Directory

205 BCE

Returning via the Persian provinces of Arachosia, Drangiana, and Carmania, Antiochus III arrives in Persis. He then leads a short expedition down the Persian Gulf and receives tribute of 500 talents of silver from the citizens of Gerrha, a mercantile state on the west coast of the Persian Gulf. The Xiongnu leader, Modu Chanyu, conquers the neighbouring nomadic Yuezhi and Donghu peoples, thereby establishing the Xiongnu Empire. He appoints a Tuqi King of the left (east) and a Tuqi King of the right (west) to prevent rebellions. Hannibal erects a bilingual Punic/Greek inscription describing his accomplishments in the temple of Juno Lacinia near Crotone.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • Antiochus III returns from his eastern campaigns, after having defeated the Bactrians and subjugated the Parthians and thus being able to partly restore Seleucid power in these provinces by crushing the revolting governors of Media, Persia and Anatolia. Having established a system of vassal states in the East, Antiochus now adopts the ancient Achaemenid title of "great king", and the Greeks, comparing him to Alexander the Great, surname him "the Great", that is to say Antiochus III Megas.source
  • Philip V of Macedon makes a temporary peace (the Peace of Phoenice) with Rome on favourable terms for Macedonia ending the First Macedonian War. The treaty formally acknowledges the favourable position of Macedonia, including their capture of Illyria, but in return Philip effectively repudiates his alliance with Hannibal.source

Conflict & Security

  • A Carthaginian army under Mago Barca lands in Liguria, capturing Genoa and Savona.source
  • Scipio sends the Roman general Gaius Laelius to North Africa to prepare the way for his later invasion.source
  • Xiang Yu besieges Liu Bang's forces in Xingyang and Chenggao.source
  • With the Rhodian fleet and economy suffering from the depredations of the pirates, Philip begins attacking the lands of Rhodes' allies in Thrace and around the Sea of Marmara.source
  • Han Xin defeats Wei Bao and conquers the kingdom of Wei.source
  • The Xiongnu leader, Modu Chanyu, conquers the neighbouring nomadic Yuezhi and Donghu peoples, thereby establishing the Xiongnu Empire. He appoints a Tuqi King of the left (east) and a Tuqi King of the right (west) to prevent rebellions.source
  • Han Xin captures Feiqiu, the last holdout of Zhang Han, thus completing the Han conquest of the Three Qins. Zhang Han commits suicide.source
  • After the peace, the Spartan king, Nabis, goes to war with the Achaean League. The Achaean general Philopoemen expels Nabis of Sparta from Messene.source
  • Ying Bu, the king of Jiujiang, allies with Liu Bang.source
  • The Roman propraetor Quintus Pleminius captures the town of Epizephyrian Locris from the Carthaginians. Hannibal's attempt to recapture the town is foiled by the appearance of Scipio's army.source
  • Xiang Yu defeats Liu Bang in the Battle of Pengcheng.source
  • Han Xin begins the conquest of Dai and Zhao, and he defeats Chen Yu in the Battle of Jingxing.source
  • The native Egyptian population rises in rebellion against their Greek rulers. The revolt spreads to Upper Egypt.source
  • Publius Cornelius Scipio boldly determines to disregard Hannibal in Italy and political opposition in the Roman Senate and rather decides to strike at the Carthaginian holdings in North Africa. Scipio crosses to Sicily with an army consisting partly of volunteers as the Roman Senate would not provide him with an army.source

Exploration & Expansion

  • Returning via the Persian provinces of Arachosia, Drangiana, and Carmania, Antiochus III arrives in Persis. He then leads a short expedition down the Persian Gulf and receives tribute of 500 talents of silver from the citizens of Gerrha, a mercantile state on the west coast of the Persian Gulf.source

Religion & Belief

  • Hannibal erects a bilingual Punic/Greek inscription describing his accomplishments in the temple of Juno Lacinia near Crotone.source

Deaths

  • Ptolemy IV dies and is succeeded by his five-year-old son Ptolemy V. However, no public announcement is made about the king's death.source
  • Ptolemy IV Philopator, Greek king of Egypt who has reigned from 221 BC (b. c. 238 BC)source
  • Zhang Han, Chinese general of the Qin dynastysource
  • Sima Ang, Chinese ruler of the Eighteen Kingdomssource