56 B.C. Olympiad 181.1Click on the links in the lists of references to go to the sources for each event
| 1 | ROM << Despite pressure from Pompeius and Lentulus Spinther, the Romans do not agree to restore Ptolemaeus as king of Egypt.
* Read Dio's account @ Cic:Pis_50; Strab_17.796'c;(1.11) Seneca:Suas_6'11; ~Plut:Pomp_49'9-12; DioCass_39.12'3, +15'1-16'2,* 56'4; {CAH_9'391-392; the debate about Ptolemaeus started in the second half of the previous year, and ended in January of this year.} |
|---|---|
| 2 | {17 January -R} Document: Cic:QFr_2.2, a letter from Cicero to his brother Quintus in Sardinia. |
| 3 | {28 January -R} Document: Cic:Att_4.4, a short letter from Cicero to Atticus. |
| 4 | {7 February -R} Pompeius speaks in defence of Milo, who is prosecuted by Clodius for hiring the support of gladiators.
* Read Cicero's account @ #Cic:QFr_2.3'1-2,* :Mil_68; +DioCass_39.18'1-20'1; {CAH_9'393.} |
| 5 | {11 February -R} Cicero defends Bestia against a charge of bribery.
* Read Cicero's account @ #Cic:QFr_2.3'6,* :Cael_26; Plin:HN_27'4;L Tac:Dial_39'5. |
| 6 | Document: Cic:QFr_2.3, a letter from Cicero his his brother Quintus, describing recent events at Rome. |
| 7 | Cicero removes the tablets about his exile, which were placed on the Capitol by Clodius.
* Read Dio's account @ ~Plut:CatMin_40'1, :Cic_34'1-2; +DioCass_39.20'1-21'4.* |
| 8 | Vatinius presents a gladiatorial show.
* Read Cicero's account @ Cic:Vat_37, :Sest_133-135;* Macrob:Sat_2.6'1.L |
| 9 | ASI Ptolemaeus despairs of gaining Roman support, and goes away to the temple at Ephesus.
@ +DioCass_39.16'3; {CAH_9'392.} |
| 10 | ROM Pompeius carries out a census of freedmen, in order to assess the scope of the corn dole.
@ +DioCass_39.24'1-2. |
| 11 | CIS {3 March -R} Envoys from Issa meet Caesar at Aquileia.
@ Sherk1_76. |
| 12 | ROM Document: Cic:Vat, Cicero's invective against Vatinius, who is appearing as a witness against Sestius.
* Read Cicero's account @ ~Cic:QFr_2.4'1,* :Fam_1.9'7; Sen:Dial_2.17'3; Quint_6.3'77; Plut:Cic_26'2; {OCD_v.} |
| 13 | {14 March -R} Document: Cic:Sest, Cicero's speech in defence of P.Sestius, who is accused of violence in opposing Clodius.
@ #Cic:QFr_2.4'1; {OCD_s.} |
| 14 | Cato returns to Rome with the treasure he has collected from Cyprus.
* Read Plutarch's account @ Vell_2.45'5; ValMax_8.15'10;L Sen:Dial_6.20'6; Plin:HN_7'113,L 34'92;L ~Plut:CatMin_39'1-5;* Festus:Brev_13'1; AmmMarc_14.8'15;L {MRR_p144.} |
| 15 | Cato defends the legality of Clodius' acts as tribune, including his own appointment in Cyprus.
* Read Plutarch's account @ ~Plut:CatMin_40'1-4;* +DioCass_39.22'1. |
| 16 | Cato declines an offer by the senate to allow him to stand as candidate for praetor before the normal time.
* Read Plutarch's account @ ValMax_4.1'14;L ~Plut:CatMin_39'3;* +DioCass_39.23'1. |
| 17 | Document: Cic:QFr_2.4-5, two letters from Cicero to his brother Quintus. |
| 18 | EGY << Seleucus Cybiosactes is summoned to be the consort of Berenice, but Berenice puts him to death soon after his arrival.
@ (?) Strab_17.794'c,(1.8) 796'b;(1.11) Suet:Vesp_19'2; {CAH_9'397; Holbl_p227.} |
| 19 | GAL << The Veneti seize some Roman soldiers, who came to demand provisions.
* Read Caesar's account @ ~Caes:BGall_3.12'1-14'1;* +DioCass_39.40'1; Oros_6.8'6-8.L |
| 20 | ROM {5 April -R} Cicero proposes a motion to revise Caesar's allotment of Campanian land.
