Goetic Timeline
Considered in strict socio-historical terms of linear time and geographical space, traditions concerning ancient gods and magical books often appear compartmentalized and distinct, but this was never the way that they were understood. Consequently this mythic past is essential to a revitalized and practical pagan goetia in the here and now.
GOETIA: The term goetia derives from a word indicating a person, a rare case of the art taking its name from the artist. Such a person was termed a goes…The word goes reIates to terms describing the act of lamenting at funeral rites; the mournful howling considered as a magical voice. These magical tones can guide the deceased to the underworld, and raise the dead. This is the root of the long connection of goetia with necromancy, which has come to be termed black magic… It is not uncommon to hear such expressions as goetic demons or even goetias when referring to the spirits of this grimoire [Goetia of Solomon the King] ; which could be acceptable were it applied equally to demons of other grimoires, which it is not.
- 8350 BCE: Neolithic foundation of Jericho, first walled tower.
- 6250 BCE: Neolithic foundation of Catal Hayuk in Anarolia. Produces images of a goddess between two lions, resembling later Cybele.
- 6000 BCE: Island of Crete occupied from mainland.
- 4000BCE: Bronze Age begins in the Middle East.
- 4000 BCE: Pottery finds suggest Libyan immigration to Crere, possibly due to expanding Egyptian hegemony.
- 3500 BCE: Thracian Copper Age; produces gold horse harness decorations, the oldest gold artefacts in Europe.
- 3200 BCE: Writing developed in Sumer and Egypt, beginnings of written history in dynastic lists maintained by priesthoods.
- 2900/2600 BCE: Cretan Bronze Age begins, Early Minoan or pre-palace period.
- 2400 BCE: Troy exerts economic dominance, controlling Black Sea trade.
- 2000 BCE: Middle Minoan, first palace period.
- 1600 BCE: Beginnings of Mycenaean civilisation in Greece; Zancle (later called Messene) founded in Sicily.
- 1590 BCE: Late Minoan.
- 1450 BCE: Destruction of Minoan Crete, followed by pardal revival.
- 1453 BCE, 1222 BCE, 884 BCE: Legendary founding of the Olympic games.
- 1250 BCE: The likely historical period of the Black Sea expedition of the Argonauts and of the Trojan War. Homer portrays difficulties at home attending their return. Hittite references describe the Ahhiyawa (Achaean) king as equal to the Hittite king.
- 1219 BCE: An attempted migration of Sea Peoples, likely including landless Mycenaean warriors (Achaeans), allied to Libyans is repulsed by Egypt.
- 1200 BCE: A period marked by widespread economic turmoil and the depredations of the Sea Peoples. The beginning of the collapse of Mycenaean culture, the likely causes are nowadays considered to be inter-state strife and revolts against the palaces by the general population, rather than Dorian invasion. Palace sites destroyed or abandoned. The Hittite Kingdom falls, and Egypt loses its Asiatic possessions. In the course of this century the Dorian Greeks penetrate into Peloponnesian Greece and the Phrygians into Asia Minor.
- 1174 BCE: Rameses III repulses another attempted migration by the Sea Peoples.
- 1100 BCE: The Dorians spread to Crete, bringing the final end of Minoan culture. The former Mycenaeans retire from the Peloponnese into Arcadia and into Attica and particularly Athens.
- 1050 BCE: Phrygians established as successors to the Hittites in Anatolia.
- 1000-800 BCE: Dark Ages (Greek); the period sees mass migration to Asia Minor, the birthplace of Greek philosophy.
- 959 BCE: Solomon builds the Temple.
- 945 BCE: Visit of the Queen of Sheba, Solomon’s fall into idolatory. A Libyan dynasty rules in Egypt. Oracles are important to Egypt’s Theban priesthood.
- 931 BCE: Death of Solomon.
- 900-800 BCE: The approximate period of Homer.
- 800-400 BCE: Major phase of Greek colonization throughout the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions.
- 776 BCE: The traditional date of the Foundation of the Pan-Hellenic Olympics, rise of the city state: Classical Period begins.
- 732 BCE: Syracuse founded in Sicily by a Corinthian Greek named Archias.
- 670 BCE: Gyges king in Lydia, Assyria at war with Egypt.
- 630 BCE: The city of Cyrene in Libya is built by colonists from the island of Thera.
- 590 BCE: This is the likely period of Zoroaster’s reforms of Persian religion, from polytheism comparable to vedic Indian to worship of a single god, Ahura Mazda.
- 597-585 BCE: The beginnings of Babylonian exile of the Jewish people. Fundamental developments, including the Books of Moses, were shaped during this time.
- 5B0 BCE: Agrigentum founded in Sicily by the Greeks (Greek colonists were active in Sicily from 750 BCE to 5’th century BCE).
- 583 BCE: Fall of Babylonian Empire to Cyrus of Persia, the end of the Jewish exile; rebuilding of the Temple.
- 500 BCE: Beginnings of Roman control in Italy.
- 400 BCE: Thousands of Greeks serve as mercenaries overseas (‘the best heavy infantry in the world’).
- 428 to 348 BCE: Plato, the hugely influential philosopher, mentioned goes in company with pharmaceus - an enchanter with drugs - and sophists, used in the derogatory sense of cheats.
- 342 BCE: Aeschines, an Athenian orator, in a speech impeaching Ctesiphon linked the terms goes and magos in a derogatory sense.
- 334 BCE: Alexander the Great crosses the Hellespont and defeats the Persian Empire. Hellenistic Period, cosmopolitan model replaces civilisation of the polis.
- 264 BCE: Romans control Italian peninsula.
- 185 BCE: Romans dominate Eastern Medirerranean.
- 44 BCE: Rome controls the entire Mediterranean.
Ref: Geosophia: The Argo of Magick by Jake Stratton-Kent