Decade · 259 BCE – 250 BCE
The world in the 250s BCE
From 259 BCE to 250 BCE the atlas holds 96 states standing at some time. 11 things began - Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, Battle of Cape Ecnomus and Battle of the Bagradas River among them - and 7 ended; 14 people were born and 12 died.
Its years
The years of the decade with a page of their own: ten or more things dated to the year.
- 250 BCE 12
What began in the 250s BCE
By kind, the best known first.
States 3
- Greco-Bactrian Kingdom · state · 250 – 125 BCE
- Âu Lạc · state · 257 – 207 BCE
- Mahameghavahana dynasty · state · 250 BCE – 500 CE
Wars and battles 8
- Battle of Cape Ecnomus · battle · 256 BCE
- Battle of the Bagradas River · battle · 255 BCE
- Battle of Adys · battle · 255 BCE
- Battle of Tyndaris · battle · 257 BCE
- Battle of Panormus · battle · 251 BCE
- Battle of Sulci · battle · 258 BCE
- Siege of Lilybaeum · battle · 250 – 241 BCE
- Siege of Aspis · battle · 255 BCE
What ended in the 250s BCE
States 5
- Peloponnesian War · state · 323 – 257 BCE
- Eastern Zhou · state · 771 – 256 BCE
- Mamertines · state · 271 – 257 BCE
- Ruo · state · 1046 – 256 BCE
- Western Zhou (state) · state · 440 – 256 BCE
Wars and battles 2
- Battle of Cos · battle · 261 – 255 BCE
- Second Syrian War · war · 260 – 253 BCE
Born and died
Born 14
- Qin Shi Huang · monarch · 259 – 210 BCE
- Plautus · writer · 250 – 184 BCE
- Emperor Gaozu of Han · ruler · 256 – 195 BCE
- Publius Cornelius Scipio · military leader · 255 – 211 BCE
- Philopoemen · politician · 253 – 183 BCE
- Dasharatha Maurya · ruler · 252 – 224 BCE
- Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus · politician · 256 – 211 BCE
- Quintus Fabius Pictor · politician · 254 – 201 BCE
- Syphax · person · 250 – 202 BCE
- Diodotus II · ruler · 252 – 221 BCE
- Brihadratha Maurya · ruler · 252 – 180 BCE
- Gnaeus Servilius Geminus · politician · 257 – 216 BCE
- Marcus Cornelius Cethegus · politician · 250 – 196 BCE
- Gaius Lutatius Catulus · politician · 255 – 251 BCE
Died 12
- Marcus Atilius Regulus · politician · 299 – 250 BCE
- Nicomedes I of Bithynia · person · 300 – 250 BCE
- Hannibal Gisco · military leader · 300 – 258 BCE
- Hieronymus of Cardia · writer · 354 – 250 BCE
- King Zhaoxiang of Qin · monarch · 325 – 251 BCE
- Demetrius the Fair · monarch · 285 – 250 BCE
- King Xiaowen of Qin · monarch · 302 – 250 BCE
- Lucius Cornelius Scipio · politician · 306 – 250 BCE
- Gaius Claudius Centho · politician · 274 – 251 BCE
- Gaius Fundanius Fundulus · politician · 273 – 251 BCE
- Marcus Publicius Malleolus · politician · 264 – 251 BCE
- Gaius Lutatius Catulus · politician · 255 – 251 BCE
States of the 250s BCE
The states that stood at some time in the 250s BCE, by region, the best known first, with who held the highest office in 259 BCE.
Europe17 states
- Ancient Greece · 1201 BCE – 600 CE
- Ancient Rome · 753 BCE – 476 CE · Gaius Aquillius Florus, Roman consul since 259 BCE and Lucius Cornelius Scipio, Roman consul since 259 BCE
- Roman Republic · 509 – 27 BCE · Gaius Aquillius Florus, Roman consul since 259 BCE and Lucius Cornelius Scipio, Roman consul since 259 BCE
- Macedonia · 808 – 167 BCE · Antigonus II Gonatas, king of Macedonia since 277 BCE
- Scythians · 700 – 201 BCE
- Peloponnesian War · 323 – 257 BCE
- Colchis · 1701 – 164 BCE
- Bosporan Kingdom · 437 BCE – 370 CE
and 9 more; every state of Europe.
Middle East and North Africa32 states
- Ancient Egypt · 4001 – 30 BCE
- Babylon · 1894 BCE – 1 CE
- Troy · 3000 BCE – 500 CE
- Phoenicia · 2500 – 64 BCE
- 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
- Bithynia · 297 – 74 BCE · Nicomedes I of Bithynia, King of Bithynia since 278 BCE
and 24 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 · Uttiya of Anuradhapura, King of Anuradhapura since 267 BCE
and 6 more; every state of South Asia.
East and Southeast Asia24 states
- Zhou dynasty · 1101 – 256 BCE · King Nan of Zhou, king since 314 BCE
- Warring States period · 476 – 221 BCE · King Nan of Zhou, Chinese king since 315 BCE
- Xiongnu · 301 BCE – 500 CE
- Old Chosŏn · 2333 – 108 BCE
- Chu (state) · 722 – 223 BCE
- Qin · 905 – 221 BCE · King Zhaoxiang of Qin, Chinese king since 306 BCE
- Yan (state) · 750 – 223 BCE
- Qi (state) · 1045 – 221 BCE
and 16 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 unknown7 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
- Ruo · 1046 – 256 BCE
Open in the atlas
- On the timeline, 279 BCE – 230 BCE: every state, war and life of the 250s BCE, region by region.
- On the map in 254 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.