* Read Cicero's account @ Cic:QFr_2.6'1, #:Fam_1.9'8-9.* |
| 21 | Clodius, as aedile, brings slaves onto the stage during the Megalensia.
@ Cic:HarResp_22-29; {MRR_2'142.} |
| 22 | ETR {April -R} Document: Cic:QFr_2.6 & Cic:Att_4.7, letters from Cicero, travelling in Latium, to his brother Quintus and to Atticus. |
| 23 | CIS {April -R} Caesar, Pompeius and Crassus meet at Luca, and agree to renew their political alliance.
* Read Plutarch's account @ +Cic:Fam_1.9'9; ~Plut:CatMin_41'1-3, :Caes_21'3-9,* :Crass_14'4-6, ~:Pomp_51'1-5; Suet:Caes_24'1; Appian:BCiv_2.17'a; (?) +DioCass_39.24'3-26'4; {CAH_9'394; OCD_l.} |
| 24 | SAR Pompeius instructs Cicero (via his brother Quintus) to abandon the motion about Campanian land.
* Read Cicero's account @ Cic:QFr_2.7'2, +:Fam_1.9'9-10.* |
| 25 | GAL Caesar returns to Gaul, and sends out forces to stop the spread of the revolt to other tribes.
* Read Caesar's account @ +Caes:BGall_3.9'1-11'5;* +DioCass_39.40'2; Oros_6.8'9.L |
| 26 | The senate sends out a commission of ten men to organise Gaul into a Roman province.
* Read Cicero's account @ Cic:Fam_1.7'10,* :ProvCon_28, :Balb_61; (?) +DioCass_39.25'1; {CAH_9'393.} |
| 27 | ROM Document: Cic:Cael_, Cicero's speech in defence of M.Caelius.
@ Quint_6.3'25; {OCD_c.} |
| 28 | {? May -R} Document: Cic:HarResp_, Cicero's speech "On the answers of the Haruspices", rebutting religious objections to the rebuilding of his house. {See D.R.Shackleton Bailey, "Cicero: Back from Exile", p.103, for the date of this speech.} |
| 29 | {15 May -R} The senate refuses to grant a supplication for the victories of Gabinius in Syria.
* Read Cicero's account @ #Cic:QFr_2.7'1-2,* :Phil_14'24. |
| 30 | ?? Arcesilaus makes models and statues for L.Lucullus.
@ Plin:HN_35'155-156.L |
| 31 | ++ Lucullus spends the last part of his life in decadence and luxury.
* Read Plutarch's account @ Cic:Leg_3'30,L :Acad_2'4, :Off_1'140;L Hor:Epist_1.6'40-44; Vell_2.33'4; Plin:HN_28'56,L 36'49;L Plut:Cim_3'1, :Luc_1'6, 38'1-42'8,* 44'3-6, :Pomp_2'11-12, :Mor_785'F-786'A, 792'B; Athen_6.274'e-f, 12.543'a; [Vict]:VirIll_74'7-8.L |
| 32 | << The death of L.Lucullus.
* Read Plutarch's account @ Vell_2.48'6; Plin:HN_25'25;L Plut:Luc_43'1-44'1,* :Mor_792'C; {OCD_l.} |
| 33 | {June -R} Document: Cic:ProvCon_, Cicero's speech about the allocation of provinces for the next year.
* Read Cicero's account @ (?) Cic:Pis_88;* Ascon_2'a;L {CAH_9'394; OCD-c.} |
| 34 | ETR {June -R} Document: Cic:Att_4.5 & 4.8, letters from Cicero to Atticus, written at Antium. |
| 35 | EGY Archelaus is installed as the consort of Berenice.
* Read Dio's account @ Strab_12.558'c-d,(3.34) 17.796'b-c;(1.11) DioCass_39.57'1-3;* [Euseb]:Chron_167'b; {CAH_9'397; Strabo says that Archelaus reigned in Egypt for 6 months.} |
| 36 | GAL Caesar constructs ships in preparation for an attack on the Veneti.
* Read Caesar's account @ +Caes:BGall_3.12'1-14'1;* (?) Appian:Gall_17a'1; +DioCass_39.40'3-4; Oros_6.8'10.L |
| 37 | PAL Aristobulus escapes from Rome and returns to Judaea.
* Read Josephus' account @ Joseph:BJ_1'171,* :AJ_14'92; {CAH_9'396.} |
| 38 | GAL P.Crassus conquers Aquitania.
