221 BC

Millennium:	1st millenniumBC
Centuries:	4th centuryBC 3rd centuryBC 2nd centuryBC
Decades:	240sBC 230sBC 220sBC 210sBC 200sBC
Years:	224BC 223BC 222BC 221BC 220BC 219BC 218BC

221 BC in variouscalendars

Gregorian calendar	221 BC CCXXI BC
Ab urbe condita	533
Ancient Egypt era	XXXIIIdynasty,103
- Pharaoh	Ptolemy IV Philopator,1
Ancient Greek era	139thOlympiad,year 4
Assyrian calendar	4530
Balinese saka calendar	N/A
Bengali calendar	−813
Berber calendar	730
Buddhist calendar	324
Burmese calendar	−858
Byzantine calendar	5288–5289
Chinese calendar	Kỷ MãoNăm (EarthRabbit) 2477 or 2270 — to — Canh Thìn năm (MetalDragon) 2478 or 2271
Coptic calendar	−504 – −503
Discordian calendar	946
Ethiopian calendar	−228 – −227
Hebrew calendar	3540–3541
Hindu calendars
-Vikram Samvat	−164 – −163
-Shaka Samvat	N/A
-Kali Yuga	2880–2881
Holocene calendar	9780
Iranian calendar	842 BP – 841 BP
Islamic calendar	868 BH – 867 BH
Javanese calendar	N/A
Julian calendar	N/A
Korean calendar	2113
Minguo calendar	2132 beforeROC Dân trước 2132 năm
Nanakshahi calendar	−1688
Seleucid era	91/92AG
Thai solar calendar	322–323
Tibetan calendar	Âm thổ thỏ năm (female Earth-Rabbit) −94 or −475 or −1247 — to — Dương kim long năm (male Iron-Dragon) −93 or −474 or −1246

Year221 BCwas a year of thepre-Julian Roman calendar.At the time it was known in Rome as theYear of the Consulship of Asina and Rufus/Lepidus(or, less frequently,year 533Ab urbe condita). The denomination 221 BC for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when theAnno Dominicalendar erabecame the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Events

By place

Iberian Peninsula

• TheCarthaginiangeneralHasdrubalis murdered by aCelticassassin while campaigning to increase the Carthaginian hold onSpain.Following the assassination of Hasdrubal,Hannibal,the son of the Carthaginian general,Hamilcar Barca,is proclaimed commander-in-chief by the army and his appointment is confirmed by the Carthaginian government.
• Hannibal immediately moves to consolidate Carthage's control of Spain. He marries a Spanish princess, Imilce, then begins to conquer various Spanish tribes. He fights against theOlcadesand captures their capital,Althaea;quells theVaccaeiin the northwest; and, making the seaport ofCartagena(Carthago Nova,the capital of Carthaginian Spain) his base, wins a resounding victory over theCarpetaniin the region of theTagus River.

Egypt

• Egypt'sPtolemy IIIdies and is succeeded by his son,Ptolemy IV.Sosibiusis appointed by Ptolemy IV as hischief ministerand immediately has a great influence over the young king, directing all of the affairs of state.
• At Sosibius' direction, Ptolemy IV puts to death in succession his uncle, Lysimachus, his brotherMagas,and his motherBerenice II.
• KingCleomenes IIIofSparta,who is in exile in Egypt, is imprisoned by Ptolemy IV on a charge ofconspiracy.

Seleucid Empire

• ThesatrapofMedia,Molon,and his brother,Alexander,revolt againstAntiochus III,primarily due to their hatred towardsHermeias,Antiochus' chief minister. Molon is able to become master of theSeleuciddomains to the east of theTigris.He is stopped by Antiochus III's forces in his attempts to pass that river.Xenoetas,one of Antiochus' generals, is sent against Molon with a large force, but is surprised by Molon's forces and his whole army is cut to pieces and Xenoetas is killed. The rebel satrap now crosses the Tigris, and makes himself master of the city ofSeleuciaon the Tigris, together with the whole ofBabyloniaandMesopotamia.

Greece

• Antigonus IIIdies during a battle against theIllyriansand is succeeded by his young cousinPhilip Vas King ofMacedonia.

Roman Republic

• Gaius Flaminiusbuilds a secondrace trackforRome,theCircus Flaminius.

China

• Thestate of Qi– by now the only other independent state in China –, is invaded by theQingeneralsWang Ben,Li XinandMeng Tianand surrenders after offering minimal resistance. Ying Zheng, the king ofQinunifiesChinaand proclaims himself the First Emperor, as he is the first Chinese sovereign able to rule the whole country, thus ending theWarring States period.He is known by historians asQin Shi Huang.
• The ChineseBronze Ageends (approximate date).

Births

• Liu Fei,Chinese prince and proclaimed king of the formerQi State(d.189 BC)

Deaths

• Antigonus III Doson,king of Macedon from227 BC(b.263 BC)
• Berenice II,queen ofEgypt,daughter ofMagas,king ofCyrenaica(in modernLibya), whose marriage toPtolemy III Euergeteshas reunited her country with Egypt (b. c.267 BC)
• Hasdrubal,Carthaginian general and son-in-law ofHamilcar Barca(assassinated) (b. c.270 BC)
• Lucius Caecilius Metellus,Roman consul and general during theFirst Punic War(b. c.290 BC)
• Ptolemy III,king ofEgypt,who has reunited Egypt andCyrenaicaand successfully waged theThird Syrian Waragainst theSeleucid Empire
• Xenoetas,Seleucid general (killed during a revolt againstAntiochus III)