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Historical events |
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xlsx date of update: 2024-08-31 12:39:31
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quantity: 46909
| Description | Year | Month | Day |
| Egypt's Ptolemy I Soter abdicates. He is succeeded by his youngest son by his wife Berenice, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, who has been co-regent for three years. | -285 | 26 | |
| A 110 metre tall lighthouse on the island of Pharos in Alexandria's harbour is pleted and serves as a landmark for ships in the eastern Mediterranean. Built by Sostratus of Cnidus for Ptolemy II of Egypt, it is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It is a technological triumph and is the archetype of all lighthouses since. A broad spiral r leads to the top, where a fire burns at night. | -285 | 26 | |
| Demetrius Poliorcetes is deserted by his troops and surrenders to Seleucus at Cilicia, where Seleucus keeps him a prisoner. | -285 | 26 | |
| Marcus Atilius Regulus and Lucius Julius Libo celebrate triumphs over the Salentini. | -266 | 23 | |
| Calabria and Messapia are annexed by the Roman Republic. | -266 | 23 | |
| Ariobarzanes bees the second king of Pontus, succeeding his father Mithridates I Ctistes. | -266 | 23 | |
| The Mauryan emperor Asoka converts to Buddhism. | -266 | 23 | |
| The Carthaginian fleet sent to relieve the Roman blockade of the Sicilian cities of Lilybaeum and Drepanum is totally defeated near the Aegates Islands off western Sicily by the Roman fleet led by Roman consul and mander, Gaius Lutatius Catulus. The result is a decisive Roman victory which forces an end to the protracted First Punic War, to Rome's distinct advantage. | -241 | 10 | |
| The Carthaginians under Hamilcar Barca are forced to accept severe peace terms and agree to evacuate Sicily. As part of the treaty with Rome, Carthage agrees to abandon all its claims on Sicily, to refrain from sailing her warships in Italian waters and to pay an indemnity of 3,200 talents. However, the Carthaginian army is allowed to return home with its arms. Rome is now the dominant power in the Western Mediterranean basin. | -241 | 10 | |
| A mercenary army of some 20,000 is transported from Sicily to Carthaginian territory, by Carthaginian mander, Gesco. On arrival in Carthaginian territory, the mercenaries submit a demand to Hanno the Great for payment of their contracts. Hanno attempts, unsuccessfully, to convince the mercenaries to accept smaller payments due to Carthage's impoverished post-war conditions. Negotiations break down. The mercenaries take up arms, march on Tunis, occupy it, and threaten Carthage directly. | -241 | 10 | |
| Given their strong position, the mercenaries inflate their demands and demand payment for the non-mercenary Libyan conscripts in the army as well. Gesco is sent to negotiate with the mercenaries at Tunis. | -241 | 10 | |
| Attalus I Soter succeeds his uncle, Eumenes I, to the throne of Pergamum. | -241 | 10 | |
| Peace is finally reached between Ptolemy III and Seleucus II. Ptolemy manages to keep the Orontes River region in Syria and Antioch as well as Ephesus in Asia Minor and Thrace and Cilicia. | -241 | 10 | |
| The bined Roman armies under Tiberius Sempronius Longus and Scipio meet Hannibal on the left bank of the Trebia River south of Placentia and are soundly defeated in the Battle of the Trebia. | -218 | 18 | |
| Hannibal's victory over the Romans brings both the Gauls and the Ligurians to Hannibal's side, so his army is considerably augmented by Celtic recruits. | -218 | 18 | |
| Melita (Malta) is incorporated into the Roman Republic. | -218 | 18 | |
| Negotiations between the new Egyptian King Ptolemy IV and the Seleucid King Antiochus III collapse, and Antiochus III renews his advance, overrunning Ptolemy's forward defences. Antiochus III gains territory in Lebanon, Palestine and Phoenicia. | -218 | 18 | |