* Read Caesar's account @ +Caes:BGall_3.30'1-27'2;* Athen_6.249'a-b<q" NicDam_80>; +DioCass_39.46'1-4; Oros_6.8'19-22.L |
| 39 | ROM Clodius denounces Cato's conduct in Cyprus.
* Read Dio's account @ Seneca:Contr_10.1'8; ~Plut:CatMin_45'2-3; +DioCass_39.23'1-4.* |
| 40 | GAL D.Brutus defeats the Veneti in a naval battle.
* Read Caesar's account @ +Caes:BGall_3.14'1-16'4;* [Liv]:Per_104'c; Strab_4.194'e-195'a;(4.1) Flor_1.45'5;L +DioCass_39.40'5-43'5; Oros_6.8'11-16;L {OCD_v.} |
| 41 | Caesar punishes the Veneti and puts their leaders to death.
* Read Caesar's account @ +Caes:BGall_3.16'4;* +DioCass_39.43'5; Oros_6.8'17.L |
| 42 | Titurius Sabinus defeats the Venelli.
* Read Caesar's account @ +Caes:BGall_3.17'1-19'6;* Frontin:Str_3.17'7; +DioCass_39.45'1-7; Oros_6.8'18.L |
| 43 | PAL The Romans defeat and capture Aristobulus at Machaerus.
* Read Josephus' account @ ~Joseph:BJ_1'171-174, :AJ_14'92-97;* !DioCass_39.56'6. |
| 44 | GAL Caesar attacks the Morini and Menapii, but they avoid battle until the onset of winter.
* Read Caesar's account @ +Caes:BGall_3.28'1-29'3;* Flor_1.45'6;L +DioCass_39.44'1-2. |
| 45 | ROM Pompeius and Crassus seek to be elected as consuls, although they have not formally declared themselves as candidates.
* Read Plutarch's account @ Cic:Att_4.8a'2; [Liv]:Per_105'a; Vell_2.46'1; Plut:Crass_15'1-2, ~:Pomp_51'6-8,* :Mor_204'C; +DioCass_39.27'1-3; {CAH_9'396.} |
| 46 | The senate vote to put on mourning clothes in protest at delays in the holding of elections.
* Read Dio's account @ [Liv]:Per_105'a; ValMax_6.2'6;L +DioCass_39.28'1-30'4.* |
| 47 | {November -R} The senators refuse to participate in the Latin Festival.
@ DioCass_39.30'4; {At the same time as the "epula Iovis" which was regularly held in November.} |
| 48 | ETR {November -R} Document: Cic:Att_4.8a, a letter from Cicero to Atticus. |
| 49 | ROM Domitius ceases to canvas for votes, after he is violently attacked by supporters of Pompeius and Crassus.
* Read Plutarch's account @ ~Plut:CatMin_41'3-42'1,* :Crass_15'2-4, 35'1, ~:Pomp_52'1-2; Appian:BCiv_2.17'c; ~DioCass_39.31'1. |
| 50 | MAC Piso commits further outrages in Macedonia, after hearing that he is about to be replaced as governor.
@ Cic:Pis_88-91; {MRR_2'143.} |
| 51 | ROM Pompeius successfully restores Rome's corn supply.
* Read Plutarch's account @ Cic:Scaur_3; ~Plut:Pomp_50'1-3,* :Mor_204'C. |
| 52 | Document: Cic:Balb, Cicero's speech in defence of L.Balbus' claim to Roman citizenship.
@ Plin:HN_7'136;L {OCD_b.} |
| 53 | Document: Cic:Fam_13.6 & 13.6a, two letters from Cicero to Q.Valerius Orca, the governor of Africa. |
| 54 | SPA Document: Cic:Fam_5.3, a letter from Metellus Nepos to Cicero. |
| 55 | ETR Cicero attempts to buy a property at Lanuvium, because of the expense of rebuilding his existing houses.
@ +Cic:Att_9.9'4. |
| 56 | ROM The senate passes a decree to safeguard a loan given by M.Scaptius to the town of Salamis in Cyprus.
@ +Cic:Att_5.21'11. |
| 57 | == Cn.Plancius behaves with moderation in his year as tribune.
* Read Cicero's account @ Cic:Planc_28,* 77; {OCD_p; MRR_2'143.} |
| 58 | == Lentulus Marcellinus is an eloquent consul.
@ Cic:Brut_247.L |
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