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279 B.C. Olympiad 125.2


Consuls: P. Sulpicius P.f. Saverrio, P. Decius P.f. Mus
Athenian archon: Anaxicrates

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    Click on the links in the lists of references to go to the sources for each event

1 {Hathyr - E = January} Ptolemy Philadelphus attends the inauguration of a temple in Pithom.
+THI_258'7-10; { Hölbl_p84.}
1a ROM {1 February -R} The triumph of Coruncanius, over the inhabitants of Vulsinii and Vulci.
#FastTr_p97.
1b GRE {19 Munichion -G = April/May} Document: IG_2³.884, an Athenian decree in honour of a cavalry commander on the island of Lemnos.
2 MAC The Gauls invade Macedonia; Ptolemy Ceraunus rejects an offer of help from the Dardani.
* Read Justin's account
Polyb_4.46'1; Liv_38.16'1-2; Paus_1.4'1, 10.19'6-7; Polyaen_7.35'1; Just_24.4'1, ~'6-5'4; { ~CAH_7.1'115; Green_693.}
3 MAC << Ptolemy Ceraunus promises to marry Arsinoe, but murders her children after entering Cassandreia.
* Read Justin's account
Memn_8'7; Plut:Mor_112'A; Just_24.2'1-3'9; Trog:Prol_24; { CAH_7.1'114; Errington_p80.}
4 << War between Ptolemy Ceraunus and Ptolemaeus the son of Lysimachus.
Trog:Prol_24.
5 << Ptolemy Ceraunus has a nightmare that he has been summoned to judgement for the murder of Seleucus.
Plut:Mor_555'B.(10) 
6 Ptolemy Ceraunus is defeated and killed by the Gauls; Meleager is made king of Macedonia.
* Read Justin's account
Polyb_9.35'4; Diod_22.3'1-2; Memn_8'8; Plut:Pyrrh_22'2; Paus_1.16'2, 10.19'7-12; Just_24.3'10, 5'5-11; Trog:Prol_24; +[Euseb]:Chron_235, 237, 241, 243; !Hieron:Chron_1736; Malal_196; Vit:Arat_3'p15; { CAH_7.1'115; Errington_p80-81.}
7 GRE << At the proposal of Demochares, the Athenians pass a decree in honour of Demosthenes.
* Read Plutarch's account
~Plut:Dem_30'5, :Mor_847'D, 850'F-851'C; { CAH_7.1'499; the Athenian archon was Gorgias.}
8 << Cleanthes arrives at Athens and becomes a pupil of Zenon the Stoic.
* Read Diogenes' account
Plut:Mor_47'E; DiogLaert_7'168, ~'176; Suda_K'1711, Ph'696; { Cleanthes spent 19 years as a follower of Zenon.}
9 PON << Hermogenes, a general of Antiochus, is defeated and killed while attacking Bithynia.
~Memn_9'1-2.
10 EGY ?? Philon gives to Berenice a sample of topazus, a precious stone from the island of Cytis.
Plin:HN_37'108.
11 << The death of Berenice I, queen of Egypt.
Theoc_17'45-50; { Hölbl_p94.}
12 ?? The Greeks start to make up topics to use as rhetorical exercises.
Quint_2.4'41.
13 ?? Demetrius Phalereus loses and then regains his eyesight.
@  DiogLaert_5'76.
14 ?? Demetrius Phalereus plots against Lycus, the (adoptive) father of the poet Lycophron.
Suda_L'814.
15 ?? The death of Demetrius Phalereus.
Cic:RabPost_23; DiogLaert_5'78; { ~ OCD³; Green_88.}
16 ?? Ptolemy punishes Zoilus for his outspoken criticism of Homer's poetry.
Vitr_7.pr'8-9; { ~ OCD³.}
17 CYR ?? Sayings of Theodorus the Atheist, addressed to Metrocles and others.
* Read Diogenes' account
Plut:Mor_467'B; MinFel:Oct_8'2; DiogLaert_2'99-100, '102-103.
18 ?? The followers of the philosopher Theodorus form their own sect.
* Read Diogenes' account
DiogLaert_2'97; Suda_S'829, Th'150.
19 ?? The death of Theodorus.
Athen_13.611'b; { Theodorus is last mentioned as an envoy from Ptolemy I to Lysimachus; he was possibly an associate of Demetrius Phalareus.}
20 CIL ?? Apollonius the father of Chrysippus moves from Tarsus to Soli.
Strab_14'672;(5.8)  { Chrysippus was born around this time - OCD³.}
21 AEG ?? Document: Austin_155,B  a Samian decree in honour of Theocles and Herophantus of Myndus.
22 PON Death of Zipoetes of Bithynia, who is succeeded by his son Nicomedes.
Memn_12'5-6; { CAH_7.1'425; Errington_p115.}
23 MAC Antipater "Etesias" replaces Meleager as king of Macedonia.
