View source for 450 BC

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{{BC year in topic|450}}
[[File:Ancient Greek Colonies of N Black Sea.png|thumb|Greek colonies in the northern part of the Black Sea in 450 BC.]]
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Year '''450 BC''' was a year of the [[Roman calendar|pre-Julian Roman calendar]]. At the time, it was known as the '''Second year of the decemviri''' (or, less frequently, '''year 304 ''[[Ab urbe condita]]'''''). The denomination 450 BC for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the [[Anno Domini]] [[calendar era]] became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

== Events ==
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=== By place ===

==== Greece ====
* [[Athenian]] [[general]] [[Cimon]] sails to [[Cyprus]] with two hundred [[trireme]]s of the [[Delian League]]. From there, he sends sixty ships to [[Egypt]] to help the Egyptians under [[Amyrtaeus]], who are fighting the [[Achaemenid Empire|Persians]] in the [[Nile Delta]]. Cimon uses the remaining ships to aid an uprising of the [[Greek Cypriots|Cypriot Greek]] city-states against [[Achaemenid Empire|Persian]] control of the island. He lays siege to the [[Achaemenid Empire|Persian]] stronghold of [[Citium]] on the southern west coast of Cyprus. However, the siege fails and Cyprus remains under [[Phoenicia]]n (and Persian) control.
* During the siege Cimon dies and command of the fleet is given to Anaxicrates, who leaves Citium to engage the Phoenician fleet in the [[Battle of Salamis in Cyprus (450 BC)|Battle of Salamis in Cyprus]]. The Greek fleet is victorious against the Persians and their allies and then returns to [[Athens]].
* The Athenians reduce the [[tribute]] due from their subject city-states (i.e. members of the Delian League), and each city is allowed to issue its own coinage.
* 5,000 [[Talent (measurement)|talents]] are transferred to the treasury of the Delian League in Athens.

==== Macedonia ====
* [[Perdiccas II of Macedon|Perdiccas II]] succeeds [[Alexander I of Macedon|Alexander I]] as king of [[Macedon]]ia (approximate date).

==== Roman Republic ====
* The success of the first [[Decemvirate]] prompts the appointment of a second Decemvirate which also includes [[plebeians]] amongst its members. This second decemviri adds two more headings to their predecessor's ten, completing the [[Law of the Twelve Tables]] (Lex Duodecim Tabularum), which will form the centrepiece of Roman law for the next several centuries. Nevertheless, this Decemvirate's rule becomes increasingly violent and tyrannical.

==== Sicily ====
* After minor preliminary successes (including the capture of Inessa from its Greek colonists), [[Ducetius]], a Hellenised leader of the [[Siculi]], an ancient people of [[Sicily]], is decisively defeated by the combined forces of [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]] and [[Agrigento|Acragas]]. Ducetius flees to exile in [[Corinth]].

=== By topic ===

==== Arts ====
* The Severe ([[Classical Greece|Early Classical]]) period of [[sculpture]] ends in [[Ancient Greece]] and is succeeded by the [[Classical Greece|Mature Classical]] period (approximate date).
* [[Polykleitos]] of [[Argos, Peloponnese|Argos]] develops a set of rules (''The Canon'') for constructing the ideal human figure (approximate date).
* [[Polygnotos]] of [[Thasos]] ceases his work (approximate date).
* The old [[bouleuterion]], the west side of the [[Ancient Agora of Athens|agora]] in Athens, is built (approximate date).
* [[Polykleitos]] starts making the bronze statue ''Achilles'' (also known as ''The [[Spear Bearer]]'' or ''[[Doryphoros]]''), which he finishes about [[440 BC|ten years later]]. A [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] copy of the original bronze is now kept in the [[Naples National Archaeological Museum|Museo Archeologico Nazionale]] in [[Naples]], [[Italy]] (approximate date).
* The grave stela from [[Paros]], ''Little girl with a bird'', is made. It is now kept at The [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] in [[New York City|New York]] (approximate date).
* The statue ''Woman and maid'' in the style of [[Achilles Painter]], white-ground and black-figure decoration on a [[lekythos]], with additional painting in [[tempera]], starts being made (finished about [[440 BC|ten years later]]). It is now kept at the [[Museum of Fine Arts, Boston|Museum of Fine Arts]] in [[Boston]] (approximate date).
* [[Myron]] makes a bronze statue called ''The Discus Thrower'' ([[Discobolus]]). A [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] copy is now kept at [[Museo Nazionale Romano]], [[Rome]] (approximate date).
* The [[Corinthian order]] makes its first appearance in Greek [[architecture]] (approximate date).
* The red-figure decorations ''A Painter'', ''Assistants Crowned by Athena'' and ''Victories'' are made on a [[hydria]] in [[Athens]]. They are now kept in a private collection (approximate date).
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== Births ==
* [[Alcibiades]], Athenian general and politician (d. [[404 BC]])<ref>{{cite web|title=Alcibiades - Athenian politician and general|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alcibiades-Athenian-politician-and-general|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=27 May 2018|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Aristophanes]], Greek playwright (approximate year)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aristophanes | access-date=February 24, 2024 | title=Aristophanes | series=Encyclopædia Britannica | date=January 19, 2024 | first1=Maurice | last1=Platnauer | first2=Oliver | last2=Taplin}}</ref>

== Deaths ==
* [[Cimon]], Athenian statesman and general (b. c. [[510 BC]])
* [[Alexander I of Macedon|Alexander I]], king of Macedonia (approximate date)

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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[[Category:450 BC| ]]