Alexander the Great: world in 500 BC and 300 BC
Between 500 BC and 300 BC, 24 states appear on the map of world and 12 disappear. Among those that vanish: Achaemenid Empire, Magadha, Kuru. New on the map: Seleucid Kingdom, Mauryan Empire, Hindu kingdoms and republics. Hindu kingdoms loses the most territory.
Open 300 BC in the interactive map
States that disappeared
| State | Area in 500 BC |
|---|---|
| Achaemenid Empire | 5.95 million km² |
| Magadha | 190,000 km² |
| Kuru | 70,000 km² |
| Pancala | 70,000 km² |
| Avanti | 60,000 km² |
| Surasena | 50,000 km² |
| Olmec | 50,000 km² |
| Gandhāra | 40,000 km² |
| Boii | 40,000 km² |
| Etruscans | 30,000 km² |
| Kosala | 30,000 km² |
| Kasi | 20,000 km² |
New states on the map
| State | Area in 300 BC |
|---|---|
| Seleucid Kingdom | 3.46 million km² |
| Mauryan Empire | 1.96 million km² |
| Hindu kingdoms and republics | 860,000 km² |
| Kingdom of Antigonus | 730,000 km² |
| Zhangzhung Kingdom | 660,000 km² |
| Qin | 590,000 km² |
| Ptolemaic Kingdom | 550,000 km² |
| Maya chiefdoms and states | 360,000 km² |
| Qataban | 250,000 km² |
| Cappadocia | 190,000 km² |
| Atropatene | 190,000 km² |
| Nabatean Kingdom | 180,000 km² |
States that grew or shrank
| State | Change in area |
|---|---|
| Hindu kingdoms | −1.26 million km² |
| Zhou states | +320,000 km² |
| Meroe | +270,000 km² |
| Greek city-states | −160,000 km² |
| Carthaginian Empire | +50,000 km² |
What happened in between
| Year | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 490 BC | Persian Wars: Battle of Marathon | Battle of Marathon |
| 480 BC | Thermopylae and Salamis | Battle of Salamis |
| 431 BC | The Peloponnesian War begins | Athens |
| 404 BC | Athens surrenders to Sparta | Athens |
| 338 BC | Battle of Chaeronea: Macedon dominates Greece | |
| 334 BC | Alexander's eastern campaign begins | |
| 331 BC | Battle of Gaugamela | Battle of Gaugamela |
| 326 BC | Battle of the Hydaspes: Alexander reaches India | Battle of Hydaspes |
| 323 BC | Alexander dies in Babylon | |
| 321 BC | Chandragupta founds the Maurya Empire | Patna |
Battles of the period
- Battle of Marathon · 490 BC
- Battle of Thermopylae · 480 BC
- Battle of Salamis · 480 BC
- Battle of Gaugamela · 331 BC
- Battle of Hydaspes · 326 BC
People of the period
| Lived | Person | |
|---|---|---|
| c. 563 BC – 483 BC | Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha | Founder of Buddhism |
| 551 BC – 479 BC | Confucius | Philosopher and teacher |
| 550 BC – 486 BC | Darius I | King of Persia |
| 495 BC – 429 BC | Pericles | Athenian statesman |
| c. 484 BC – 425 BC | Herodotus | Historian |
| c. 428 BC – 348 BC | Plato | Philosopher |
| 384 BC – 322 BC | Aristotle | Philosopher |
| 356 BC – 323 BC | Alexander the Great | King of Macedon |
| c. 340 BC – 297 BC | Chandragupta Maurya | Founder of the Maurya Empire |
| c. 325 BC – 265 BC | Euclid | Mathematician |
Questions
How did the map of world change between 500 BC and 300 BC?
Between 500 BC and 300 BC, 24 states appear on the map of world and 12 disappear. Among those that vanish: Achaemenid Empire, Magadha, Kuru. New on the map: Seleucid Kingdom, Mauryan Empire, Hindu kingdoms and republics. Hindu kingdoms loses the most territory.
Which states disappeared from the map of world between 500 BC and 300 BC?
Achaemenid Empire, Magadha, Kuru, Pancala, Avanti, Surasena, Olmec, Gandhāra, Boii, Etruscans.
Which new states appeared between 500 BC and 300 BC?
Seleucid Kingdom, Mauryan Empire, Hindu kingdoms and republics, Kingdom of Antigonus, Zhangzhung Kingdom, Qin, Ptolemaic Kingdom, Maya chiefdoms and states, Qataban, Cappadocia.
Borders are drawn from the nearest available maps and are approximate.
Last updated 10 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.