640s BC

Centuries: 8th century BC – 7th century BC – 6th century BC

Decades: 690s BC 680s BC 670s BC 660s BC 650s BC – 640s BC – 630s BC 620s BC 610s BC 600s BC 590s BC

Events and trends

• Assyrian king Ashurbanipal founds library, which includes our earliest complete copy of the Epic of Gilgamesh.
• 649 BC – Indabigash succeeds Tammaritu as a king of the Elamite Empire
• 649 BC – Babylonian revolt under Shamash-shuma-ukin is crushed by the Assyrians
• 648 BC – Pankration becomes an Olympic event
• 648 BC – Earliest Greek-chronicled solar eclipse.
• 647 BC – King Assurbanipal of Assyria sacks Susa
• 642 BC – Ancus Marcius becomes king of Rome (traditional date)
• 640 BC – Great victory of Assyria over Elamite Empire

Significant people

• 645 BC – Death of Archilochos, Greek poet (approximate date)
• 643 BC – Death of Manasseh of Judah
• 641 BC – Josiah becomes king of Judah
• 640 BC – Birth of Stesichorus, Greek poet (approximate date)