8 BC

Year 8 BC was either a common year starting on Friday or Saturday or a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar (the sources differ, see leap year error for further information) and a common year starting on Wednesday of the Proleptic Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Censorinus and Gaius Asinius (or, less frequently, year 746 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 8 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

• King Maroboduus becomes ruler of the Marcomanni<ref>7, 1, 3, p. 290; Marcus Velleius Paterculus, Compendium of Roman History 2, 108</ref> and fights against the Roman Empire's expansion in Bohemia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Arminius, son of a Cheruscan chieftain, is taken as a hostage to Rome, where he receives a military education.<ref name=eb>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref><ref name="Durschmied">Template:Cite book</ref>
• After 20 years, Emperor Augustus initiates his second census of the Roman Empire.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Sextilis, the eighth month of the early Julian calendar, is renamed Augustus (August) by a decree of the Roman Senate in honor of Augustus.<ref>Preserved by Macrobius, Saturnalia 1.12.35; entry on calendarium, in William Smith, A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (John Murray, London, 1875), at LacusCurtius.</ref>

Births

• Wang, Chinese empress of the Han dynasty (d. AD 23)

Deaths

• November 27 – Horace, Roman lyric poet and writer (b. 65 BC)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Gaius Maecenas, Roman politician and advisor (b. 70 BC)
• Polemon I, Roman client king of the Bosporan Kingdom
• Xu, Chinese empress of the Han dynasty