720s BC

This article concerns the period 729 BC – 720 BC.

Events and trends

728 BC—Piye invades Egypt, conquering Memphis, and receives the submission of the rulers of the Nile Delta. He founds the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt.
728 BC—Diocles of Corinth wins the stadion race at the 13th Olympic Games.
727 BC—Babylonia makes itself independent of Assyria, upon the death of Tiglath-Pileser III.
725 BC—Shalmaneser V starts a 3-year siege of Israel.
725 BC—Sparta conquers the neighboring region of Messenia and takes over the land.
724 BC—The Assyrians start a four-year siege of Tyre.
724 BC—The diaulos footrace is first introduced at the Olympics.

724 BC—Desmon of Corinth wins the stadion race at the 14th Olympic Games.
722 BC—In the fifth month of the year during the summer, Duke Zhuang of Zheng defeats his younger brother Gongshu Duan (共叔段) north of present-day Yanling County.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]
722 BC—Northern Kingdom of Israel is conquered by Assyrian king Sargon II.
722 BC—Duke Yin accedes to the throne of Lu in China, the first event recorded in the Spring and Autumn Annals.
721 BC—The Assyrians conquer the tribes of northern Israel.
721 BC—Sargon II starts to rule. He builds a new capital at Dur Sharrukin (modern Khorsabad).
720 BC—End of the Assyrian siege of Tyre.
720 BC—Orsippus of Megara wins the stadion race at the 15th Olympic Games.
The "dolichos" footrace is introduced at the Olympics.
c. 720 BC—Guardian figure (pictured, right), from the entrance to the throne room at palace of Sargon II is made. It is now kept in the Oriental Institute, Chicago.

729 BC—Tiglath-Pileser III officially crowned sovereign of Asia in Babylon.
729 BC—Hezekiah succeeds Ahaz as king of Judah (or 726 BC).
729 BC—Luli succeeds Mattan II as king of Tyre.
728 BC—Death of Tiglath-Pileser III, king of Assyria (or 727 BC).
727 BC—Shalmaneser V becomes king of Assyria (dies 722 BC).
727 BC—Tefnakhte founds the Twenty-fourth dynasty of Egypt.
726 BC—Hezekiah succeeds Ahaz as king of Judah (or 729 BC).
725 BC—Bakenranef (also known as Bocchoris) succeeds his father Tefnakhte as king of the Twenty-fourth dynasty of Egypt.
724 BC—Ahaz, king of Judah (740 BC–726 BC) dies.
722 BC—Shalmaneser V, king of Assyria, dies.
722 BC—Sargon succeeds Shalmaneser V as king of Assyria.
721 BC—Shabaka succeeds his father Piye as king of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt.
720 BC—Shabaka kills Bakenranef (Bocchoris), ending the Twenty-fourth Dynasty of Egypt
720 BC—Death of King Ping of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
c. 720 BC—Birth of Guan Zhong, political adviser of Qi in eastern Ancient China.

^ 鄢陵概况. 郑伯克段于鄢、晋楚鄢陵之战、唐雎不辱使命等事件均发生于此。 (in Simplified Chinese). 2 May 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
^ 夏征农; 陈至立, eds. (September 2009). 辞海：第六版彩图本 [Cihai (Sixth Edition in Color)] (in Chinese). Shanghai: Shanghai Lexicographical Publishing House. p. 2632. ISBN 9787532628599. 鄢（yān）1古国名、邑名。西周封国。妘姓，在今河南鄢陵西北。春秋初被郑武公灭后为郑邑。《春秋》隐公元年（公元前722年）："郑伯克段于鄢。"即此。后改称鄢陵。
^ 新譯古文觀止（增訂五版） [New Translation of Guwen Guanzhi (Expanded and Revised, 5th edition)] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Translated by Hsieh Ping-ying; Hsiao-yu Chang (5 ed.). Taipei: San Min Book Co., Ltd. 2012. pp. 1, 2. ISBN 978-957-14-5607-2. 鄭伯克段于鄢{...}鄢，鄭國邑名，在今河南鄢陵北。
^ Stephen Durrant; Wai-yee Li; David Schaberg (2016). Zuo Tradition / Zuozhuan: Commentary on the "Spring and Autumn Annals". University of Washington Press. pp. 6, 7. ISBN 9780295806730 – via Google Books. 6 Yan 鄢 was located north of present-day Yanling County 鄢陵縣, Henan.{...}LORD YIN 1 (722 BCE) ANNALS{...}In summer, in the fifth month, the Liege of Zheng overcame Duan (Gongshu Duan) at Yan.6