Weather History and Climate (550 B.C. to 500 B.C.)

600 B.C. to 550 B.C. | 550 B.C. to 500 B.C. | 500 B.C. to 450 B.C.

CLIMATE (550-500 B.C.):

During the first 30 years of this period we are in the warm phase of the 100-year cycle, but in this instance the cycle had shortened to 70 years. Notice how the latter part of the warm period was considerably drier than the former part. The drop in temperature and rainfall between 540 and 535 is typical in that it breaks the warm period into two parts.

HISTORY (550-500 B.C.):

Notice particularly, however, how uniformly red are the entries for the main events of the warm period and how quickly the pattern shifts as it turned cold between 520 and 515.

While at the opening of the warm period strong government~ revived, and while there was a revival of learning, this is not a major Golden Age period. Golden Age periods, with their conspicuously good leadership and great outcropping of geniuses, occur on the average of about every 200 years.

Remember that this is near the opening of a 500-year cycle. Consequently, we can expect profound events to be occurring, and they are. This period is famous for its origin of rational thought in the history of human intelligence. It was a small beginning, but a profound one. The human mind is rising out of semi-barbarism. Here occurred the crude beginnings of science and philosophy. Most of the early philosophers we know about only indirectly or through fragments of their writings. Their views were a mixture of rational thinking and superstition, but it was an important beginning. All of their names, which would mean little to the general reader, have not been included. Among them was Pythagoras, who founded a famous school of thought.

The fact that Buddha and Confucius flourished at this time indicates that the awakening was not confined to the region of the Meditertanean.

The great revolution that crowded the sixth century with important events will reach a climax during the early part of the next century. It was one of the great dynamic periods of history and the Golden Age of Greece.

Note the increase of despotism and atrocities, typical warm-dry events, during the last half of the warm period. While the period between 550 and 520 B.C. is known as the Age of Tyrants, such a statement is misleading because tyrants emerge universally during warm periods in history, especially during the warm-dry phases of the cycle. This does not mean that there are no tyrants during cold times, but it does mean that during the latter parts of the warm periods they fit into the total pattern. Frequently they are deliberately sought, even by the people at such times; while during cold times they do not fit into the total pattern, and efforts, generally successful sooner or later, are made by the people to oust them from office.

Notice the migrations toward the end of this period. The Gauls, Teutons, and Celts were western European, north of the Mediterranean; and the Slavs and Scythians were in western Asia. There were almost surely other migrations than those that were recorded. The Scythians were Monngoloid peoples like the Tartars who will be heard from many times. The Slavs were ancestors of the present Slavs.

Information from Weather Science Foundation.