Calendar year
| Millennium: | 1st millennium BC |
|---|---|
| Centuries: | |
| Decades: | |
| Years: |
| 259 BC by topic |
| Politics |
|---|
| Categories |
| Gregorian calendar | 259 BC CCLIX BC |
| Ab urbe condita | 495 |
| Ancient Egypt era | XXXIII dynasty, 65 |
| - Pharaoh | Ptolemy II Philadelphus, 25 |
| Ancient Greek era | 130th Olympiad, year 2 |
| Assyrian calendar | 4492 |
| Balinese saka calendar | N/A |
| Bengali calendar | −851 |
| Berber calendar | 692 |
| Buddhist calendar | 286 |
| Burmese calendar | −896 |
| Byzantine calendar | 5250–5251 |
| Chinese calendar | 辛丑年 (Metal Ox) 2439 or 2232 — to — 壬寅年 (Water Tiger) 2440 or 2233 |
| Coptic calendar | −542 – −541 |
| Discordian calendar | 908 |
| Ethiopian calendar | −266 – −265 |
| Hebrew calendar | 3502–3503 |
| Hindu calendars | |
| - Vikram Samvat | −202 – −201 |
| - Shaka Samvat | N/A |
| - Kali Yuga | 2842–2843 |
| Holocene calendar | 9742 |
| Iranian calendar | 880 BP – 879 BP |
| Islamic calendar | 907 BH – 906 BH |
| Javanese calendar | N/A |
| Julian calendar | N/A |
| Korean calendar | 2075 |
| Minguo calendar | 2170 before ROC 民前2170年 |
| Nanakshahi calendar | −1726 |
| Seleucid era | 53/54 AG |
| Thai solar calendar | 284–285 |
| Tibetan calendar | 阴金牛年 (female Iron-Ox) −132 or −513 or −1285 — to — 阳水虎年 (male Water-Tiger) −131 or −512 or −1284 |
Year 259 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Scipio and Florus (or, less frequently, year 495 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 259 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
Seleucid Empire
- The Seleucid king Antiochus II starts the Second Syrian War against Ptolemy II Philadelphus to avenge his father's losses. Antiochus II finds a willing ally in Antigonus II Gonatas, the king of Macedonia, who has been dealing with Ptolemy II's attempts to destabilize Macedonia.
Sicily
- The Carthaginians under Hamilcar take advantage of their victory at Thermae in Sicily by counterattacking the Romans and seizing Enna. Hamilcar continues south to Camarina, in Syracusan territory, to try to convince the Syracusans to rejoin the Carthaginian side.
China
- The State of Zhou cedes to the State of Qin the Han region of Yuanyong and six cities of Zhao in exchange for peace.
Births
- February 18 – Qin Shi Huang, first emperor of China (d. 210 BC)
- Bashu Guafu Qing, Chinese businesswoman (d. 210 BC)
Deaths
References
- Qian, Sima. Records of the Grand Historian, Section: Bai Qi.