Century · 300 BCE – 201 BCE
The world in the 3rd century BCE
From 300 BCE to 201 BCE the atlas holds 117 states standing at some time, 34 of them founded in it - Han dynasty and Qin dynasty the best known - and 32 ending in it. 129 wars, risings, treaties, discoveries and other events began - Punic Wars, Second Punic War and Battle of Cannae the best known of the events; 256 people were born.
A century here is counted as Wikidata counts it, 300 BCE to 201 BCE, and holds every row that began in it, however coarsely dated.
What began in the 3rd century BCE
By decade first - wars and battles in red, risings, regime changes and massacres beside them, everything else in grey - then by kind, the best known first.
Wars and battles 120
- Punic Wars · war · 264 – 146 BCE
- Second Punic War · war · 218 – 201 BCE
- Battle of Cannae · battle · 216 BCE
- First Punic War · war · 264 – 241 BCE
- Battle of Zama · battle · 202 BCE
- Macedonian Wars · war · 214 – 148 BCE
- Battle of Lake Trasimene · battle · 217 BCE
- Battle of the Trebia · battle · 218 BCE
and 112 more in the atlas.
Unrest and atrocity 2
- Mercenary War · unrest · 240 – 238 BCE
- Great Theban Revolt · unrest · 206 – 186 BCE
Natural disasters 1
- 226 BC Rhodes earthquake · disaster · 226 BCE
Treaties 4
- Treaty of Phoenice · treaty · 205 BCE
- Ebro Treaty · treaty · 226 BCE
- Treaty of Lutatius · treaty · 241 BCE
- Macedonian–Carthaginian Treaty · treaty · 215 BCE
Works and ideas 2
- Coma Berenices · discovery · 245 BCE
- Beehive Cluster · discovery · 260 BCE
States founded and fallen
Founded 34
- Han dynasty · state · 206 BCE – 220 CE
- Qin dynasty · state · 221 – 206 BCE
- Parthian Empire · state · 247 BCE – 224 CE
- Kingdom of Numidia · state · 202 – 46 BCE
- Chola dynasty · state · 300 BCE – 1279 CE
- Bithynia · state · 297 – 74 BCE
- Kingdom of Iberia · state · 299 BCE – 580 CE
- Galatia · state · 279 – 26 BCE
- Greco-Bactrian Kingdom · state · 250 – 125 BCE
- Achaean League · state · 280 – 146 BCE
- Satavahana dynasty · state · 230 BCE – 220 CE
- Nanyue · state · 207 – 111 BCE
- Kingdom of Pontus · state · 281 BCE – 62 CE
- Pandya dynasty · state · 300 BCE – 1650 CE
and 20 more in the atlas.
Ended 32
- Etruscan civilization · state · 750 – 265 BCE
- Qin dynasty · state · 221 – 206 BCE
- Scythians · state · 700 – 201 BCE
- Zhou dynasty · state · 1101 – 256 BCE
- Peloponnesian War · state · 323 – 257 BCE
- Warring States period · state · 476 – 221 BCE
- Zhongshan · state · 366 – 292 BCE
- Lysimachus · state · 323 – 282 BCE
- Chu (state) · state · 722 – 223 BCE
- Qin · state · 905 – 221 BCE
- Greek colonisation · state · 271 – 226 BCE
- Kalinga · state · 301 – 261 BCE
- Yan (state) · state · 750 – 223 BCE
- Qi (state) · state · 1045 – 221 BCE
and 18 more in the atlas.
Born in the 3rd century BCE
The best known first, by how many Wikipedias write about them.
- Archimedes · inventor · 287 – 211 BCE
- Qin Shi Huang · monarch · 259 – 210 BCE
- Hannibal · military leader · 247 – 183 BCE
- Eratosthenes · astronomer · 276 – 194 BCE
- Cato the Elder · philosopher · 232 – 147 BCE
- Plautus · writer · 250 – 184 BCE
- Scipio Africanus · military leader · 235 – 183 BCE
- Ennius · poet · 239 – 169 BCE
- Emperor Gaozu of Han · ruler · 256 – 195 BCE
- Antiochus III the Great · ruler · 242 – 187 BCE
- Apollonius of Rhodes · poet · 295 – 215 BCE
- Hamilcar Barca · military leader · 275 – 228 BCE
- Antiochus IV Epiphanes · ruler · 215 – 164 BCE
- Ptolemy III Euergetes · ruler · 284 – 222 BCE
- Ptolemy V Epiphanes · ruler · 210 – 180 BCE
- Ptolemy IV Philopator · ruler · 244 – 204 BCE
- Cleopatra I Syra · person · 204 – 177 BCE
- Antiochus II Theos · ruler · 286 – 246 BCE
- Masinissa · monarch · 238 – 148 BCE
- Seleucus II Callinicus · ruler · 265 – 225 BCE
- Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus · military leader · 228 – 160 BCE
- Perseus of Macedon · military personnel · 212 – 166 BCE
- Philip V of Macedon · ruler · 238 – 179 BCE
- Arsinoe III · monarch · 244 – 204 BCE
and 232 more in the atlas.