| On the northern shore of Lake Trasimene, in Umbria, Hannibal's troops all but annihilate Gaius Flaminius Nepos' army, killing thousands (including Flaminius) and driving others to drown in the lake. Reinforcements of about 4,000 cavalry from Ariminum under the praetor, Gaius Centenius, are intercepted before they arrive and are also destroyed. The Carthaginian troops then march on Rome. | -217 | 24 | |
| Gaius Flaminius Nepos' supporters in the Senate begin to lose power to the more aristocratic factions as the Romans fear Hannibal is about to besiege their city. The Senate appoint Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus as dictator. | -217 | 24 | |
| Quintus Fabius Maximus begins his strategy of delay . This involves avoiding a set battle with the Carthaginians and creating a scorched earth area around Hannibal's army. Manoeuvring among the hills, where Hannibal's cavalry is ineffective, Fabius cuts off his enemy's supplies and harasses Hannibal’s forces incessantly. Fabius gains the name ''Cunctator'' (''The Delayer'') for this strategy. | -217 | 24 | |
| Hannibal ravages Apulia and Cania meanwhile the delaying tactics of Quintus Fabius Maximus' army allows only skirmishes to occur between the two armies. | -217 | 24 | |
| Following the Battle of Zama, the Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio gains the surname Africanus in honour of his feats in North Africa against Carthage. | -202 | 19 | |
| Fabius' delaying policy bees increasingly unpopular in Rome, and Fabius is pelled to return to Rome to defend his actions under the guise of observing some religious obligations. Marcus Minucius Rufus, the master of horse, is left in mand and manages to catch the Carthaginians off guard near their c in Geronium and inflicts severe losses on them in a large skirmish. This victory causes the Romans, disgruntled with Fabius, to elevate Minucius to the equal rank of dictator with Fabius. | -217 | 24 | |
| Minucius takes mand of half the army and cs separately from Fabius near Geronium. Hannibal, informed of this development, lays an elaborate trap, which draws out Minucius and his army and then Hannibal attacks it from all sides. The timely arrival of Fabius with the other half of the army enables Minucius to escape after a severe mauling. After the battle, Minucius turns over his army to Fabius and resumes the duties of Master of Horse. | -217 | 24 | |
| Egyptian native hoplites under Ptolemy IV crushes the Seleucid army under Antiochus III at Raphia near Gaza. The realization of their military importance leads to demands by native Egyptians for greater privileges and so to the development of racial difficulties which will weaken the Ptolemy dynasty in the future. | -217 | 22 | |
| Although holding the initiative after the Battle of Raphia, Ptolemy IV, on his chief minister Sosibius' advice, negotiates a peace, and the Seleucid army withdraws from Coele Syria. Antiochus III gives up all his conquests except the city of Seleucia-in-Pieria. | -217 | 22 | |
| Philip V of Macedon, continuing his war with the Aetolian League laid siege to Phthiotic Thebes, captured it and sold the inhabitants into slavery. | -217 | 22 | |
| Learning of Hannibal's victory over the Romans at Lake Trasimene and seeing a chance to recover his Illyrian kingdom from the Romans, Demetrius of Pharos immediately advises the Philip V to make peace with the Aetolians, and turn his attentions toward Illyria and Italy. Philip, at once begins negotiations with the Aetolians. At a conference on the coast near Naupactus, Philip meets the Aetolian leaders and a peace treaty is concluded, ending the three-year long Social War . | -217 | 22 | |
| Publius Cornelius Scipio is sent with reinforcements by Rome to Spain as proconsul. In a naval battle on the Ebro River at Tarraco, the Carthaginian general Hasdrubal's fleet is largely destroyed by a daring surprise Roman attack led by Publius Cornelius Scipio and his brother Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus. As a result, the Romans are able to strengthen their hold on the Ebro River region. | -217 | 22 | |
| The Battle of Cannae (east of Naples) ends in victory for Hannibal whose 40,000-man army defeats a Roman force of 70,000 led by consuls Lucius Aemilius Paullus (who is killed in the battle) and Gaius Terentius Varro.Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, 22.44–51 | -216 | 2 | |
