The world in 530 BC — what happened that year

5 events the sources record for this year, grouped by region.

What happened

Cyrus builds a bridge over the Araxes to attack the Massagetae and crosses it (the location is disputed among scholars) (Herodotus, Histories 1.205-208) tradition
The battle with the Massagetae was the fiercest among non-Greek peoples, and Cyrus was killed (Herodotus, Histories 1.214) tradition
Failing to take Gabii either by assault or by siege (after a defeat beneath its walls), he resorts to a stratagem (Livy, History of Rome (Ab Urbe Condita) 1.53) tradition
Polycrates, tyrant of Samos, subdues several islands with a strong navy and dedicates Rheneia to Apollo of Delos (Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 1.13.6)

Around the time the Phocaeans founded Massalia (Marseille), they defeat the Carthaginians at sea (Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 1.13.6)

Places where the world territory data shows a change of borders in this year.