The 3rd century BCE

Great powers

Profiles of the 3rd century BCE, ranked by their military, territorial, economic and historical weight in the Institute’s analysis and by how strong they were in these hundred years.

• Roman Republic509 BCE – 27 BCEScore 7.8/10
• Maurya Empire322 BCE – 185 BCEScore 6.1/10 · at its peak c. 250 BCE
• State of Qin897 BCE – 221 BCEScore 6.1/10 · at its peak c. 221 BCE
• Punic Empire814 BCE – 146 BCEScore 5.6/10 · at its peak c. 265 BCE
• Seleucid Empire312 BCE – 63 BCEScore 5.6/10 · at its peak c. 200 BCE
• Ptolemaic Empire323 BCE – 30 BCEScore 5.9/10 · at its peak c. 241 BCE
• Saka700 BCE – 100 BCEScore 3.8/10 · at its peak c. 250 BCE
• Yuezhi300 BCE – 30 CEScore 3.6/10 · at its peak c. 209 BCE
• Kushite Empire1070 BCE – 350 CEScore 4.4/10
• Antigonid Kingdom of Macedonia306 BCE – 168 BCEScore 4.4/10
• Xiongnu Empire318 BCE – 36 BCEScore 3.6/10
• Rhodes408 BCE – 44 CEScore 4.4/10

Key events

• Second Punic WarWar · 218–201 BCE
• First Punic WarWar · 264–241 BCE
• Battle of CorupediumBattle · 281 BCE
• Battle of CannaeBattle · 216 BCE
• Battle of ChangpingBattle · 262–260 BCE
• Battle of JuluBattle · 207 BCE
• Battle of ZamaBattle · 202 BCE
• First Macedonian WarWar · 214–205 BCE
• Battle of SellasiaBattle · 222 BCE
• Mercenary WarWar · Revolt · 241–238 BCE
• Battle of Lake TrasimeneBattle · 217 BCE
• Battle of RaphiaBattle · 217 BCE

All 45 battles, wars and treaties of the 3rd century BCE →

People

• AshokaPerson · d. 232 BCE
• Pyrrhus of EpirusPerson · 319–272 BCE
• Cleomenes IIIPerson · c. 260–219 BCE
• Philip V of MacedonPerson · 238–179 BCE
• Scipio AfricanusPerson · 236–183 BCE
• Antigonus III DosonPerson · c. 263–221 BCE
• PhilopoemenPerson · c. 253–182 BCE
• Qin Shi HuangPerson · 259–210 BCE
• EpicurusPerson · 341–270 BCE
• Han FeiPerson · c. 280–233 BCE
• Antigonus II GonatasPerson · c. 320–239 BCE
• Aratus of SicyonPerson · 271–213 BCE

Works and ideas

• SeptuagintWork / monument · 3rd–2nd century BCE
• Colossus of RhodesWork / monument · c. 280–226 BCE
• MedracenWork / monument · 3rd century BCE
• PhaenomenaWork / monument · c. 275 BCE
• Zhengguo CanalWork / monument · 246 BCE
• Arco EtruscoWork / monument · 3rd century BCE
• Cippus PerusinusWork / monument · 3rd–2nd century BCE
• Iguvine TabletsWork / monument · 3rd–1st century BCE

