Editing 221 BC

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{{BC year in topic|221}}
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Year '''221 BC''' was a year of the [[Roman calendar|pre-Julian Roman calendar]]. At the time it was known in Rome as the '''Year of the Consulship of Asina and Rufus/Lepidus''' (or, less frequently, '''year 533 ''[[Ab urbe condita]]'''''). The denomination 221 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 ==
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=== By place ===

==== Iberian Peninsula ====
* The [[Carthage|Carthaginian]] general [[Hasdrubal the Fair|Hasdrubal]] is murdered by a [[Celts|Celtic]] assassin while campaigning to increase the Carthaginian hold on [[Spain]]. Following the assassination of Hasdrubal, [[Hannibal]], the son of the Carthaginian general, [[Hamilcar Barca]], is proclaimed commander-in-chief by the army and his appointment is confirmed by the Carthaginian government.
* Hannibal immediately moves to consolidate Carthage's control of Spain. He marries a Spanish princess, Imilce, then begins to conquer various Spanish tribes. He fights against the [[Olcades]] and captures their capital, [[Altea|Althaea]]; quells the [[Vaccaei]] in the northwest; and, making the seaport of [[Cartagena, Spain|Cartagena]] ([[Carthago Nova]], the capital of Carthaginian Spain) his base, wins a resounding victory over the [[Carpetani]] in the region of the [[Tagus River]].

==== Egypt ====
* [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt's]] [[Ptolemy III Euergetes|Ptolemy III]] dies and is succeeded by his son, [[Ptolemy IV Philopator|Ptolemy IV]]. [[Sosibius]] is appointed by Ptolemy IV as his [[chief minister]] and immediately has a great influence over the young king, directing all of the affairs of state.
* At Sosibius' direction, Ptolemy IV puts to death in succession his uncle, Lysimachus, his brother [[Magas of Egypt|Magas]], and his mother [[Berenice II of Egypt|Berenice II]].
* King [[Cleomenes III]] of [[Sparta]], who is in exile in Egypt, is imprisoned by Ptolemy IV on a charge of [[Conspiracy (political)|conspiracy]].

==== Seleucid Empire ====
* The [[satrap]] of [[Medes|Media]], [[Molon]], and his brother, [[Alexander (satrap)|Alexander]], revolt against [[Antiochus III the Great|Antiochus III]], primarily due to their hatred towards [[Hermeias]], Antiochus' chief minister. Molon is able to become master of the [[Seleucid]] domains to the east of the [[Tigris]]. He is stopped by Antiochus III's forces in his attempts to pass that river. [[Xenoetas]], one of Antiochus' generals, is sent against Molon with a large force, but is surprised by Molon's forces and his whole army is cut to pieces and Xenoetas is killed. The rebel satrap now crosses the Tigris, and makes himself master of the city of [[Seleucia]] on the Tigris, together with the whole of [[Babylonia]] and [[Mesopotamia]].

==== Greece ====
* [[Antigonus III Doson|Antigonus III]] dies during a battle against the [[Illyria]]ns and is succeeded by his young cousin [[Philip V of Macedon|Philip V]] as King of [[Macedon]]ia.

==== Roman Republic ====
* [[Gaius Flaminius (consul 223 BC)|Gaius Flaminius]] builds a second [[race track]] for [[Roman Republic|Rome]], the [[Circus Flaminius]].

==== China ====
* The [[state of Qi]] &ndash; by now the only other independent state in China &ndash;, is invaded by the [[Qin (state)|Qin]] generals [[Wang Ben]], [[Li Xin (Qin)|Li Xin]] and [[Meng Tian]] and surrenders after offering minimal resistance. Ying Zheng, the king of [[Qin dynasty|Qin]] unifies [[China]] and proclaims himself the First Emperor, as he is the first Chinese sovereign able to rule the whole country, thus ending the [[Warring States period]]. He is known by historians as [[Qin Shi Huang]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Sima|last= Qian|title=Records of the Grand Historian, Section: The First Emperor, Section: Wang Jian, Section: Meng Tian.}}</ref>
* The Chinese [[Bronze Age]] ends (approximate date).
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== Births ==
* [[Liu Fei, Prince of Qi|Liu Fei]], Chinese prince and proclaimed king of the former [[Qi (state)|Qi State]] (d. [[189 BC]])

== Deaths ==
* [[Antigonus III Doson]], king of Macedon from [[227 BC]] (b. [[263 BC]])
* [[Berenice II]], queen of [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]], daughter of [[Magas of Cyrene|Magas]], king of [[Cyrenaica]] (in modern [[Libya]]), whose marriage to [[Ptolemy III Euergetes]] has reunited her country with Egypt (b. c. [[267 BC]])
* [[Hasdrubal the Fair|Hasdrubal]], Carthaginian general and son-in-law of [[Hamilcar Barca]] (assassinated) (b. c. [[270 BC]])
* [[Lucius Caecilius Metellus (died 221 BC)|Lucius Caecilius Metellus]], Roman consul and general during the [[First Punic War]] (b. c. [[290 BC]])
* [[Ptolemy III Euergetes|Ptolemy III]], king of [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]], who has reunited Egypt and [[Cyrenaica]] and successfully waged the [[Syrian Wars#Third Syrian War (246–241 BC)|Third Syrian War]] against the [[Seleucid Empire]]
* [[Xenoetas]], Seleucid general (killed during a revolt against [[Antiochus III the Great|Antiochus III]])

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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