Centuries: 6th century BC - 5th century BC - 4th century BC

Decades: 540s BC 530s BC 520s BC 510s BC 500s BC - 490s BC - 480s BC 470s BC 460s BC 450s BC 440s BC

Years: 499 BC 498 BC 497 BC - 496 BC - 495 BC 490 BC 489 BC 488 BC 487 BC

Events

• Battle of Lake Regillus: A legendary early Roman victory, won over either the Etruscans or the Latins.
• King Gon Jian of Yue defeats and banishes King Fucha of Wu , gaining a temporary hegemony in ancient China during the Spring and Autumn Period

Births

• Sophocles, Athenian dramatist and statesman.

Deaths

• Pythagoras, Greek philosopher and mathematician.
• Sun Tzu, military philosopher and author of The Art of War (most likely a colloquial date)