| A loan of money and supplies for the Roman army in Sicily is sought and obtained from Hiero II of Syracuse. l2321 Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, 23.21 | -216 | 2 | |
| The Roman historian Quintus Fabius Pictor is sent to Delphi in Greece to consult the Oracle for advice about what Rome should do after its defeat in the Battle of Cannae. l2257 Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, 22.57 | -216 | 2 | |
| Following Hannibal's victory, many regions begin to defect from Rome, while others are conquered by Hannibal's forces. In Apulia, Lucania, Samnium and in Bruttium, Hannibal finds many supporters. | -216 | 2 | |
| The city of Capua switches sides to join Hannibal and the Carthaginian army winters there. l2257 | -216 | 2 | |
| After the defeat at Cannae, Roman general, Marcus Claudius Marcellus, mands the remnants of the Roman army at Canusium and saves the city of Nola and southern Cania from occupation by Hannibal. l2257 | -216 | 2 | |
| A Roman force of 25,000 led by Lucius Postumius Albinus is ambushed by Gauls near Litana and almost pletely wiped out. | -216 | 2 | |
| Hasdrubal is ordered by the Carthaginian government to march to Italy. | -216 | 2 | |
| Roman forces in Spain led by Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus and Publius Cornelius Scipio successfully thwart Hasdrubal's attempt to march to Italy. | -216 | 2 | |
| The Carthaginian fleet ravages the territory of The Kingdom of Syracuse. | -216 | 2 | |
| Philip V of Macedon, still resenting Rome's interference in Illyrian politics, seizes his opportunity to invade Illyria. Ambassadors from Philip V visit Hannibal at his headquarters in Italy. These actions mark the beginning of the First Macedonian War between Rome and Macedonia. | -216 | 2 | |
| A revolt of the Egyptian peasants is put down by Ptolemy IV. | -216 | 2 | |
| The Battle of Zama (130 kilometers south-west of Carthage) ends the Second Punic War and largely destroys the power of Carthage. Roman and Numidian forces under the leadership of the Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio and his Numidian ally, Masinissa, defeat a bined army of Carthaginians and their Numidian allies under the mand of Hannibal and forces Carthage to capitulate. Hannibal loses 20,000 men in the defeat, but he is able to escape Masinissa's pursuit. | -202 | 19 | |
| Hadrian's Villa, Tivoli, Italy, is finished. | 138 | 10 | |
| The Egyptian regent and chief minister, Sosibius, retires and Agathocles, another member of the ruling clique, bees Ptolemy V's guardian. | -202 | 19 | |
| Agathocles rule provokes Tlepolemus, the governor of Pelusium (Egypt's eastern frontier city), into action. Tlepolemus marches on Alexandria, where his supporters rouse a mob, pelling Agathocles to resign. | -202 | 19 | |
| The Egyptian boy king, Ptolemy V, is encouraged by a mob clamouring for revenge against the murderers of his mother Arsinoe III to agree to Agathocles being killed. As a result, the mob searches out and butchers Agathocles and his family. Tlepolemus takes Agathocles’ place as regent. However, he soon proves to be inpetent and is removed. | -202 | 19 | |
| During this period of confusion and change amongst Egypt’s leadership, armies under the Seleucid king, Antiochus III, make serious inroads into the Egyptian territories in Coele Syria. | -202 | 19 | |
| Liu Bang, King of Han, defeats Xiang Yu of Western Chu in the Battle of Gaixia, ending the Chu-Han contention. Liu Bang declares himself the Emperor of China, officially beginning the Han Dynasty. | -202 | 19 | |
| The construction of the new Chinese capital Chang'an begins. | -202 | 19 | |
| Liu Bang gives the area of today's Fujian Province to Wuzhu as his kingdom. Wuzhu starts the construction of his own capital Ye (Fuzhou). | -202 | 19 | |
| The construction of Changsha begins. | -202 | 19 | |
| The Battle of Pydna (in southern Macedonia) gives Roman forces under Lucius Aemilius Paulus a crushing victory over Perseus and his Macedonian forces, thus ending the Third Macedonian War. Perseus is captured by the Romans and will spend the rest of his life in captivity at Alba Fucens, near Rome. | -168 | 22 | |
