Decade · 249 BCE – 240 BCE
The world in the 240s BCE
From 249 BCE to 240 BCE the atlas holds 92 states standing at some time. 12 things began - Parthian Empire, Coma Berenices and Mercenary War among them - and 5 ended; 13 people were born and 10 died.
What began in the 240s BCE
By kind, the best known first.
States 2
- Parthian Empire · state · 247 BCE – 224 CE
- Arsacid dynasty · state · 247 BCE
Wars and battles 7
- Battle of the Aegates · battle · 241 BCE
- Battle of Drepana · battle · 249 BCE
- Battle of Andros · battle · 246 BCE
- Third Syrian War · war · 246 – 241 BCE
- Battle of the Bagradas River · battle · 240 BCE
- Battle of Utica · battle · 240 BCE
- Siege of Drepana · battle · 249 – 241 BCE
Unrest and atrocity 1
- Mercenary War · unrest · 240 – 238 BCE
Treaties 1
- Treaty of Lutatius · treaty · 241 BCE
Works and ideas 1
- Coma Berenices · discovery · 245 BCE
What ended in the 240s BCE
States 1
- Eastern Zhou (state) · state · 770 – 249 BCE
Wars and battles 4
- First Punic War · war · 264 – 241 BCE
- Siege of Lilybaeum · battle · 250 – 241 BCE
- Third Syrian War · war · 246 – 241 BCE
- Siege of Drepana · battle · 249 – 241 BCE
Born and died
Born 13
- Hannibal · military leader · 247 – 183 BCE
- Antiochus III the Great · ruler · 242 – 187 BCE
- Ptolemy IV Philopator · ruler · 244 – 204 BCE
- Arsinoe III · monarch · 244 – 204 BCE
- Hasdrubal Barca · military leader · 245 – 207 BCE
- Seleucus III Ceraunus · ruler · 243 – 223 BCE
- Mago Barca · military leader · 243 – 203 BCE
- Maharbal · military officer · 245 – 202 BCE
- Appius Claudius Pulcher · politician · 247 – 211 BCE
- Quintus Caecilius Metellus · politician · 245 – 176 BCE
- Gaius Cornelius Cethegus · politician · 243 – 201 BCE
- Gaius Servilius Geminus · politician · 240 – 180 BCE
- Gnaeus Fulvius Centumalus Maximus · politician · 245 – 210 BCE
Died 10
- Ptolemy II Philadelphus · ruler · 308 – 246 BCE
- Antiochus II Theos · ruler · 286 – 246 BCE
- Arsinoe I · monarch · 295 – 248 BCE
- Antigonus II Gonatas · military personnel · 319 – 240 BCE
- Berenice Syra · politician · 275 – 246 BCE
- King Zhuangxiang of Qin · politician · 281 – 247 BCE
- Publius Claudius Pulcher · politician · 283 – 246 BCE
- Alexander II of Epirus · person · 294 – 240 BCE
- Tiberius Coruncanius · politician · 311 – 243 BCE
- Ptolemy Epigonos · person · 299 – 240 BCE
States of the 240s BCE
The states that stood at some time in the 240s BCE, by region, the best known first, with who held the highest office in 249 BCE.
Europe15 states
- Ancient Greece · 1201 BCE – 600 CE
- Ancient Rome · 753 BCE – 476 CE · Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus, Roman consul since 250 BCE and Lucius Junius Pullus, Roman consul since 249 BCE
- Roman Republic · 509 – 27 BCE · Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus, Roman consul since 250 BCE and Lucius Junius Pullus, Roman consul since 249 BCE
- Macedonia · 808 – 167 BCE · Antigonus II Gonatas, king of Macedonia since 277 BCE
- Scythians · 700 – 201 BCE
- Colchis · 1701 – 164 BCE
- Bosporan Kingdom · 437 BCE – 370 CE
- Achaean League · 280 – 146 BCE
and 7 more; every state of Europe.
Middle East and North Africa34 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 · Antiochus II Theos, Seleucid ruler since 261 BCE
- Persian Empire · 550 BCE – 1979 CE
- Kingdom of Aksum · 401 BCE – 960 CE
and 26 more; every state of Middle East and North Africa.
South Asia14 states
- Maurya Empire · 322 – 185 BCE · Ashoka, Mauryan Emperor since 268 BCE
- Chola dynasty · 300 BCE – 1279 CE
- Gandhara · 751 BCE – 535 CE
- Greco-Bactrian Kingdom · 250 – 125 BCE
- Yuezhi · 404 BCE – 42 CE
- Pandya dynasty · 300 BCE – 1650 CE
- Zhangzhung · 501 BCE – 625 CE
- Anuradhapura kingdom · 377 BCE – 1017 CE · Mahasiva of Anuradhapura, King of Anuradhapura since 257 BCE
and 6 more; every state of South Asia.
East and Southeast Asia21 states
- Warring States period · 476 – 221 BCE
- Xiongnu · 301 BCE – 500 CE
- Old Chosŏn · 2333 – 108 BCE
- Chu (state) · 722 – 223 BCE
- Qin · 905 – 221 BCE · King Zhuangxiang of Qin, Chinese king since 250 BCE
- Yan (state) · 750 – 223 BCE
- Qi (state) · 1045 – 221 BCE
- Lu · 1101 – 249 BCE
and 13 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 unknown6 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
- Eastern Zhou (state) · 770 – 249 BCE
Open in the atlas
- On the timeline, 269 BCE – 220 BCE: every state, war and life of the 240s BCE, region by region.
- On the map in 244 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.