Who Was Alive
Bimbisara
Nomu420, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Bimbisara

Ruler

Born 558 BC · died 491 BC, aged 66 or 67
Also known as Shrenika, Srenika

Who was alive at the same time as Bimbisara?

  1. Anaximander, c. 610 – c. 546 BC
  2. Cyrus the Great, c. 600 – 530 BC
  3. Bias of Priene, c. 600 – c. 530 BC
  4. Chilon of Sparta, c. 600 – c. 520 BC
  5. Anaximenes of Miletus, c. 585 – c. 527 BC
  6. Anacreon, c. 570 – c. 485 BC
  7. Xenophanes, 570 – c. 478 BC
  8. Theognis of Megara, 570–485 BC
  9. Cambyses II, 559–522 BC
  10. Bimbisara, 558–491 BC
  11. Simonides of Ceos, 556 – c. 468 BC
  12. Confucius, c. 551 – c. 479 BC
  13. Darius the Great, 550–486 BC
  14. Aeschylus, 525–456 BC
  15. Themistocles, 524–459 BC
  16. Pāṇini, c. 520 – c. 460 BC
  17. Xerxes I, 519–465 BC
  18. Pindar, 517–437 BC
  19. Parmenides, c. 512 – c. 470 BC
  20. Anaxagoras, c. 500 – c. 428 BC
  21. Phidias, c. 500 – c. 430 BC
  22. Sophocles, c. 496 – c. 406 BC
  23. Empedocles, c. 494 – c. 434 BC
  24. Pericles, 494–429 BC

Drag across the timeline, or use the arrow keys, to see who was alive in any year and the age each person reached that year. Dashed lines mark world events. Faded ends mark uncertain dates.

When Bimbisara was born, Theognis of Megara was 11 or 12, Stesichorus was 71 or 72 and Polycrates was 15 or 16.

When Bimbisara died, Pericles was 2 or 3, Darius the Great was 58 or 59, Xerxes I was 27 or 28, Themistocles was 32 or 33 and Theognis of Megara was 78 or 79.

Born during Bimbisara’s lifetime: Confucius, Sophocles, Aeschylus, Pericles, Darius the Great, Parmenides, Anaxagoras and Empedocles.

Not quite contemporaries: Herodotus was born about 5 years after Bimbisara died, Aesop died about 4 years before Bimbisara was born, Nebuchadnezzar II died about a year before Bimbisara was born and Gorgias was born about 5 years after Bimbisara died.

Where Bimbisara’s contemporaries were born

Bimbisara is labelled; the others are the best-known people we track who lived at the same time. Each dot is a birthplace from Wikidata (33 of 36 placed); tap one to open that person.
Birthplaces as a list

Compare Bimbisara

The 35 best-known contemporaries

35 of the people we track were surely alive at the same time as Bimbisara. All of them are listed here. See also everyone alive in 524 BC.

  1. Confucius c. 551 – c. 479 BC
  2. Sophocles c. 496 – c. 406 BC
  3. Aeschylus 525–456 BC
  4. Cyrus the Great c. 600 – 530 BC
  5. Pericles 494–429 BC
  6. Anaximander c. 610 – c. 546 BC
  7. Darius the Great 550–486 BC
  8. Parmenides c. 512 – c. 470 BC
  9. Anaxagoras c. 500 – c. 428 BC
  10. Empedocles c. 494 – c. 434 BC
  11. Pindar 517–437 BC
  12. Xenophanes 570 – c. 478 BC
  13. Xerxes I 519–465 BC
  14. Anaximenes of Miletus c. 585 – c. 527 BC
  15. Anacreon c. 570 – c. 485 BC
  16. Themistocles 524–459 BC
  17. Pāṇini c. 520 – c. 460 BC
  18. Phidias c. 500 – c. 430 BC
  19. Cambyses II 559–522 BC
  20. Simonides of Ceos 556 – c. 468 BC
  21. Theognis of Megara 570–485 BC
  22. Bias of Priene c. 600 – c. 530 BC
  23. Chilon of Sparta c. 600 – c. 520 BC
  24. Sushruta 600–500 BC
  25. Miltiades c. 554 – 489 BC
  26. Nabonidus c. 615 – 538 BC
  27. Śāriputra 568–484 BC
  28. Bacchylides c. 516 – c. 451 BC
  29. Aristides c. 540 – 467 BC
  30. Stesichorus 630–555 BC
  31. Polycrates 574–522 BC
  32. Epicharmus of Cos c. 531 – c. 440 BC
  33. Cimon 510–450 BC
  34. Pherecydes of Syros c. 580 – c. 499 BC
  35. Atossa 550–475 BC