Century overview
The world in the 1st century BC
100 BC – 1 BC. 50 events across 6 regions. Below, the century’s most significant events by region — what each part of the world was doing during the same stretch of time.
Europe
Showing 6 of 37 events from this century
- Battle of Actium
On 2 September 31 BC, Octavian's fleet led by Agrippa defeated the combined forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra near Actium on the west coast of Greece. This naval battle climaxed the final war of the Roman Republic, ending over a decade of rivalry and paving the way for Octavian's sole rule and the transition to the Roman Empire.
- Establishment of the Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was established in 27 BC when Octavian founded the Augustan Principate, replacing the Roman Republic and initiating permanent single-person rule over territories spanning the Mediterranean, Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa.
- Construction of the Ancient Theatre of Lugdunum
The Roman theatre in Lugdunum (modern Lyon) was possibly built under Augustus on the Fourvière hill, near the center of the Roman colony. Later enlarged, it could hold up to 10,000 spectators.
- Construction of the Roman Theatre of Orange
The Roman Theatre of Orange was built in the 1st century AD, under the reign of Augustus. It is one of the best-preserved Roman theatres in France and was later designated a World Heritage Site.
- Construction of the Forum of Augustus begins
The Forum of Augustus, one of the Imperial fora in Rome, was built under Emperor Augustus in the late 1st century BC. It includes the Temple of Mars Ultor, originally vowed decades earlier. The forum was eventually completed and inaugurated at the end of the 1st century BC.
- Founding of Augusta Raurica
Augusta Raurica was founded on the south bank of the Rhine in present-day northern Switzerland, becoming the oldest known Roman colony on the Rhine. Its archaeological site lies near the villages of Augst and Kaiseraugst, about 20 km east of Basel.
West Asia
Showing 6 of 9 events from this century
- Construction of the Western Wall
The Western Wall (also known as the Wailing Wall) is a remnant of the ancient retaining wall on the western side of the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is considered the holiest site for Jewish prayer outside the Temple Mount itself. Its construction dates approximately from the 1st century BCE to the 1st century CE, as part of the expansion of the Second Temple complex. Over centuries, it has acquired profound religious significance for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, becoming one of the most revered and contested religious sites in Jerusalem.
- Rebuilding of the Walls of Jerusalem by the Ottoman Empire
In the mid-16th century, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent ordered the rebuilding of the walls around the Old City of Jerusalem. The work took place approximately in the late 1530s to early 1540s, resulting in walls about 4 km long with watchtowers and gates. The walls have been visible on old maps for centuries and were inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1981 as part of the Old City.
- Outbreak of the First Mithridatic War
In 89 BCE, the Pontic kingdom under Mithridates VI rose against Rome, starting the First Mithridatic War across Anatolia and Greece.
- Outbreak of the Mithridatic Wars
In 88 BC, war erupted between Mithridates VI of Pontus and the Roman Republic, beginning the Mithridatic Wars. Initially fought in Greece and Asia Minor, the conflict marked the start of a prolonged struggle that, after decades of intermittent warfare, ended with Roman victory and the annexation of Pontus, reshaping the political landscape of the Near East.
- Third Mithridatic War
The Third Mithridatic War (73–63 BC) was the final large-scale conflict between Mithridates VI of Pontus and the Roman Republic. The war involved many states and peoples across the eastern Mediterranean. Rome's victory ended the Pontic Kingdom and the Seleucid Empire, and made Armenia a Roman client state.
- Battle of Tigranocerta
On 6 October 69 BC, the Roman Republic clashed with the Kingdom of Armenia at Tigranocerta. Consul Lucullus led the Romans to victory over King Tigranes the Great, subsequently capturing the Armenian capital. This battle was a key engagement in the Third Mithridatic War, curbing Armenian expansion.
North Africa
Showing 1 of 1 events from this century
- Battle of Thapsus
On April 6, 46 BC, during Caesar's Civil War, Julius Caesar's forces defeated the Optimates army led by Metellus Scipio and King Juba I of Numidia near Thapsus in North Africa. Shortly after the battle, Scipio, Cato the Younger, Juba, and other leaders committed suicide, eliminating resistance in Africa and moving Caesar closer to absolute power.
Central Asian steppe
Showing 1 of 1 events from this century
- Battle of Zhizhi
In 36 BC, Han dynasty forces defeated and killed the Xiongnu chieftain Zhizhi Chanyu near present-day Taraz, Kazakhstan. This battle marked the first political role of the Protectorate of the Western Regions and was one of the westernmost points reached by a Chinese army. The famous Battle of Talas in 751 AD occurred in the same area.
East Asia
Showing 1 of 1 events from this century
- 39 BC Yellow River flood
In 39 BC, China's Yellow River flooded during the reign of Emperor Yuan of the Western Han dynasty, causing disaster.
North America
Showing 1 of 1 events from this century
- Founding of Teotihuacan
The founding of the ancient city of Teotihuacan occurred roughly between the 1st century BC and the 4th century AD, marking the emergence of a major urban center in the central Valley of Mexico. Located about 40 km northeast of modern Mexico City, it became one of the most important religious, cultural, and urban centers of Classic Mesoamerica.