204 BC

204 BC in various calendars

Gregorian calendar	204 BC CCIV BC
Ab urbe condita	550
Ancient Egypt era	XXXIII dynasty, 120
- Pharaoh	Ptolemy IV Philopator, 18
Ancient Greek Olympiad (summer)	144th Olympiad (victor )¹
Assyrian calendar	4547
Balinese saka calendar	N/A
Bengali calendar	−797 – −796
Berber calendar	747
Buddhist calendar	341
Burmese calendar	−841
Byzantine calendar	5305–5306
Chinese calendar	丙申年 (Fire  Monkey) 2494 or 2287     — to — 丁酉年 (Fire  Rooster) 2495 or 2288
Coptic calendar	−487 – −486
Discordian calendar	963
Ethiopian calendar	−211 – −210
Hebrew calendar	3557–3558
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat	−147 – −146
- Shaka Samvat	N/A
- Kali Yuga	2897–2898
Holocene calendar	9797
Iranian calendar	825 BP – 824 BP
Islamic calendar	850 BH – 849 BH
Javanese calendar	N/A
Julian calendar	N/A
Korean calendar	2130
Minguo calendar	2115 before ROC 民前2115年
Nanakshahi calendar	−1671
Seleucid era	108/109 AG
Thai solar calendar	339–340
Tibetan calendar	阳火猴年 (male Fire-Monkey) −77 or −458 or −1230     — to — 阴火鸡年 (female Fire-Rooster) −76 or −457 or −1229

Year 204 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Cethegus and Tuditanus (or, less frequently, year 550 Ab urbe condita ). The denomination 204 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

By place

Carthage

• Having lost his alliance with the Numidian chief Masinissa, the Carthaginian general, Hasdrubal Gisco, finds a new ally in the Numidian king Syphax, who marries Sophonisba, Hasdrubal's daughter, who, until his defection to Rome, has been betrothed to Masinissa.
• Roman forces under Publius Cornelius Scipio besiege Utica in Carthaginia. Scipio is unable to stop the combined forces of the Carthaginians under Hasdrubal Gisco and the Numidians under their chief, Syphax, and he is forced to lift his siege of Utica.

Egypt

• The late Egyptian King Ptolemy IV's clique of favourites, led by Sosibius, Ptolemy's chief minister, keeps Ptolemy's death a secret, fearing retribution from the new king Ptolemy V's mother, Queen Arsinoe III. They arrange for the murder of Arsinoe, and then the five-year-old king is officially elevated to the throne with Sosibius as his guardian. Arsinoe has been popular with the Egyptian population so rioting follows the news of her assassination.

Roman Republic

• The Battle of Crotona is fought between Hannibal's Carthaginian army, and a Roman force led by Publius Sempronius Tuditanus, with no decisive outcome for either side.

Seleucid Empire

• Philip V of Macedon and Antiochus III of the Syrian-based Seleucid kingdom realize Egypt's weakness and agree to partition Egypt's Anatolian and Aegean possessions. Antiochus' share is to be southern Syria, Lycia, Cilicia and Cyprus, while Philip is to gain western Anatolia and the Cyclades.

China

• Han Xin completes the conquest of Zhao and receives the surrender of Yan. He captures the Zhao capital of Handan and defeats Chu relief forces sent by Xiang Yu.
• Han Xin invades the State of Qi, defeats Qi's armies, captures their capital Linzi and crushes a coalition army of Chu and Qi forces under Long Ju in the Battle of the Wei River. ^{[1] [2]}

Deaths

• Arsinoe III, queen of Egypt, sister and wife of Ptolemy IV (assassinated) (b. c. 246 BC)
• Dong Yi, Chinese general of the Qin Dynasty and conferred with the title of "King of Di"
• Fan Zeng, Chinese adviser during the Chu-Han Contention (206–202 BC) (b. 277 BC)
• Gong Ao, Chinese ruler of the Eighteen Kingdoms during the Chu-Han Contention
• Hanno the Elder, Carthaginian general executed by Scipio Africanus
• Ji Xin, Chinese general during the Chu-Han Contention
• Li Yiji, Chinese politician and adviser (b. 268 BC)
• Long Ju, Chinese general and Grand Marshal
• Ptolemy IV Philopator, king (Pharaoh) of Egypt
• Sima Xin, Chinese general of the Qin Dynasty

References

1. Hung, Hing Ming (2011). The Road to the Throne: How Liu Bang Founded China's Han Dynasty. pp. 128–148. ISBN   978-0875868387.
2. Qian, Sima. Records of the Grand Historian, Section: Han Xin, Section: Jin She.