Editing 249 BC

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2011}}
{{Year nav|-249}}
{{BC year in topic|249}}
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Year '''249 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 Pulcher and Pullus''' (or, less frequently, '''year 505 ''[[Ab urbe condita]]'''''). The denomination 249 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 ==
=== By place ===
==== Roman Republic ====
* The [[Battle of Drepana]] involves the Romans, under the command of the Roman consul [[Publius Claudius Pulcher (consul 249 BC)|Publius Claudius Pulcher]], attacking the Carthaginian fleet, under the command of [[Adherbal (admiral)|Adherbal]], in the harbour of [[Drepanum]] (modern [[Trapani]], [[Sicily]]). The Romans are badly defeated and lose 93 of their 123 vessels.
* Following the disastrous defeat of Roman forces at the [[Battle of Drepana]], [[Publius Claudius Pulcher (consul 249 BC)|Publius Claudius Pulcher]] is fined 120,000 asses and his colleague, [[Lucius Junius Pullus (consul 249 BC)|Lucius Junius Pullus]], commits suicide. [[Aulus Atilius Calatinus]] is then elected dictator and leads an army into Sicily, becoming the first dictator to lead a Roman army outside Italy. The Roman forces at [[Lilybaeum]] are relieved, and [[Eryx (Sicily)|Eryx]], near Drapana, is seized. Its idol of [[Astarte]] is transported to Rome, where it becomes the [[Erycine Venus]].

==== China ====
* The last remnants of the [[Zhou dynasty]], having rebelled against the [[State of Qin]], are defeated by Prime Minister [[Lü Buwei]].{{sfnp|Schinz|1996|p=80}}
* The Qin general Meng Ao seizes the Taiyuan region from the [[State of Zhao]].
* [[King Kaolie of Chu]] annexes the [[State of Lu]].

== Deaths ==
* [[Duke Wen of Eastern Zhou|King Hui of Zhou]], last Zhou claimant to the throne of China, is executed.{{sfnp|Schinz|1996|p=80}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

;Works cited
*{{cite book 
|last= Schinz
|first= Alfred
|editor1=Axel Menges
|title=The Magic Square: Cities in Ancient China
|date=1996
|publisher=Daehan Printing & Publishing Co.
|location=[[Stuttgart]], [[London]]
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:249 Bc}}
[[Category:249 BC| ]]