Editing 263 BC (section)

=== By place ===

==== Roman Republic ====
* The [[Roman Republic|Romans]] under the [[consul]] [[Manius Valerius Messalla]] secure the alliance of [[Hiero II of Syracuse]]. The treaty with Rome restricts Hiero's kingdom to southeast [[Sicily]] and the eastern coast of Sicily as far as [[Tauromenium]]. From this date until his death, Hiero remains loyal to the Romans.
* The Romans capture [[Catania]] in Sicily under Messalla. A sundial is part of the booty, which is placed in the [[Comitium]] in Rome and will be significant in [[Roman timekeeping]].<ref>Pliny the Elder. ''Naturalis historia''. '''VII''':60, 214.</ref>

==== Greece ====
* [[Alexander II of Epirus]] attacks and conquers the greater part of [[Macedon]]ia. However, he is then driven out of both Macedonia and [[Epirus]] by [[Demetrius II of Macedon|Demetrius II]], the son of King [[Antigonus II Gonatas]] of Macedonia.
* The [[Ancient Athens|Athenians]] and [[Sparta]]ns, worn down by several years of war and the devastation of their lands, make peace with Antigonus II of Macedonia who thus retains his hold on southern Greece.
* [[Cleanthes]] succeeds [[Zeno of Citium]] in his [[Stoicism|Stoic]] School in [[Ancient Athens|Athens]].

==== Asia Minor ====
* [[Eumenes I]] succeeds his uncle [[Philetaerus]] on the throne of [[Pergamum]]. As Philetaerus is a eunuch, he adopts his nephew Eumenes (the son of Philetaerus' brother also named Eumenes) as his successor.

==== China ====
* General [[Bai Qi]] of the [[State of Qin]] captures the [[State of Han|Han]] province of Nan, thereby cutting off [[Shangdang Commandery]] from the rest of the Han state. This commandery subsequently surrenders itself to the [[State of Zhao]] rather than transfer to Qin control, which will set up the climactic [[Battle of Changping]] in 260 BC.<ref>{{cite book|first=Sima|last= Qian|title=Records of the Grand Historian, Section: Basic Annals of Qin, Section: Bai Qi}}</ref></onlyinclude>