The world in the 3rd century BC

264 BC–146 BCRome

The Punic Wars were a series of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage from 264 BC to 146 BC, named after the Roman term for Carthaginians. They involved forty-three years of warfare on land and sea across the western Mediterranean, plus a four-year revolt against Carthage.

219 BC

In 219 BC, Carthaginian forces under Hannibal besieged Saguntum, a Roman ally. The siege lasted about eight months, ending with the surrender of the Saguntines. This battle triggered the Second Punic War.

218 BC–201 BCRome

The Second Punic War (218–201 BCE) was fought between Rome and Carthage for supremacy in the western Mediterranean, lasting 17 years. Carthage was ultimately defeated, and Rome became the dominant power in the western Mediterranean.

295 BC

In 295 BC, the Romans won a decisive victory at Sentinum during the Third Samnite War, defeating a coalition of Samnites, Etruscans, Umbrians, and Senone Gauls. The battle broke up the anti-Roman tribal alliance and paved the way for Rome's complete victory over the Samnites.

280 BC

In 280 BC, King Pyrrhus of Epirus led a Greek coalition to victory over the Roman legions under consul Publius Valerius Laevinus at Heraclea. The first battle of the Pyrrhic War, it was a costly Greek triumph that foreshadowed the concept of a Pyrrhic victory.

279 BC

In 279 BC, the Roman Republic fought the forces of King Pyrrhus of Epirus and his allies at Asculum, in the second major battle of the Pyrrhic War. Pyrrhus won, but his heavy losses gave rise to the term 'Pyrrhic victory'.

300 BC–201 BCChang'an

The Han dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China that succeeded the Qin dynasty, established by Liu Bang after defeating Xiang Yu. Its founding marked the end of prolonged warfare and the restoration of centralized rule, laying the foundation for Chinese politics and culture for centuries.

300 BC–201 BCWorld Heritage

In the 3rd century BCE, a large-scale terracotta army was created within the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, to guard him in the afterlife. These life-sized sculptures were later buried in pits, forming a notable example of ancient funerary art.

202 BC

The Battle of Gaixia, fought in December 203 BC, was the final decisive battle of the Chu-Han Contention. Liu Bang's Han forces defeated the Western Chu army of Xiang Yu at Gaixia (in modern Anhui). Xiang Yu broke out but committed suicide at Wujiang after his last stand. Liu Bang then proclaimed himself emperor, founding the Han dynasty, which would last four centuries.

300 BC–201 BCWorld Heritage

Dujiangyan is an ancient large-scale hydraulic engineering project in China, initiated around the 3rd century BC under the supervision of Li Bing, the governor of Shu Prefecture in the State of Qin. It was designed to control flooding on the Min River and irrigate the Chengdu Plain. It has operated continuously for over two millennia and remains in use today.

300 BC–201 BCWorld Heritage

The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor is the tomb of Ying Zheng, the first emperor of the Qin dynasty. Its construction began in the late 3rd century BC at the northern foot of Mount Li and lasted about 38 years. The complex was modelled on the layout of the capital, Xianyang, with inner and outer cities, and the central tomb chamber was protected by an elaborate waterproofing system. It later became a World Heritage site.

300 BC–201 BC

Ancient Linzi was founded in the 3rd century BC as the capital of the Qi state, later becoming one of the largest and richest cities of the Spring and Autumn period. Its ruins lie in modern-day Linzi District, Shandong, covering about 15 km² with large and small city sectors.

202 BC

In 202 BC at Zama in present-day Tunisia, the final, decisive battle of the Second Punic War pitted Rome under Scipio Africanus against Carthage led by Hannibal. Rome won; Carthage capitulated and Hannibal went into exile. Soon after, the Carthaginian senate signed a peace treaty, bringing an 18-year war to an end.

300 BC–201 BC

The Library of Alexandria was founded in Alexandria, Egypt, around the 3rd century BCE, under the patronage of Ptolemy I Soter, and likely built during the reign of his son Ptolemy II Philadelphus. It was one of the largest and most significant libraries of the ancient world, renowned for aggressively acquiring texts; its holdings are estimated at hundreds of thousands of scrolls.

300 BC–201 BC

The Serapeum of Alexandria was an ancient Greek temple built by Ptolemy III Euergetes, dedicated to the syncretic god Serapis, protector of Alexandria. Heavily plundered by Christians in the late 4th century, it housed a daughter library of the Great Library.

255 BC

In the spring of 255 BC, during the First Punic War, a Carthaginian army under Xanthippus defeated a Roman army led by Marcus Atilius Regulus at the Bagradas River (near modern Tunis). This decisive Carthaginian victory halted the Roman invasion of North Africa, forcing the Romans to abandon their lodgement and significantly shaping the subsequent course of the war.

