Cyrene and the Greek Pentapolis

Cyrene and the Greek Pentapolis was a state in Maghreb (North and West Africa) that lasted from 631 to 96 BCE, about 535 years. Its people spoke Greek languages (Mycenaean, Classical, Hellenistic, Byzantine, modern Greek).

Greek colony in eastern Libya founded from Thera, which grew wealthy on grain, horses and the medicinal plant silphium. Ruled by the Ptolemies from 322 BCE, it was left to Rome in 96 BCE.

See Cyrene and the Greek Pentapolis on the interactive timeline

Facts

Dates

631 to 96 BCE

Duration

535 years

Type

State

Region

Maghreb, North and West Africa

Language family

Greek

Capital

Cyrene

Became

• Roman Africa 146 BCE to 439 CE

Events in North and West Africa during its time

• 500 BCE Iron smelting in West Africa
• 331 BCE Founding of Alexandria
• 146 BCE Destruction of Carthage

Neighbours in North and West Africa

• Carthage c. 814 to 146 BCE
• Ptolemaic Kingdom 305 to 30 BCE
• Kingdom of Kush (Meroitic period) c. 300 BCE to 350 CE
• Roman Africa 146 BCE to 439 CE
• Kingdom of Kush (Napatan period) c. 785 to 300 BCE
• Numidia 202 to 46 BCE
• Garamantes c. 500 BCE to 700 CE
• D'mt c. 980 to 400 BCE
• Mauretania c. 300 BCE to 44 CE
• Late Period of Egypt 664 to 332 BCE

Elsewhere in the world at the same time

• Teotihuacan c. 100 BCE to 550 CE, Mesoamerica and Caribbean
• Roman Republic 509 to 27 BCE, Europe
• Parthian Empire 247 BCE to 224 CE, Middle East
• Greek city-states c. 800 to 338 BCE, Europe
• Neo-Assyrian Empire 911 to 609 BCE, Middle East
• Xiongnu Empire c. 209 BCE to 93 CE, Central and North Asia
• Achaemenid Empire 550 to 330 BCE, Middle East
• Western Han 202 BCE to 9 CE, East Asia
• Athens 508 to 322 BCE, Europe
• Maurya Empire 322 to 185 BCE, South Asia

Questions