60s BC
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This article concerns the period 69 BC – 60 BC.
Events
69 BC
By place
Roman Republic
- October 6 – Roman Republic troops under Lucius Lucullus defeat the army of Tigranes II of Armenia in the Battle of Tigranocerta, and capture Tigranocerta, capital of Armenia.
- Consuls: Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus and Quintus Hortensius.
- Antiochus XIII Asiaticus is installed as king of Syria.[1]
- Parthians and Romans re-establish Euphrates as a frontier.
- Gaius Julius Caesar is a quaestor in Spain.
Egypt
- Ptolemy XII deposes Cleopatra V, and becomes sole ruler.
Greece
- Kydonia, an ancient city on the island of Crete falls to Roman military forces.[2]
- Rhodes becomes a bulwark against pirates, the Rhodians are unable to suppress piracy in the Aegean Sea. Delos gets the status of a free port.
68 BC
By place
Roman Republic
- Consuls: Lucius Caecilius Metellus and Quintus Marcius Rex.
- October 6 – Lucius Lucullus defeats Tigranes II of Armenia in the Battle of Artaxata.
- Gaius Antonius Hybrida elected praetor.
- Tribune of the plebs Gaius Antius Restio passes the Lex Antia sumptuaria law forbidding Roman magistrates from attending banquets.[3]
- Ostia, the harbour city of Ancient Rome, is sacked by pirates. The port is set on fire and the consular war fleet is destroyed.
Osroene
67 BC
By place
Roman Republic
- Consuls: Manius Acilius Glabrio and Gaius Calpurnius Piso.
- During Pompey's war against the pirates, he raises a fleet of 500 warships and fights with great success.
- The lex Gabinia gives Pompey command of the Mediterranean and its coasts for 50 miles inland for three years. He defeats the pirates in three months and pacifies Cilicia.
- Pompey divides the Mediterranean into 13 zones – six in the West and seven in the East – to each of which he assigns a fleet under an admiral.
- Pompey offers the ex-pirates and their families clemency, he settles them in agricultural colonies in eastern Mediterranean lands.
- Pompey takes over the command of Lucius Licinius Lucullus in the war against Mithridates VI of Pontus, and reaps the fruit of the latter's victories.
- Lex Acilia Calpurnia: permanent exclusion from office in cases of electoral corruption.
- Lex Roscia theatralis.
- Julius Caesar reconciles with Pompey and Crassus[4]
- Julius Caesar marries Pompeia, a granddaughter of Sulla[4]
Judea
- Hyrcanus II becomes king of Judea, for first time (until 66 BC), upon the death of his mother, Salome Alexandra.
Pontus
- Mithridates VI invades Pontus and defeats a Roman army at the Battle of Zela.
- After his victory at Zela Mithridates starts consolidating his power in Pontus; restoring his rule over his old kingdom.
- Lucullus returnes to Pontus, but his troops refuse to campaign for him any longer and he withdrew to Galatia.
China
- December – The army of the Han dynasty Chinese commander Zheng Ji is victorious over the Xiongnu in the Battle of Jushi.
66 BC
By place
Roman Republic
- Consuls: Manius Aemilius Lepidus and Lucius Volcatius Tullus.
- Catiline accused of conspiring against the Roman Republic with Autronius and the younger Sulla (also in 63 BC during the consulship of Cicero).
- The alliance between Mithridates VI of Pontus and Tigranes II of Armenia is broken.
- Tigranes II is forced to surrender, by a payment of 6,000 talents, and is reinstated by Pompey as a "friend of the Roman people" to hold Armenia as a buffer zone.
- Battle of the Lycus: Pompey the Great decisively defeats Mithridates VI, effectively ending the Third Mithridatic War.
- Gaius Antonius elected Roman praetor.
- The lex Manilia, supported by Cicero gives Pompey command over all of Asia.
- Cicero becomes praetor in Rome.
Judea
- Aristobulus II becomes king and high priest of Judea, until 63 BC.
65 BC
By place
Roman Republic
- In response to the illegal exercise of citizen rights by foreigners, the Roman Senate passes the Lex Papia, which expels all foreigners from Rome[5]
- Tigranes of Armenia is defeated and captured by Pompey, thus ending all hostilities on the northeastern frontier of Rome.
- Pompey the Great subjugates the kingdom of Iberia and makes Colchis a Roman province.