| The Macedonian kingdom is broken up by the Romans into four smaller states, and all the Greek cities which have offered aid to Macedonia, even just in words, are punished. The Romans take hundreds of prisoners from the leading families of Macedonia, including the historian Polybius. | -168 | 22 | |
| The joint rulers of Egypt, Ptolemy VI, Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II and their sister Cleopatra II send a renewed request to Rome for aid. | -168 | 22 | |
| The fleet of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV wins a victory off Cyprus, whose governor then surrenders the island to him. | -168 | 22 | |
| Antiochus IV then invades Egypt again and occupies Lower Egypt and his forces c outside Alexandria. However, the Roman ambassador in Alexandria, Gaius Popillius Laenas, intervenes. He presents Antiochus IV with an ultimatum that he evacuate Egypt and Cyprus immediately. Antiochus, taken by surprise, asks for time to consider. Popillius, however, draws a circle in the earth (i.e. a line in the sand ) around the king with his walking stick and demands an unequivocal answer before Antiochus leaves the circle. Fearing the consequences of a war with Rome, the king agrees to ply with the ambassador's demands. In return, the Romans agree that Antiochus IV can retain southern Syria, to which Egypt has laid claim, thus enabling Antiochus IV to preserve the territorial integrity of his realm. | -168 | 22 | |
| Jason removes Menelaus as High Priest in Jerusalem, which Antiochus IV regards as an affront to his majesty. | -168 | 22 | |
| At the death of Ptolemy VIII Physcon, Cleopatra III has chosen her younger son Ptolemy X Alexander as co-regent, but the Alexandrians forced her to bring Ptolemy IX from Cyprus, of which he is governor. | -116 | 26 | |
| Ptolemy IX Philometor Soter II Lathyros bees king of Egypt and claims the throne. | -116 | 26 | |
| The Battle of Arausio, where the Cimbri destroy two Roman armies on the Rhône, is the most severe defeat of Roman forces since the Battle of Cannae. | -105 | 6 | |
| Gaius Marius, together with the consul Publius Rutilius Rufus, initiates sweeping reforms of the Roman army. | -105 | 6 | |
| Lucius Cornelius Sulla secures the capture of Jugurtha. His success is made possible by the treachery of Bocchus I, king of Mauretania, and this ends the Jugurthine War (which has begun in 112 BC). | -105 | 6 | |
| Lucius Lucullus defeats Tigranes II of Armenia in the Battle of Artaxata. | -68 | 6 | |
| Gaius Antonius Hybrida elected praetor. | -68 | 6 | |
| Ostia, the harbour city of Rome, is sacked by pirates. The port is set on fire and the consular war fleet is destroyed. | -68 | 6 | |
| Abgar II bees ruler of Osroene. | -68 | 6 | |
| The forces of the conspirator Catiline are defeated by the loyal Roman armies of Antonius Hybrida led by Gaius Antonius in the Battle of Pistoria. | -62 | 5 | |
| Julius Caesar divorces Pompeia, following the sacrilege of Clodius. | -62 | 5 | |
| Cicero delivers his Pro Archia Poeta in defense of Aulus Licinius Archias' claim to Roman citizenship. | -62 | 5 | |
| Cato the Younger, as tribune, presents a ''lex frumentaria'' (enacting a grain dole). | -62 | 5 | |
| Metellus Nepos, also tribune, leaves Rome. | -62 | 5 | |
| Caesar and Bibulus are praetors. | -62 | 5 | |
| King Antiochus I Theos of Commagene builds his mountain-top tomb-sanctuary at Mount Nemrut. | -62 | 5 | |
| Pompey, the Great celebrates his third triumph for victories over the pirates and the end of the Mithridatic Wars. | -61 | 29 | |
| Marcus Pupius Piso Frugi as consul attempts to gain ratification of Pompey's Eastern Settlement. | -61 | 29 | |
| Gaius Julius Caesar bees governor in Hispania and creates ''Legio X Gemina'' (3,500 men). He puts down the Callaici and Lusitani rebellions. | -61 | 29 | |