255 BC

The Battle of Adys took place during the First Punic War, near Adys (modern Tunisia). Roman consul Marcus Atilius Regulus defeated a Carthaginian army jointly commanded by Bostar, Hamilcar and Hasdrubal. The defeat forced Carthage to sue for peace, but the harsh terms led them to resume fighting.

240 BC–238 BCCarthage

After the First Punic War, Carthage failed to pay its mercenaries, prompting a mutiny in 241 BC supported by uprisings of African settlements. Hamilcar Barca was reappointed and quelled the revolt by 237 BC through a combination of clemency and repression. Meanwhile, Rome seized Corsica and Sardinia.

300 BC–201 BCAntioch

The Royal Library of Antioch was commissioned by Antiochus III of the Seleucid Empire around 221 B.C. The Greek poet Euphorion of Chalcis served as its first librarian, and the library was opened to scholars.

281 BC

In 281 BC, the last major battle of the Diadochi was fought at Corupedium in Lydia. Lysimachus, who ruled Thrace, parts of western Asia Minor, and Macedon, clashed with Seleucus I Nicator, ruler of the vast Seleucid Empire. Little is known about the battle itself, except that Seleucus won decisively and Lysimachus was killed by a javelin. The battle ended the long struggle among Alexander the Great's immediate successors, marking the close of the Diadochi era and the start of the Epigoni period.

226 BC

A powerful earthquake struck the island of Rhodes around 226 BC, toppling the giant statue known as the Colossus of Rhodes. The bronze statue, about 33 meters tall, lay where it fell for nearly eight centuries before being sold for scrap by later invaders. The event marks the destruction of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

217 BC

On 22 June 217 BCE, the Ptolemaic Egyptian army under Ptolemy IV Philopator clashed with the Seleucid army under Antiochus III the Great at Raphia, near modern Rafah. This decisive battle of the Fourth Syrian War was one of the largest engagements of the Hellenistic period. The Ptolemaic victory secured Egyptian control over Coele-Syria.

300 BC–201 BCWorld Heritage

Hierapolis (meaning "Sacred City") was an ancient Greek city founded on a thermal spring. Its site was originally a Phrygian cult center of the goddess Cybele. The city became famous for its hot springs, high-quality wool fabrics and dyes, and as the birthplace of the Stoic philosopher Epictetus.

300 BC–201 BCLongcheng (Luut), Arkhangai Province, Mongolia

In the late 3rd century BC, Modu Chanyu unified the nomadic tribes north of the Gobi Desert and founded the Xiongnu Empire.

230 BC–221 BCEast Asia

In the late 3rd century BCE, the state of Qin launched a series of campaigns against the six remaining states of Han, Zhao, Wei, Chu, Yan, and Qi. By 221 BCE, Qin had conquered all, ending the Warring States period and leading to the establishment of the Qin dynasty, the first unified centralized empire in Chinese history.

300 BC–201 BC

Zamakhshar, now known as Izmukshir, is an ancient city site situated in the Khwarazm oasis of present-day Turkmenistan, approximately 25 kilometers south of Daşoguz. The ruins indicate a historical settlement.

300 BC–201 BC

The Great Pyramid of Cholula (Nahuatl name Tlachihualtepetl, meaning "artificial mountain") is located in Cholula, Puebla, Mexico. It is the largest pyramid by volume in the world and the largest archaeological site of a pyramid known today.

300 BC–201 BC

El Cerrito is an archaeological zone in the municipality of Corregidora, Querétaro, Mexico, on the outskirts of the state capital Santiago de Querétaro. Details of its founding are unknown.

300 BC–201 BCWorld Heritage

In the 4th century BC, construction began on the Chankillo monumental complex in the Casma-Sechin basin of the Peruvian coastal desert. The site, covering about four square kilometers, includes a hilltop fort, the Thirteen Towers solar observatory (built in the 3rd century BC), and residential and gathering areas. It reflects the complex social organization and astronomical knowledge of the pre-Columbian Andes, attributed to the Casma/Sechin culture. The site was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2021.

262 BC–261 BCKalinga

In the mid-3rd century BCE, the Mauryan Empire under Ashoka waged a war of conquest against the independent kingdom of Kalinga on the east coast. The Kalingans resisted fiercely but were ultimately defeated. The battle was exceptionally bloody, with hundreds of thousands of casualties. The horrors of the war caused Ashoka deep remorse, leading him to convert to Buddhism and adopt non-violent principles. It is one of the largest and deadliest battles in Indian history.