States founded 69

• Kingdom of Bithynia 297 BCE – 74 BCE
• Mamertine Messana 288 BCE – 241 BCE
• Kingdom of Pergamon 282 BCE – 133 BCE
• Kingdom of Pontus 281 BCE – 63 BCE
• Achaean League 280 BCE – 146 BCE
• Dian Kingdom 279 BCE – 109 BCE
• Scordisci 279 BCE – 15 CE
• Galatia 278 BCE – 25 BCE
• Kingdom of Tylis 277 BCE – 212 BCE
• Kingdom of Cyrene under Magas 276 BCE – 250 BCE
• Kingdom of Persis 260 BCE – 224 CE
• Sophene 260 BCE – 95 BCE
• Au Lac 257 BCE – 179 BCE
• Greco-Bactrian Kingdom 256 BCE – 120 BCE
• Parisii 250 BCE – 52 BCE
• Scythian Kingdom of Crimea 250 BCE – 260 CE
• Parthian Empire 247 BCE – 224 CE
• Barcid Iberia 237 BCE – 206 BCE
• Epirote League 232 BCE – 167 BCE
• Kingdom of Mauretania 225 BCE – 40 CE
• Qin dynasty 221 BCE – 206 BCE
• Cretan Koinon 216 BCE – 67 BCE
• Zhangchu 209 BCE – 208 BCE
• Han Dynasty 206 BCE – 220 CE
• Kingdom of Changshan 206 BCE – 205 BCE
• Kingdom of Dai (206 BC) 206 BCE – 204 BCE
• Kingdom of Di (206 BC) 206 BCE – 206 BCE
• Kingdom of Han (206 BC) 206 BCE – 202 BCE
• Kingdom of Henan 206 BCE – 205 BCE
• Kingdom of Hengshan 206 BCE – 202 BCE
• Kingdom of Jiaodong 206 BCE – 206 BCE
• Kingdom of Jibei 206 BCE – 206 BCE
• Kingdom of Jiujiang 206 BCE – 203 BCE
• Kingdom of Liaodong (206 BC) 206 BCE – 206 BCE
• Kingdom of Linjiang 206 BCE – 202 BCE
• Kingdom of Sai 206 BCE – 206 BCE
• Kingdom of Yin (206 BC) 206 BCE – 205 BCE
• Kingdom of Yong 206 BCE – 205 BCE
• Qi (206 BC) 206 BCE – 203 BCE
• Western Chu 206 BCE – 202 BCE

States that came to an end 114

• State of Teng 1046 BCE – 296 BCE
• Zhongshan 506 BCE – 296 BCE
• Clusium 900 BCE – 295 BCE
• Perusia 800 BCE – 295 BCE
• Antipatrid Kingdom of Macedonia 305 BCE – 294 BCE
• Arretium 800 BCE – 294 BCE
• Rusellae 800 BCE – 294 BCE
• Sabines 800 BCE – 290 BCE
• Samnite League 600 BCE – 290 BCE
• Zancle 730 BCE – 288 BCE
• State of Song 1040 BCE – 286 BCE
• Senones 400 BCE – 283 BCE
• Gela 688 BCE – 282 BCE
• Thurii 444 BCE – 282 BCE
• Kingdom of Lysimachus 306 BCE – 281 BCE
• Tarquinii 900 BCE – 281 BCE
• Populonia 800 BCE – 280 BCE
• Vetulonia 850 BCE – 280 BCE
• Vulci 900 BCE – 280 BCE
• Heraclea Lucania 433 BCE – 278 BCE
• Croton 710 BCE – 277 BCE
• Caere 900 BCE – 273 BCE
• Elea 540 BCE – 273 BCE
• Italiote League 430 BCE – 272 BCE
• Lucanians 420 BCE – 272 BCE
• Metapontum 630 BCE – 272 BCE
• Taras 706 BCE – 272 BCE
• Yiqu 800 BCE – 272 BCE
• Rhegion 720 BCE – 270 BCE
• Picentes 800 BCE – 268 BCE
• Messapians 800 BCE – 266 BCE
• Umbrians 700 BCE – 266 BCE
• Etruscan League 600 BCE – 264 BCE
• Volsinii 900 BCE – 264 BCE
• Catana 729 BCE – 263 BCE
• Kingdom of Kalinga 700 BCE – 261 BCE
• State of Zou 1046 BCE – 261 BCE
• Volaterrae 800 BCE – 260 BCE
• Kamarina 598 BCE – 258 BCE
• Van Lang 700 BCE – 258 BCE

On this day

• 2 August 216 BCEHannibal annihilates a Roman army at Cannae

Year by year 12

The years of the 3rd century BCE with a page of their own: their events, births and deaths, and the states founded and ended.

• 281 BCE
• 241 BCE
• 222 BCE
• 221 BCE
• 218 BCE
• 217 BCE
• 207 BCE
• 206 BCE
• 205 BCE
• 204 BCE
• 203 BCE
• 202 BCE