped states and empires. Achaemenid Empire held the largest territory, followed by Scythia. Their borders covered parts of 28 present-day countries.
- How many states are shown on the map for 500 BCE?
- 7. The map shows the states recorded in the atlas's dated border dataset for that year; states and peoples absent from that dataset are not shown.