481 BC

Millennium:	1st millennium BC
Centuries:	6th century BC 5th century BC 4th century BC
Decades:	500s BC 490s BC 480s BC 470s BC 460s BC
Years:	484 BC 483 BC 482 BC 481 BC 480 BC 479 BC 478 BC

481 BC in various calendars

Gregorian calendar	481 BC CDLXXXI BC
Ab urbe condita	273
Ancient Egypt era	XXVII dynasty, 45
- Pharaoh	Xerxes I of Persia, 5
Ancient Greek era	74th Olympiad, year 4
Assyrian calendar	4270
Balinese saka calendar	N/A
Bengali calendar	−1073
Berber calendar	470
Buddhist calendar	64
Burmese calendar	−1118
Byzantine calendar	5028–5029
Chinese calendar	己未年 (Earth Goat) 2217 or 2010     — to — 庚申年 (Metal Monkey) 2218 or 2011
Coptic calendar	−764 – −763
Discordian calendar	686
Ethiopian calendar	−488 – −487
Hebrew calendar	3280–3281
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat	−424 – −423
- Shaka Samvat	N/A
- Kali Yuga	2620–2621
Holocene calendar	9520
Iranian calendar	1102 BP – 1101 BP
Islamic calendar	1136 BH – 1135 BH
Javanese calendar	N/A
Julian calendar	N/A
Korean calendar	1853
Minguo calendar	2392 before ROC 民前2392年
Nanakshahi calendar	−1948
Thai solar calendar	62–63
Tibetan calendar	阴土羊年 (female Earth-Goat) −354 or −735 or −1507     — to — 阳金猴年 (male Iron-Monkey) −353 or −734 or −1506

Year 481 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Vibulanus and Fusus (or, less frequently, year 273 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 481 BC for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Events

By place

Persian Empire

• The Persian King Xerxes I arrives at Sardis and begins to build up his great army and navy for the invasion of Greece. Egypt contributes 481 ships.

Greece

• The Congress at the Isthmus of Corinth, under the presidency of Sparta, brings together a number of the Greek city states, who agree to the end of the war between Athens and Aegina. They also discuss the threat from the Persians. Athens is unwilling to place her forces under Sparta and its king Leonidas. Gelo, tyrant of Syracuse, wants high command, but Sparta and Athens refuse. However, during the Congress, Gelo has to withdraw due to Carthage's plans to invade Sicily. Finally, Themistocles agrees that Athens' navy serve under a Spartan admiral to achieve the unity of the Greek states. Nevertheless, Thebes and Thessaly are unwilling to support Athens against the Persians and Crete decides to remain neutral.

China

• The Spring and Autumn period, which has begun in 722 BC, ends, while the Warring States period officially begins in 403 BC.

Rome

• The Aequi lay siege to Ortona but are defeated by the Romans. Tensions between the Roman classes flare during the battle.
• Continuation of hostilities with Veii. The Veientine army threatens to besiege Rome but nothing notable occurs.
• The tribune Spurius Licinius unsuccessfully advocates an agrarian law.

Births

• Protagoras, Greek presocratic philosopher (d. c. 420 BC)

Deaths

• Sima Niu, the highest ranking aristocrat among the disciples of Confucius