Classical Antiquity
The world in 490 BC
8 powers on the map
Four great Eurasian powers connected by the Silk Road and Indian Ocean monsoons. Alexander (334 BC) merges Greek and Persian cultures. Rome, Han, Parthians, and Mauryans cover half of humanity. Buddhism, Christianity, state Confucianism, and Greek philosophy flourish.
Battles this year
Empires and states
Active trade routes
- Amber Road — Baltic amber to the Mediterranean
- Incense Route — Frankincense and myrrh from Arabia Felix
- Persian Royal Road — Couriers and trade from Sardis to Susa
- Phoenician Mediterranean Routes — Purple dye, metals and glass as far as Gades