Western Han Empire
- 9th year of the reign of Emperor Xuan of Han
64 BC
By place
Roman Republic
- Pompey destroys the kingdom of Pontus; king Mithridates VI commits suicide after escaping to the Crimea.
- Pompey annexes Syria and captures Jerusalem, annexing Judea.
Syria
- King Antiochus XIII Asiaticus is deposed and killed by the Syrian chieftain Sampsiceramus I[6] – this is considered by some the end of the Seleucid dynasty.
63 BC
By place
Roman Republic
- Lucullus holds a triumph, then retires from war and politics to live a life of refined luxury.
- Establishment of the Decapolis and Year 1 of the Pompeian era.
- Pompey conquers the people of Phonecia, Coele-Syria, and Judea for the Roman Republic.
- Roman annexation of the Seleucid Empire and of Judea as a client kingdom. King Judah Aristobulus II removed from power, while his brother John Hyrcanus II is reappointed king (ethnarch) under Roman suzerainty and high priest, until 40 BC.
- Massacre of over 12,000 Jews on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem by Roman troops, in support of John Hyrcanus II against Aristobulus II.
- Julius Caesar is elected Pontifex Maximus and praetor for 62 BC.[4]
- Marcus Tullius Cicero is senior consul. He is the first novus homo (new man) to be elected to the consulship in 31 years.
- Gaius Antonius Hybrida is junior consul.
- Cato the Younger is elected tribune of the people for 62 BC, taking office in early December 63 BC.
- Servilius Rullus, a Roman tribune, proposes an agrarian reform law.
- Second Catilinarian Conspiracy against the Roman Republic is foiled by Cicero.
Pontus
- Pharnaces II becomes King of Pontus.
62 BC
By place
Roman Republic
- January 5 – The forces of the conspirator Catiline are defeated by the loyal Roman armies of Antonius Hybrida led by Marcus Petreius in the Battle of Pistoria.
- Julius Caesar divorces Pompeia, following the sacrilege of Publius Clodius Pulcher.
- Cicero delivers his Pro Archia Poeta in defense of Aulus Licinius Archias' claim to Roman citizenship.
- Cato the Younger, as tribune, presents a lex frumentaria (enacting a grain dole).
- Metellus Nepos, also tribune, leaves Rome.
- Caesar and Bibulus are praetors.
Commagene
- King Antiochus I Theos of Commagene builds his mountain-top tomb-sanctuary at Mount Nemrut.
61 BC
By place
Roman Republic
- Pompey returns to Rome with a triumph in honor of his for victories in the eastern provinces.[7]
- Marcus Pupius Piso Frugi as consul attempts to gain ratification of Pompey's Eastern Settlement.
- Julius Caesar becomes governor in Hispania and creates Legio X Gemina (3,500 men). He puts down the Callaici and Lusitani rebellions.
60 BC
By place
Roman Republic
- Gaius Julius Caesar suppresses an uprising and conquers all of Lusitania for Rome.[8][4]
- Creation of the First Triumvirate, an informal political alliance between Julius Caesar, Pompey the Great and Marcus Licinius Crassus (or 59 BC).[8]
Syria
- The Seleucid Empire comes to an end with the last two emperors being murdered on orders from Rome.[citation needed]
China
- The Han dynasty government establishes the Protectorate of the Western Regions, the highest military position of a military commander on the Western frontier (Tarim Basin).[citation needed]
Significant people
- Pompey, Roman general, (lived 106 BC–48 BC)
- Mithridates VI, King of Pontus, (lived 132 BC–63 BC)
- Philip II Philoromaeus
- Gaius Antonius Hybrida, elected praetor in 66 BC
- Cleopatra VII is born (69 BC–30 BC) and grows into a young girl passing age 9.
