Editing 250 BC (section)

== Events ==
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=== By place ===

==== Egypt ====
* According to the [[Letter of Aristeas]], [[Ptolemy II Philadelphus|Ptolemy II]] invited the [[Jew]]ish [[residency (domicile)|residents]] of [[Alexandria]] to have their [[torah]] translated into [[Koine Greek|Greek]]. Because around seventy translators are used to [[Achievement (heraldry)|achieve]] this, the [[translation]] is known as the [[Septuagint]].
* Following the death of the King of [[Cyrene, Libya|Cyrene]], [[Magas of Cyrene|Magas]], Queen [[Apama II]], Magas' widow, and [[Antigonus II Gonatas|Antigonus II]] arrange the marriage of Antigonus' half-brother [[Demetrius the Fair]] to [[Berenice II|Berenice of Cyrene]], daughter of Magas and Apama. However, when Demetrius the Fair arrives, Apama becomes his lover. In response, Berenice leads an [[Rebellion|uprising]] in which Demetrius is killed in Apama's bedroom.

==== Roman Republic ====
* In the [[First Punic War|Punic War]], the [[Roman Republic|Romans]] shift their attention to the southwest of [[Sicily]]. They send a naval expedition toward the [[Carthage|Carthaginian]] city of [[Lilybaeum]]. En route, the Romans seize and [[burn]] the Carthaginian held cities of Selinous and [[Heraclea Minoa]]. The Romans then begin the [[Siege of Lilybaeum (250–241 BC)|siege of Lilybaeum]].
* According to tradition ([[Horace]], Odes, iii. 5), after the defeat of the Carthaginians at the [[Battle of Panormus]], the Carthaginians release [[Marcus Atilius Regulus]] from [[prison]] and he is sent to Rome on [[parole]] to negotiate a peace or an [[Prisoner exchange|exchange of prisoners]]. However, on his arrival, he strongly urges the [[Roman Senate]] to refuse both proposals and continue fighting. After this he then honours his parole by returning to Carthage where he is executed by being placed in a spiked barrel, which is then let roll down a hill.

==== Persia ====
* [[Andragoras (3rd century BC)|Andragoras]], a Seleucid [[satrap]] of the province of Partahia ([[Parthia]]), tries to gain independence from the [[Seleucid Kingdom]] under [[Antiochus II Theos|Antiochus II]].

==== India ====
* According to the [[Theravāda]] commentaries and [[chronicle]]s, the [[Buddhist councils|Third Buddhist Council]] is convened by the [[Mauryan]] king [[Ashoka]] at [[Pataliputra]] (modern [[Patna]]), under the leadership of the monk [[Moggaliputta Tissa]]. Its objective is to purify the [[Buddhist]] movement, particularly from opportunistic factions which are being attracted by the royal patronage.
* The [[Maurya period|Mauryan]] sculpture ''[[Didarganj Yakshi]] holding a Fly Whisk'', from [[Patna]], [[Bihar]] in [[India]], is made (approximate date). It is now kept at the [[Patna Museum]] in Patna.
* The Mauryan ''[[Lion Capital of Ashoka]]'', is erected as part of a pillar at [[Sarnath]], [[Uttar Pradesh]] in India (approximate date). It is now preserved at the [[Sarnath Museum]] in Sarnath.

==== China ====
* [[King Zhuangxiang of Qin|Zichu]] becomes the king of [[State of Qin|Qin]], with [[Lü Buwei]] his Prime Minister.
* The Qin general Meng Ao captures the [[State of Han|Han]] cities of [[Chenggao]] and [[Xingyang]], thereby establishing the [[Sanchuan Commandery]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Sima|last= Qian|title=Records of the Grand Historian, Section: Basic Annals of Qin}}</ref>
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