Editing 87 BC

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2011}}
{{Year nav|-87}}
{{BC year in topic|87}}
[[File:Han map.jpg|upright=1.35|thumb|The [[Han dynasty]] in 87 BC (provinces in brown)]]
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Year '''87 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 Octavius and Cinna/Merula''' (or, less frequently, '''year 667 ''[[Ab urbe condita]]''''') and the '''Second Year of Houyuan'''. The denomination 87 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 ===

==== Roman Republic ====
* [[Lucius Cornelius Cinna]] is elected [[Roman consul|consul]] of [[Rome]], thus returning the rule of Rome back to the populares faction.
* [[Sulla]] arrives in [[Greece]] and besieges [[Athens]]. He orders [[Lucullus|Lucius Licinius Lucullus]] to raise a fleet from Rome's allies around the eastern Mediterranean.
* [[Ostia Antica (archaeological site)|Ostia]] is razed by [[Gaius Marius]] as he comes back from [[Africa]] with an army to take Rome by force.

==== China ====
* [[March 29]] &ndash; [[Emperor Wu of Han]] dies after a 54-year reign in which he leads the [[Han dynasty]] ([[China]]) through its greatest expansion. The Empire's borders span from modern [[Kyrgyzstan]] in the west, to [[Mongolia]] in the north, to [[Korea]] in the east, and to northern [[Vietnam]] in the south.
* [[March 30]] &ndash; The eight-year-old [[Liu Fuling]] becomes emperor, with [[Huo Guang]] General-in-Chief and regent.<ref>{{cite book|first=Hing Ming|last= Hung|title=The Magnificent Emperor Wu: China's Han Dynasty|year= 2020|isbn=978-1628944167|page= 239|publisher= Algora}}</ref>

=== By topic ===

==== Technology ====
* [[Antikythera mechanism]] manufactured.
</onlyinclude>

== Births ==
* [[Lucius Munatius Plancus]], Roman consul (approximate date)

== Deaths ==
* [[March 29]] &ndash; [[Emperor Wu of Han|Han Wudi]], emperor of the [[Han dynasty]] (b. [[157 BC]])
* [[Apollodorus of Artemita]], Greek writer
* [[Gaius Atilius Serranus]], Roman consul and [[Senate of the Roman Republic|senator]] 
* [[Gaius Julius Caesar Strabo]], Roman politician
* [[Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo]], Roman general and politician
* [[Gotarzes I]], ruler (''[[shah]]'') of the [[Parthian Empire]]
* [[Lucius Cornelius Merula (consul 87 BC)|Lucius Cornelius Merula]], Roman politician and priest 
* [[Lucius Julius Caesar (consul 90 BC)|Lucius Julius Caesar]], Roman consul (killed by partisans of [[Gaius Marius]])
* [[Marcus Antonius (orator)|Marcus Antonius]], Roman consul (executed by order of Marius and [[Lucius Cornelius Cinna|Cinna]])
* [[Publius Licinius Crassus (consul 97 BC)|Publius Licinius Crassus]], Roman consul and censor (killed by Marians invading Rome)
* [[Quintus Ancharius (killed by Marius)|Quintus Ancharius]], Roman politician (executed by order of Marius and Cinna)

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:87 Bc}}
[[Category:87 BC| ]]