| r August 26 ndash Julius Caesar mands the first Roman invasion of Britain, likely a reconnaissance-in-force expedition, in response to the Britons giving military aid to his Gallic enemies. He may also be acting in support of Mandubracius, exiled prince of the Trinovantes, whose father Imanuentius was overthrown and killed by his rival Cassivellaunus around this time. Due to bad weather and revolts in Gaul the expedition achieves little, but the Roman Senate decrees twenty days of thanksgiving when the expedition returns safely to Gaul. | -55 | 22 | |
| Mithridates III, claimant to the throne of Parthia, supported by Aulus Gabinius, Roman governor of Syria, is defeated by Surena, general under Orodes, in the Battle of Seleucia. | -55 | 22 | |
| Civil War: In his last victory, Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the younger in the Battle of Munda. Labienus dies in battle, Pompey the younger is executed, but Sextus Pompey escapes to take mand of the remnants of the Pompeian fleet. | -45 | 17 | |
| The veterans of Julius Caesar's Legions ''Legio XIII Gemina'' and ''Legio X Equestris'' demobilized. The veterans of the 10th legion are settled in Narbo, while those of the 13th are given somewhat better lands in Italia itself. | -45 | 17 | |
| Caesar is named dictator for life. | -45 | 17 | |
| Caesar probably writes his ''Commentaries'' in this year. | -45 | 17 | |
| Possible first year of the Azes I Era. | -45 | 17 | |
| April 21 ndash Octavian engages in charm offensive with consular Cicero who is fulminating against Mark Antony. | -44 | 18 | |
| June ndash Antony is granted a five-year governorship of northern and central Transalpine Gaul (France) and Cisalpine Gaul (Northern Italy). | -44 | 18 | |
| Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declares her son co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion. | -44 | 18 | |
| The first of Cicero's ''Philippics'' (oratorical attacks) on Antony is published. He will make 14 of them over the next several months. | -44 | 18 | |
| December ndash Antony besieges Brutus Albinus in Mutina (Modena), with Octavian, an ally of Decimus, who is one of his uncle's assassins, close by. | -44 | 18 | |
| A Denarius with a portrait of Julius Caesar is made. It is now kept at the American Numismatic Society in New York. | -44 | 18 | |
| Comosicus succeeds Burebista as king of Dacia. | -44 | 18 | |
| Caesar's funeral is held. Marcus Antony gives a eulogy and in his ''Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears'' speech he makes accusations of murder and ensures a permanent breach with the conspirators against Caesar. He snatches Caesar's purple toga to show the crowd the stab wounds, the citizens tear apart the forum and cremate their Caesar on a makeshift pyre. Antony bees the first man in Rome. | -44 | 20 | |
| April ndash Octavian returns from Apollonia in Dalmatia to Rome to take up Caesar's inheritance, against advice from Atia (his mother and Caesar's niece) and consular stepfather Antony. | -44 | 20 | |
| the ''Ides of March'') ndash Julius Caesar, dictator of Rome, is assassinated by a group of Roman senators, amongst them Gaius Cassius Longinus, Marcus Junius Brutus, and Caesar's Massilian naval mander, Decimus Brutus. Caesar's famous last e ndash coined by William Shakespeare in his play ''Julius Caesar'' ndash was most likely ''not'' spoken (see: ''Et tu, Brute?'' ). | -44 | 15 | |
| Mark Antony is alarmed when Cicero tells him the gods would strike Caesar. Casca, Cicero and Cassius decide, in the night before the Assassination of Julius Caesar, that Mark Antony should stay alive. | -44 | 14 | |
| Marcus Tullius Cicero is killed in Formiae in a litter going to the seaside, by a party led by a military tribune, Popilius Laenas. His head and hands are displayed on the Rostra in the Forum Romanum. | -43 | 7 | |
| Lugdunum (Lyon) is founded. | -43 | 7 | |
| First reference of Cularo (Grenoble). | -43 | 7 | |
| According to legend, Nagasena creates the Emerald Buddha figurine in Patna, India. | -43 | 7 | |
| Octavian meets Antony and Lepidus in Bononia, and the three enter into an official five-year autocratic pact, the Second Triumvirate. (See ''lex Titia'') | -43 | 26 | |
| To cement their reconciliation Octavian agreed to marry Clodia, a daughter of Antony's wife Fulvia by her former husband Publius Clodius Pulcher. | -43 | 26 | |