520s BC deaths

The second Achaemenid emperor (530–522 BC)

Pisistratus (also spelled Peisistratus or Peisistratos; ;  – 527 BC) was a politician in ancient Athens, ruling as tyrant in the late 560s, the early 550s and from 546 BC until his death. His unification of Attica, the triangular peninsula of Greece containing Athens, along with economic and cultural improvements laid the groundwork for the later pre-eminence of Athens in ancient Greece. His legacy lies primarily in his institution of the Panathenaic Games, historically assigned the date of 566 BC, and the consequent first attempt at producing a definitive version of the Homeric epic

Egyptian pharaoh from 570 to 526 BC

Bardiya or Smerdis ( ; ; possibly died 522 BCE), also named as Tanyoxarces (; ) by Ctesias, was a son of Cyrus the Great and the younger brother of Cambyses II, both Persian kings. There are sharply divided views on his life. Bardiya either ruled the Achaemenid Empire for a few months in 522 BCE, or was impersonated by a magus called Gaumata ( ), whose name is given by Ctesias as Sphendadates (; ), until he was toppled by Darius the Great.

Egyptian pharaoh from 526 BC to 525 BC

Polycrates (; ), son of Aeaces, was the tyrant of Samos from the 540s BC to 522 BC. He had a reputation as both a fierce warrior and an enlightened tyrant.

Agiad king of Sparta from c.560 to c.524 BC

Armenian leader of Babylonian revolt against the Achaemenid Empire (died 521 BC)

Chinese Zhou Dynasty king from 544 BC to 520 BC

king of Babylon

king of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty (died 520 BC)

6th century BC Greek tyrant of the Chersonese

Egyptian leader (ruled 522 – 520 BC) who revolted against Persian rule

Intaphrenes (, ) (died c.520BCE) was one of the seven who in September 522 BCE helped Darius I usurp the throne from Bardiya, following Bardiya’s alleged usurping of the throne of the Achaemenid Empire from Cambyses II. Intaphrenes then became Darius's bow carrier, a high position in which he is depicted in the Behistun Inscription.

thumb|Portrait of Zichan from Sancai Tuhui

thumb|Oroetus attending the crucifixion of Polycrates (17th century painting, by [[Salvator Rosa).]]

'''Zi'ao (), personal name Xiong Bi''', was a ruler of the Chu state. His reign lasted less than twenty days in 529 BC.

Chinese King of Chu from 540 to 529 BC

Prexaspes () was a prominent Persian during the reign of Cambyses II (530–522 BC), the second King of Kings of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. According to Herodotus, when Cambyses ordered his trusted counselor Prexaspes to kill Bardiya (also known as Smerdis), the King's own brother, Prexaspes loyally carried out his order. Herodotus provides two versions of the murder. After moving from Egypt (where he was stationed) to Susa, Prexaspes either killed Bardiya in a hunting field near Susa, or drowned him in the Erythrean Sea.

Chinese ruler of Jin from 531 to 526 BC

Chinese ruler of Cáo from 527 to 524 BC