+[Euseb]:Chron_235, 237, 241; !~Hieron:Chron_1736; ExcBarb_44A; { Errington_p81; Meleager reigned for just 2 months.}
24 ITA Pyrrhus invades Apulia, and is confronted by the Roman army.
* Read Zonaras' account
DioCass_fr.40'43; +Zonar_8'5;(p351)  { CAH_7.2'472.}
25 Pyrrhus defeats the Romans at Asculum, but suffers heavy losses.
* Read Dionysius' account
Cic:Fin_2'61, :Tusc_1'89; DionHal_20.1'1-3'7; ~[Liv]:Per_13; Frontin:Str_2.3'21; ~Plut:Pyrrh_21'7-15, :Mor_184'C; Flor_1.13'9-10; Just_18.1'11; Eutrop_2.13'4; Oros_4.1'19-22; +Zonar_8'5;(p353-5)  { CAH_7.2'472-473; OCD³.}
26 THR The Gauls occupy Thrace.
* Read Livy's account
Liv_38.16'3, 17'16; Zonar_9'20;(p323)  { CAH_7.1'115, '499; Errington_p82.}
27 PON Nicomedes of Bithynia forms an alliance with Heracleia to resist attacks by Antiochus.
Memn_9'3-4.
28 ASI War breaks out between Antiochus and Antigonus.
Memn_10'1; { This war started before the Gauls crossed over to Asia, probably soon after the death of Ptolemy Ceraunus.}
29 Warfare (? between Antiochus and Nicomedes) near Cyzicus.
~OGIS_748'9-13<t=B  Austin_225>.
30 << Philocles captures Caunus for Ptolemy.
Polyaen_3.16'1; { Hölbl_p38.}
30a GRE << Demochares recovers Eleusis, and Olympiodorus defends it against a Macedonian attack.
* Read Plutarch's account
THI_118'11-14; Plut:Mor_851'E; Paus_1.26'3; { perhaps during the reign of Antipater Etesias.}
31 MAC Sosthenes expels Antipater, and proclaims himself general of the Macedonians, but avoids the title of king.
* Read Justin's account
~Just_24.5'12-14; [Euseb]:Chron_235, 237, 241; !Hieron:Chron_1736; ExcBarb_44A; ChronSynt_90;(↓)  Vit:Arat_3'p15; { Errington_p81; according to Eusebius, Antipater reigned in Macedonia for 45 days.}
32 The city of Cassandreia is granted its "freedom" by Eurydice.
Polyaen_6.7'2; { Before Apollodorus became tyrant of Cassandreia ((Tarn p159)).}
33 ROM Cn.Domitius, a plebeian censor, completes the census of Roman citizens.
* Read Fasti's account
~FastCap_p52; ~[Liv]:Per_13.
34 Mago the Carthaginian admiral offers support to the Romans, and a further treaty is signed between Rome and Carthage.
* Read Polybius' account
~Polyb_3.25'1-6; ~[Liv]:Per_13, 14; ValMax_3.7'10; ~Just_18.2'1-3, '5; { CAH_7.2'475, '536.}
35 ITA Mago visits the camp of Pyrrhus on his way back from Rome.
~Just_18.2'4.
36 MAC Brennus defeats Sosthenes.
~Just_24.6'1-3.
37 The Greeks attempt to hold back the Gauls at Thermopylae, but are forced to withdraw.
* Read Pausanias' account
Paus_1.4'1-3, 4.28'3, 7.6'7, 15'3, 8.6'3, ~10.20'1-22'1, '8-12; { OCD³.}
38 GRE A band of Gauls sacks Callion, a town in Aetolia.
~Paus_10.22'2-7; { Errington_p81.}
39 The Gauls advance into Greece and reach Delphi.
* Read Pausanias' account
Callim:Hymn_4'171-184; Polyb_9.35'4; Cic:Font_30; ~Diod_22.9'5; Liv_38.48'2; Strab_4'187-188;(1.13)  ValMax_1.1'18; Lucan_5'134-136; Paus_1.4'4, 10.22'12-13; Polyaen_7.35'2; DioCass_fr.90'1.
40 A combined Greek army defeats the Gauls near Delphi in a snowstorm, allegedly with divine assistance.
* Read Pausanias' account
Syll_398'4-11; FGrH_482'1; Callim:Hymn_4'184-185; Polyb_1.6'5, 2.20'6, 4.46'1; Limenius_31-33; Cic:Div_1'81; ~Diod_22.9'1; Prop_3.13'51-54; Liv_40.58'3; Paus_1.4'4, 10.3'4, 8'3, 23'1-10; Ampel_32'2; ~Just_24.7'8-8'10, 32.3'6; { CAH_7.1'499; Errington_p82.}
41 The Aetolians complete the rout of the Gauls, and Brennus the king of the Gauls is killed.
* Read Pausanias' account
Syll_398'12-14; Polyb_9.30'3, 35'1; ~Diod_22.9'2-3; ValMax_1.1'18; Paus_6.16'1, 7.18'6, 20'6, 10.16'4, 23'11-14; ~Just_24.8'11-16, 28.2'5; { ~CAH_7.1'115; Errington_p82.}
42 EGY {Thoth -E = November} Document: AET_7.8'H, the cession of a house, by the father of the woman selling it.

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