80 BCE
Quintus Sertorius re-enters Iberia with a tiny army (2,600 men) and opens a successful campaign against the Sullan forces. Roman artists begin to extend the space of a room visually with painted scenes of figures on a shallow stage or with a landscape or cityscape. Ptolemy XII Auletes succeeds Ptolemy XI Alexander II to the throne of Egypt.
Geopolitics & Diplomacy
Conflict & Security
- Battle of the Baetis River: A force of Populares exiles under Sertorius defeat the legal Roman army of Lucius Fulfidias in Hispania, starting the Sertorian War; Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius takes command on behalf of Sulla.source
- Quintus Sertorius re-enters Iberia with a tiny army (2,600 men) and opens a successful campaign against the Sullan forces.source
Exploration & Expansion
- Pompeii becomes the Roman colony Colonia Cornelia Veneria Pompei when Sulla occupies the city with at least 4,000 soldier-colonizers.source
Crime & Justice
Culture & Society
- Meleager publishes his Garland, the earliest known anthology of Greek poetry.source
Births
- Scribonia, wife to the Roman Emperor Augustus (approximate date) (d. AD 16)source
Deaths
- Caecilia Metella Dalmatica, daughter of Lucius Caecilius Metellus Dalmaticus (approximate date)source
- Berenice III, queen regnant of Egypt (b. 120 BC)source
- Shangguan Jie, Chinese politician of the Han dynastysource
- Princess Eyi, Han Chinese princesssource
- Ptolemy XI Alexander II, king (pharaoh) of Egyptsource
- Sang Hongyang, Chinese politician of the Han dynastysource
- Lucius Cornelius Chrysogonus, Greek freedmansource