Editing 343 BC

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{{Year nav|-343}}
{{BC year in topic|343}}
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Year '''343 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 Corvus and Arvina''' (or, less frequently, '''year 411 ''[[Ab urbe condita]]'''''). The denomination 343 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 ===
==== Persian Empire ====
* The [[Monarch|King]] of [[Achaemenid Empire|Persia]], [[Artaxerxes III]], personally leads the Persian forces invading [[Egypt]]. The Persians are keen to access Egypt's gold and corn supplies. The town of [[Pelusium]] in the [[Nile Delta]] puts up resistance, but [[Pharaoh]] [[Nectanebo II]] is forced to retreat to [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]].<ref>George Rawlinson, ''The History of Herodotus'', J.G.  Wilkinson, J. Murray, 1880</ref> As the situation deteriorates, Nectanebo II leaves for exile in [[Nubia]]. His departure marks the end of the [[Thirtieth dynasty of Egypt|30th Dynasty]], the last native house to rule Egypt.
* With Nectanebo II's flight, all organised resistance to the Persians collapses, and Egypt is once again reduced to a [[satrapy]] of the Persian Empire. A Persian satrap is put in place in Egypt. The walls of the country's cities are destroyed and its temples are plundered. Artaxerxes and his commander-in-chief, General [[Bagoas]], leave Egypt loaded with treasure.

==== Greece ====
* The Athenian statesman [[Demosthenes]] has [[Aeschines]] indicted for treason. However, Aeschines drags up the inappropriate past of one of Demosthenes' associates, Timarchus and is acquitted by a narrow margin.
* King [[Philip II of Macedon]] again marches against [[Cersobleptes]], King of [[Thrace]], defeats him in several battles, and reduces him to the condition of being a tributary.
* [[Phalaikos]] unsuccessfully lays siege to [[Kydonia]] on the island of [[Crete]].<ref>C. Michael Hogan, [http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/10881/cydonia.html#fieldnotes ''Cydonia'', Modern Antiquarian], January 23, 2008</ref>

==== Italy ====
* The native Italian tribes, the [[Lucanians]] and [[Bruttians]], press down upon the Greek colonies of [[Magna Graecia]], including [[Taranto|Tarentum]]. Responding to calls for help from these former Greek colonies, King [[Archidamus III]] of [[Sparta]] sets sail with a band of mercenaries for [[Italy]].
* After his surrender to the [[Corinth]]ian general [[Timoleon]], who takes over as ruler of [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]], the former [[tyrant]], [[Dionysius II of Syracuse|Dionysius II]], is allowed to retire to [[Corinth]] to live in exile, although he dies within the year. The Syracusan constitution is changed by Timoleon with the new constitution designed to have safeguards against tyranny. Timoleon invites new settlers from [[Greece]] to come to [[Sicily]].

==== Roman Republic ====
* [[First Samnite War]] began when [[Roman Republic|Rome]] fought the confederated [[Samnites]] over disputed territory in the Middle Liris Valley.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/samniumsamnites0000salm/page/192/mode/2up | access-date=February 24, 2024 | pages=193{{endash}}194 | first=E.T. | last=Salmon | title=Samnium and the Samnites | place=Cambridge | publisher=Cambridge University Press | year=1967}}</ref> 
</onlyinclude>

== Births ==
* [[Philetaerus]], founder of the [[Attalid dynasty]] of [[Pergamum]] in [[Anatolia]] (approximate date) (d. [[263 BC]])

== Deaths ==
* [[Dionysius II of Syracuse|Dionysius II]], [[tyrant]] of [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]] (b. c. [[397 BC]])

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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[[Category:343 BC| ]]