Editing 316 BC

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2011}}
{{Year nav|-316}}
{{BC year in topic|316}}
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Year '''316 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 Rutilus and Laenas''' (or, less frequently, '''year 438 ''[[Ab urbe condita]]'''''). The denomination 316 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 ===
==== Macedonian Empire ====
* [[Eumenes]] and [[Antigonus I Monophthalmus|Antigonus]], rivals to Cassander for control of Macedonia, meet in the [[Battle of Gabiene]] in [[Medes|Media]] to the northeast of [[Susa]]. Antigonus defeats Eumenes, with the aid of [[Seleucus I Nicator|Seleucus]] and [[Peithon]] (the satraps of [[Babylonia]] and Media, respectively). The result is inconclusive. However, some of Eumenes' soldiers take matters into their own hands. Learning that Antigonus has captured many of their wives, children and the cumulative plunder of nearly 40 years of continuous warfare, they secretly open negotiations with Antigonus for their safe return. They hand over Eumenes and his senior officers to Antigonus in return for their baggage and families. Eumenes is put to death by Antigonus after a week's captivity.

==== Greece ====
* [[Cassander]] returns from the [[Peloponnesus]] and defeats [[Macedon]]ia's regent [[Polyperchon]] in battle. [[Cassander]] blockades [[Olympias]], mother of the late [[Alexander the Great]], in [[Pydna]], where she surrenders. [[Cassander]]  takes [[Roxana]] and her son [[Alexander IV of Macedon]] into his custody.
* [[Olympias]] is condemned to death by [[Cassander]], but his soldiers refuse to carry out the sentence. She is eventually killed by relatives of those she has previously had executed.
* [[Cassander]] marries [[Thessalonica of Macedon|Thessaloniki]], half-sister of [[Alexander the Great]]. He has Alexander's widow, [[Roxana]] and son, [[Alexander IV of Macedon]], imprisoned at Amphipolis in Thrace. They are never to be seen alive again.
* [[Cassander]] founds, on Pallenê, a city called [[Cassandreia]]
* [[Thebes, Greece|Thebes]], which has been destroyed by Alexander the Great, begins to be rebuilt by Cassander with the help of the citizens of [[Athens]].
* In [[Rhodes (city)]], a major flood occurs. At least five hundred people die and many houses collapse. <ref name="Diodorus45">{{cite book|last=Siculus|first=Diodorus|title=Library|url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/19B*.html#45|volume=IX}}</ref>

==== Sicily ====
* [[Agathocles]], the new [[tyrant]] of [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]], extends his rule over the eastern part of the island.<ref>S.N. Consolo Langher. 2000. ''Agatocle: Da capoparte a monarca fondatore di un regno tra Cartagine e i Diadochi''. Messana: Di.Sc.A.M. 79-96</ref>

==== Roman Republic ====
* The [[Roman Republic|Romans]], with an eye to capturing [[Apulia]], send an army (led by [[Roman dictator|dictator]] [[Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus]]) to seize the town of [[Lucera]] from the [[Samnites]]. They are badly beaten in the [[Battle of Lautulae]] and the Samnites go on to reach within 32 kilometres of Rome.

==== China ====
* [[King Huiwen of Qin|King Hui]] of [[Qin (state)|Qin]] decides, on the advice of General Sima Cuo, to invade and annex the ancient states of [[Ba (state)|Ba]] and [[Shu (state)|Shu]] in Sichuan, in order to increase Qin's agricultural output and obtain a strategic platform from which to defeat the state of [[Chu_(state)|Chu]]. 
</onlyinclude>
== Births ==
* [[Arsinoe II of Egypt|Arsinoe II]], Queen of [[Thrace]] and later co-ruler of [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]] with her brother and husband [[Ptolemy II of Egypt]] (d. [[270 BC]])

== Deaths ==
* [[Olympias]], [[Epirus (ancient state)|Epirote]] princess, wife of [[Macedon]]ian king [[Philip II of Macedon|Philip II]] and the mother of [[Alexander the Great]] (b. c. [[376 BC]])
* [[Eumenes]], Greek general and [[diadochi]] (b. c. ([[362 BC]])
* [[Antigenes (general)]], Greek general 
* [[Eudemus (general)]], Greek general 
* [[Sun Bin]], Chinese military strategist and general from the [[Qi (state)|State of Qi]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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[[Category:316 BC| ]]