States of the 3rd century BCE
Every state that stood at some time in the 3rd century BCE, by region, the best known first.
Europe18 states
- Ancient Greece · 1201 BCE – 600 CE
- Ancient Rome · 753 BCE – 476 CE
- Roman Republic · 509 – 27 BCE
- Macedonia · 808 – 167 BCE
- Etruscan civilization · 750 – 265 BCE
- Scythians · 700 – 201 BCE
- Peloponnesian War · 323 – 257 BCE
- Colchis · 1701 – 164 BCE
- Bosporan Kingdom · 437 BCE – 370 CE
- Achaean League · 280 – 146 BCE
- Antigonid dynasty · 306 – 168 BCE
- Aetolian League · 401 – 188 BCE
and 6 more; every state of Europe.
Middle East and North Africa37 states
- Ancient Egypt · 4001 – 30 BCE
- Babylon · 1894 BCE – 1 CE
- Troy · 3000 BCE – 500 CE
- Phoenicia · 2500 – 64 BCE
- Parthian Empire · 247 BCE – 224 CE
- Seleucid Empire · 312 – 63 BCE
- Persian Empire · 550 BCE – 1979 CE
- Kingdom of Aksum · 401 BCE – 960 CE
- Kingdom of Numidia · 202 – 46 BCE
- Bithynia · 297 – 74 BCE
- Cyrenaica · 331 – 92 BCE
- Kingdom of Iberia · 299 BCE – 580 CE
and 25 more; every state of Middle East and North Africa.
South Asia17 states
- Maurya Empire · 322 – 185 BCE
- Chola dynasty · 300 BCE – 1279 CE
- Gandhara · 751 BCE – 535 CE
- Greco-Bactrian Kingdom · 250 – 125 BCE
- Yuezhi · 404 BCE – 42 CE
- Satavahana dynasty · 230 BCE – 220 CE
- Pandya dynasty · 300 BCE – 1650 CE
- Kalinga · 301 – 261 BCE
- Loulan Kingdom · 201 – 77 BCE
- Zhangzhung · 501 BCE – 625 CE
- Anuradhapura kingdom · 377 BCE – 1017 CE
- Mahameghavahana dynasty · 250 BCE – 500 CE
and 5 more; every state of South Asia.
East and Southeast Asia35 states
- Han dynasty · 206 BCE – 220 CE
- Qin dynasty · 221 – 206 BCE
- Zhou dynasty · 1101 – 256 BCE
- Warring States period · 476 – 221 BCE
- Xiongnu · 301 BCE – 500 CE
- Zhongshan · 366 – 292 BCE
- Old Chosŏn · 2333 – 108 BCE
- Chu (state) · 722 – 223 BCE
- Nanyue · 207 – 111 BCE
- Xianbei · 208 BCE – 670 CE
- Pyu city-states · 201 BCE – 1050 CE
- Qin · 905 – 221 BCE
and 23 more; every state of East and Southeast Asia.
Americas and Oceania2 states
- Maya civilization · 2001 BCE – 1521 CE
- Zapotec civilization · 6701 BCE – 1201 CE
Location unknown8 states
- Eastern Ye · 301 BCE – 500 CE
- Qedarites · 801 – 201 BCE
- Oddiyana · 401 BCE – 1100 CE
- Dao · 1001 – 222 BCE
- Kingdom of Rajarata · 601 BCE – 1300 CE
- Dai (Warring States period) · 227 – 222 BCE
- Eastern Zhou (state) · 770 – 249 BCE
- Ruo · 1046 – 256 BCE
Its decades and years
The decades and years with a page of their own.
Open in the atlas
- On the timeline, 301 BCE – 201 BCE: every state, war and life of the 3rd century BCE, region by region.
- On the map in 251 BCE: the borders of the year, its cities under their names of the year, and what happened where.
Wikidata (CC0) · data built 2026-10-07 · Pastlas v2.13.1, by Oleh Voronko. The published atlas and its data are for non-commercial use.