Century
4th Century BCE
What happened in the 4th Century BCE.
PoliticsRise of the Ghana Empire under Soninke Rulec. 400 BCE · Koumbi Saleh (Modern Mauritania)The Soninke people consolidate power to form the Ghana Empire, controlling trans-Saharan gold and salt trade.
ExplorationSettlement of the Hawaiian Islandsc. 400 BCE to 800 CE · Hawaii (Big Island), USAPolynesian voyagers from the Marquesas and Society Islands settle the isolated Hawaiian archipelago.
ReligionSt. Augustine Becomes Bishop of Hippo Regius395 CE · Hippo Regius (Annaba), AlgeriaAugustine of Hippo is consecrated bishop in North Africa, influencing Christian theology for centuries.
ScienceRefinement of the Maya Long Count Calendar Systemc. 361 BCE · Chiapa de Corzo, MexicoMaya scholars formalize the Long Count calendar for tracking deep historical time.
ScienceFormal Adoption of Zero as a Placeholder in Maya Mathematicsc. 361 BCE · Chiapas, MexicoMaya mathematicians independently invent and use zero in their vigesimal numeral system.
economicsAksum Issues Gold Coins with Christian Imageryc. 350 CE · Aksum, EthiopiaKing Ezana mints the first African gold coins featuring Christian symbols and Ge'ez inscriptions.
PoliticsAscension of the Nanda Dynastyc. 345 BCE · Pataliputra (modern Patna/India)Mahapadma Nanda overthrows the Shishunaga dynasty, establishing a vast empire and creating the first large-scale state in India.
ReligionKing Ezana Declares Aksum a Christian Kingdomc. 330 CE · Aksum, EthiopiaKing Ezana adopts Christianity as the state religion of Aksum under the influence of Frumentius.
WarAlexander the Great Crosses the Indus Riverc. 326 BCE · Attock (modern Pakistan)Alexander crosses the Indus and defeats King Porus at the Battle of the Hydaspes, expanding his empire to the edge of South Asia.
PoliticsChandragupta Maurya Founding the Mauryan Empirec. 321 BCE · Pataliputra (modern Patna/India)Chandragupta Maurya defeats the Nanda Dynasty with the help of Chanakya, establishing India's first pan-continental empire.
TechnologyConstruction of the Aqua Appia: Rome's First Aqueduct312 BCE · Rome, ItalyAppius Claudius Caecus builds the first aqueduct to supply fresh water to Rome.
WarMauryan Conquest of Gandharac. 305 BCE · Peshawar Valley, Gandhara, PakistanChandragupta Maurya defeats Seleucus Nicator, securing the vital Gandhara region and expanding the Mauryan Empire westward to the Hindu Kush.