Editing 204 BC

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2011}}
{{Year nav|-204}}
{{BC year in topic|204}}
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Year '''204 BC''' was a year of the [[Roman calendar|pre-Julian Roman calendar]]. At the time it was known as the '''Year of the Consulship of Cethegus and Tuditanus''' (or, less frequently, '''year 550 ''[[Ab urbe condita]]'''''). The denomination 204 BC for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the [[Anno Domini]] [[calendar era]] became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

== Events ==
<onlyinclude>
=== By place ===
==== Carthage ====
* Having lost his [[military alliance|alliance]] with the [[Numidia]]n chief [[Masinissa]], the [[Carthage|Carthaginian]] general, [[Hasdrubal Gisco]], finds a new ally in the Numidian king [[Syphax]], who [[marries]] [[Sophonisba]], Hasdrubal's daughter, who, until his [[defection]] to [[Roman Republic|Rome]], has been [[betrothed]] to Masinissa.
* Roman forces under [[Scipio Africanus|Publius Cornelius Scipio]] besiege [[Utica, Tunisia|Utica]] in Carthaginia. Scipio is unable to stop the combined forces of the Carthaginians under Hasdrubal Gisco and the Numidians under their chief, Syphax, and he is forced to lift his siege of Utica.

==== Egypt ====
* The late [[Ancient Egypt|Egyptian]] King [[Ptolemy IV Philopator|Ptolemy IV's]] [[clique]] of favourites, [[Leadership|led]] by [[Sosibius]], Ptolemy's chief minister, keeps Ptolemy's death a secret, fearing retribution from the new king [[Ptolemy V Epiphanes|Ptolemy V's]] mother, Queen [[Arsinoe III of Egypt|Arsinoe III]]. They arrange for the murder of Arsinoe, and then the five-year-old king is officially elevated to the throne with Sosibius as his guardian. Arsinoe has been popular with the Egyptian population so [[riot]]ing follows the news of her assassination.

==== Roman Republic ====
* The [[Battle of Crotona]] is fought between [[Hannibal]]'s Carthaginian army, and a Roman force led by [[Publius Sempronius Tuditanus]], with no decisive outcome for either side.

==== Seleucid Empire ====
* [[Philip V of Macedon]] and [[Antiochus III the Great|Antiochus III]] of the [[Syria]]n-based [[Seleucid]] [[Monarchy|kingdom]] realize Egypt's weakness and agree to partition Egypt's [[Anatolia]]n and [[Aegean Sea|Aegean]] possessions. Antiochus' share is to be southern Syria, [[Lycia]], [[Cilicia]] and [[Cyprus]], while Philip is to gain western [[Anatolia]] and the [[Cyclades]].

==== China ====
* [[Han Xin]] completes the conquest of [[Zhao (state)|Zhao]] and receives the surrender of [[Yan (state)|Yan]]. He captures the Zhao capital of [[Handan]] and defeats [[Chu (state)|Chu]] relief forces sent by [[Xiang Yu]].
* Han Xin invades the [[State of Qi]], defeats Qi's armies, captures their capital [[Ancient Linzi|Linzi]] and crushes a coalition army of Chu and Qi forces under [[Long Ju]] in the [[Battle of the Wei River]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Hing Ming|last= Hung|title=The Road to the Throne: How Liu Bang Founded China's Han Dynasty|year= 2011|isbn=978-0875868387|pages= 128-148}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Sima|last= Qian|title=Records of the Grand Historian, Section: Han Xin, Section: Jin She}}</ref> 
</onlyinclude>

== Deaths ==
* [[Arsinoe III of Egypt|Arsinoe III]], queen of [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]], sister and wife of Ptolemy IV (assassinated) (b. c. [[246 BC]])
* [[Dong Yi (Qin dynasty)|Dong Yi]], Chinese general of the [[Qin dynasty|Qin Dynasty]] and conferred with the title of "King of Di"
* [[Fan Zeng]], Chinese adviser during the [[Chu-Han Contention]] (206–202 BC) (b. [[277 BC]])
* [[Gong Ao]], Chinese ruler of the [[Eighteen Kingdoms]] during the Chu-Han Contention
* [[Hanno the Elder]], Carthaginian general executed by [[Scipio Africanus]]
* [[Ji Xin]], Chinese general during the Chu-Han Contention
* [[Li Yiji]], Chinese politician and adviser (b. [[268 BC]])
* [[Long Ju]], Chinese general and [[Grand Marshal]]
* [[Ptolemy IV Philopator]], king ([[Pharaoh]]) of [[Ptolemaic Kingdom|Egypt]]
* [[Sima Xin]], Chinese general of the Qin Dynasty

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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[[Category:204 BC| ]]