Editing 309 BC

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2011}}
{{Year nav|-309}}
{{BC year in topic|309}}
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Year '''309 BC''' was a year of the [[Roman calendar|pre-Julian Roman calendar]]. At the time, it was known as the '''Year of the Dictatorship of Cursor''' (or, less frequently, '''year 445 ''[[Ab urbe condita]]'''''). The denomination 309 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 ===

==== Asia Minor ====
* [[Ptolemy I Soter]] personally commands a fleet that takes the coastal regions of [[Lycia]] and [[Caria]] from [[Antigonus I Monophthalmus]], capturing the cities of  [[Phaselis]], [[Xanthos]], [[Kaunos]], [[Iasos]] and [[Myndus]].<ref name=Diod2027>{{cite book|last=Siculus|first=Diodorus|title=Library|url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/20B*.html#27|volume=XX|chapter=27.1}}</ref>

====Thrace====
*[[Lysimachus]], the [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Macedonian]] ruler of [[Thrace]] and one of [[diadochi]], founds the city of [[Lysimachia (Thrace)|Lysimachia]] on the north-western extremity of the [[Thracian Chersonese]] (the modern [[Gallipoli]] peninsula) to serve as his capital.<ref name=Diod2029>{{cite book|last=Siculus|first=Diodorus|title=Library|url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/20B*.html#29|volume=XX|chapter=29.1}}</ref>

==== Greece ====
* [[Cassander]], who has held [[Roxana]], widow of [[Alexander the Great]], in prison for a number of years, has her put to death along with her young son Alexander, the nominal King [[Alexander IV of Macedon]].
* [[Antigonus I Monophthalmus|Antigonus]] attempts to renew his alliance with the [[Macedon]]ian general and former regent [[Polyperchon]], who still controls part of the [[Peloponnesus]]. He sends [[Heracles (Macedon)|Heracles]], the illegitimate son of [[Alexander the Great]], to Polyperchon to be treated as a pretender to the throne of Macedonia.
* Polyperchon manages to form an army consisting of 20,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry and challenges Cassander's army. Instead of fighting, Cassander starts negotiations with Polyperchon. By offering to make him a general of his own army and placing him as governor of Peloponnesus, he convinces Polyperchon to change allegiance to him instead of Heracles. As a result, Polyperchon murders Heracles and his mother [[Barsine]].
* [[Areus I]] succeeds his grandfather [[Cleomenes II]] as king of [[Sparta]].<ref name=Diod2029/>
* A census is carried out in [[Athens]]. 21,000 citizens, 10,000 foreign residents and 400,000 others – women, children and slaves – are living in the city.
* [[Ptolemy I Soter|Ptolemy]] arrives at [[Kos]] and sends for [[Ptolemy (nephew of Antigonus I Monophthalmus)|Ptolemaeus]] (the nephew of [[Antigonus I Monophthalmus|Antigonus]] – who has revolted against Antigonus) to join him to discuss strategy. After finding out Ptolemaeus plans to take over his army and fleet, Ptolemy forces him to commit suicide.<ref name=Diod2027/>

==== Carthage ====
* Since [[480 BC]], an aristocratic Council of Elders has effectively ruled [[Ancient Carthage|Carthage]]. The titular king of Carthage, Bomilcar, attempts a coup to restore the monarchy to full power. His attempt fails, which leads to Carthage becoming, in name as well as in fact, a republic.
* Leaving his brother [[Antander]] to continue the defence of [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]], [[Agathocles]] lands in [[North Africa]] with the aim of distracting the Carthaginians from their siege of Syracuse. Agathocles concludes a treaty with Ophellas, ruler of [[Cyrenaica]]. He then takes advantage of the civil unrest in Carthage and nearly succeeds in conquering the city.

==== Roman Republic ====
* The [[Samnites]] again rise against [[Roman Republic|Rome]]. [[Lucius Papirius Cursor]] is appointed dictator for the second time and wins a great victory at Longula over the [[Samnites]].

==== China ====
* Soon after the [[Qin (state)|State of Qin]] has conquered the [[Shu (state)|State of Shu]] (in modern-day [[Sichuan]] province), they employ the Shu engineer Bi Ling to create the Guanxian [[irrigation]] system, which will eventually provide for over five million people in an area of 40 to {{convert|50|sqmi|km2}}, still in use today.

== Births ==
* [[Ptolemy II Philadelphus]], King of [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]] (d. [[246 BC]])

== Deaths ==
* King [[Alexander IV of Macedon]] (b. [[323 BC]])
* [[Cleomenes II]], Agiad King of [[Sparta]]
* [[Heracles (Macedon)|Heracles]], illegitimate son of [[Alexander the Great]] and claimant to the throne of [[Macedon]] (b. [[327 BC]])
* [[Ptolemy (general)]]  general of Antigonus I Monophthalmus
* [[Roxana]], wife of [[Alexander the Great]], and mother of [[Alexander IV of Macedon]]
* [[Zhang Yi (strategist)|Zhang Yi]], strategist of the [[China|Chinese]] state of [[Qin (state)|Qin]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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[[Category:309 BC| ]]