486 BC

486 BC was a year in the pre-Julian Roman calendar. It corresponds to the year 320 (AUC) ab urbe condita (from the founding of the city). In the proleptic Julian calendar, it was a common year starting on Wednesday.

Events

• The Battle of Cremera is traditionally said to have occurred in this year, though other dates are also suggested. It involved a conflict between Roman forces and the Etruscan city of Veii. The Fabii clan, a prominent Roman family, was largely wiped out in the battle.
• Xerxes I of Persia suppresses a revolt in Egypt and appoints his brother Achaemenes as satrap.
• It is the (traditional) year of death of Darius I, King of Persia, and the ascension of Xerxes I to the Persian throne.

Births

• None are widely recorded for this year.

Deaths

• Darius I, King of Persia.

Significance

The year 486 BC is notable for its connection to key events in early Roman history, specifically the Battle of Cremera and its impact on the Fabii family. It also marks a significant transition in the Achaemenid Persian Empire with the death of Darius I and the ascension of Xerxes I. This succession led to a continuation of Persian ambitions towards Greece. The events of 486 BC contributed to the geopolitical landscape that would influence the Greco-Persian Wars in the following years.