Births
69 BC
- Cleopatra VII Philopator, queen of Egypt (d. 30 BC)
- Hyeokgeose, Korean king and founder of Silla (d. AD 4)
- Wang Zhengjun, empress of the Western Han dynasty (d. AD 13)
68 BC
- Arsinoe IV of Egypt, daughter of Ptolemy XII (and probably Cleopatra V) (d. 41 BC)
67 BC
- Arsinoe IV of Egypt, daughter of Ptolemy XII (and probably Cleopatra V) (d. 41 BC)
- Sextus Pompey, Roman general and governor (d. 35 BC)
66 BC
- Octavia (the Younger), grandniece of Julius Caesar (d. 11 BC) [9]
65 BC
- December 8 – Horace, Roman poet (d. 8 BC)[10]
- Gaius Asinius Pollio, Roman orator, poet and historian (d. AD 4)[11]
64 BC
- Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus, Roman general and consul (d. AD 8)[12]
- Nicolaus of Damascus, Jewish historian and philosopher (approximate date)
- Strabo, Greek philosopher and historian in Amaseia[13]
63 BC
- September 23 – Augustus, first Roman Emperor (d. AD 14)[14]
- Didymus Chalcenterus, Greek scholar and grammarian (approximate date) (d. c. AD 10)
- Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Roman statesman and general (d. 12 BC)
62 BC
- Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator, king (pharaoh) of Egypt (d. 47 BC)
60 BC
- Curia, wife of Quintus Lucretius Vespillo (approximate date)
- Ptolemy XIV, king (pharaoh) of Egypt (or 59 BC)
- Tryphon, Greek grammarian (approximate date)
- Daeso, emperor of Dongbuyeo
Deaths
69 BC
- Cleopatra II Selene, queen of Egypt
- Julia, wife of Gaius Marius (b. c. 130 BC)
68 BC
- Antiochus of Ascalon, Greek philosopher (b. c. 130 BC)
- Cornelia, wife of Julius Caesar (b. 94 BC)
- Huo Guang, official of the western Han Dynasty
- Lucius Caecillius Metellus, Roman consul
67 BC
- Lucius Cornelius Sisenna, Roman general and historian (b. c. 120 BC)
- Salome Alexandra, queen of Judea (b. 139 BC)
66 BC
- Licinius Macer, Roman annalist
65 BC
- Xiphares, son of Mithridates VI (b. c. 85 BC)
64 BC
- Antiochus XIII Asiaticus, king of the Seleucid Empire
63 BC
- Mithridates VI, King of Pontus (b. 135 BC)
- Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius, pontifex maximus and general (b. c. 130 BC or 127 BC)
- Those involved in the organisation of the Catilinarian conspiracy in Rome, including Publius Cornelius Lentulus Sura
62 BC
- Lucius Sergius Catilina, Roman politician (b. 108 BC)
- Quintus Roscius Gallus, Roman actor (b. c. 126 BC)
- Zhang Anshi, Chinese official of the Han Dynasty
61 BC
- Quintus Marcius Rex, Roman consul and general
60 BC
- Aretas III Philhellen, king of Nabatea (approximate date)
- Su Wu, Chinese diplomat and statesman (b. 140 BC)
References
- ^ Joseph Thomas, Universal Pronouncing Dictionary of Biography and Mythology, 1908, Lippincott, 2550 pages
- ^ C. Michael Hogan, Cydonia, Modern Antiquarian, January 23, 2008
- ^ Syme, Ronald (1963). "Ten Tribunes". Journal of Roman Studies. 53: 59.
- ^ a b c d LeGlay, Marcel; Voisin, Jean-Louis; Le Bohec, Yann (2001). A History of Rome (Second ed.). Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell. p. 128. ISBN 0-631-21858-0.
- ^ Husband, R. (1916). On the Expulsion of Foreigners from Rome. Classical Philology, 11(3), 315-333. Retrieved March 11, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/261855
- ^ Appian, Syriaca VIII 49, XI 70, Justin, Historiarum Philippicarum T. Pompeii Trogi XL 2.2, Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica XL 1a-b.
- ^ Stambaugh, John E. (1988). The Ancient Roman City. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 41. ISBN 0-8018-3574-7.
- ^ a b Dupuy, Richard Ernest; Dupuy, Trevor Nevitt (1993). The Harper Encyclopedia of Military History: From 3500 BC to the Present. New York: HarperCollins. p. 105. ISBN 978-0-06270-056-8.
- ^ Moore 2017, p. 9.
- ^ Grant, Michael. "Horace". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
- ^ Jerome (Chronicon 2020) says he died in AD 4 in the seventieth year of his life, which would place the year of his birth at 65 BC.
- ^ Roberts, John (2007). The Oxford dictionary of the classical world. Oxford University Press. p. 799. ISBN 9780192801463.
- ^ Lassere, Francois. "Strabo". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ "BBC - History - Augustus". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2021.