Editing 238 BC

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{{BC year in topic|238}}
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Year '''238 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 Gracchus and Falto''' (or, less frequently, '''year 516 ''[[Ab urbe condita]]'''''). The denomination 238 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 ===
====Rome====
* Rome captures [[Corsica]] and [[Sardinia]]<ref>{{cite book | page=23 | first=John E. | last=Stambaugh | place=Baltimore | year=1988 | publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press | title=The Ancient Roman City | isbn=0-8018-3574-7}}</ref>
==== Carthage ====
* [[Hamilcar Barca]] strikes at the supply lines of the mercenary army besieging [[Carthage]], forcing them to cease the siege of the city. He then fights a series of running engagements with the mercenary armies, keeping them off balance. Hamilcar manages to force the mercenary armies into a box canyon in the [[Battle of "The Saw"]]. The mercenaries are besieged in the canyon.
* The mercenary army, under the leadership of [[Spendius]], attempts to fight its way out of the siege but is totally defeated by the Carthaginian forces led by Hamilcar Barca. After the battle, Hamilcar executes some 40,000 rebel mercenaries.
* Hamilcar's armies capture a number of rebel Libyan cities. The Libyan settlements that have rebelled surrender to Carthage, with the exception of [[Utica, Tunisia|Utica]] and Hippacritae.
* Hamilcar and another Carthaginian general, [[Hannibal (Mercenary War)|Hannibal]], besiege Mathos' mercenary army at [[Tunis]] and crucify the captured mercenary leaders in sight of the mercenary battlements.
* Mathos exploits a weakness in Hannibal's defenses and launches an attack against his army, capturing Hannibal and several other high ranking Carthaginians. The mercenaries then crucify the captured Carthaginian leaders.
* Carthaginian reinforcements led by [[Hanno the Great]] join the battle. They defeat Mathos' mercenary forces and Mathos is captured.
* The Carthaginian armies besiege and capture Utica and Hippacritae. This ends the Carthaginian civil war.
* The [[Roman Republic|Romans]] declare war on the Carthaginians over which state controls [[Sardinia]]. However, Carthage defers to Rome rather than enter yet another war and gives up any claim to Sardinia.

==== Egypt ====
* The [[Decree of Canopus]], also called "Table of Tanis", is a memorial stone promulgated by an assemblage of priests in honour of [[Ptolemy III Euergetes]] and his consort [[Berenice II of Egypt|Berenice]]. The decree, written in [[Koine Greek|Greek]], [[Demotic (Egyptian)|demotic]], and [[Egyptian hieroglyphs|hieroglyphs]] is an ancient bilingual [[Ancient Egypt|Egyptian]] decree that provides a key for deciphering hieroglyphic and the simpler demotic scripts.

==== Persia ====
* [[Arsaces I of Parthia|Arsaces]], chief of an [[Iran]]ian nomad tribe, the [[Parni]], [[Parni conquest of Parthia|invades and conquers Parthia]] killing, in the process, the local ruler [[Andragoras (3rd century BC)|Andragoras]].
'''Asia Minor'''

* A joint [[Seleucid Empire|Seleucid]]-[[Galatians (people)|Galatian]] invasion of [[Pergamon]] is defeated at the [[Battle of Aphrodisium]] 

==== China ====
* [[Ying Zheng]], having reached adulthood, celebrates his capping ceremony as the king of [[Qin (state)|Qin]]. 
* Ying Zheng and Prime Minister [[Lü Buwei]] crush the rebellion of [[Lao Ai]]. Lao Ai is executed.

</onlyinclude>

== Births ==
* [[Masinissa]], king of [[Numidia]] (approximate date)
* [[Philip V of Macedon|Philip V]], king ([[basileus]]) of [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Macedonia]] (d. [[179 BC]])

== Deaths ==
* [[Andragoras (3rd century BC)|Andragoras]], Seleucid governor ([[satrap]]) of [[Parthia]]
* [[Autaritus]], Gallic mercenary leader 
* [[Lord Chunshen|Chunshen]], Chinese [[Nobility|nobleman]]
* [[Hannibal (Mercenary War)|Hannibal]], Carthaginian general
* [[King Kaolie of Chu|Kaolie of Chu]], Chinese king of the [[Chu (state)|Chu State]]
* [[Lao Ai]], Chinese [[eunuch]] and official
* [[Xun Zi]], Chinese [[Philosophy|philosopher]] (approximate date)

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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