View source for 23 BC

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{{BC year in topic|23}}
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Year '''23 BC''' was either a [[common year starting on Saturday]] or [[Common year starting on Sunday|Sunday]] or a [[leap year starting on Friday]], [[Leap year starting on Saturday|Saturday]] or [[Leap year starting on Sunday|Sunday]] of the [[Julian calendar]] (the sources differ, see [[Julian calendar#Leap year error|leap year error]] for further information) and a [[common year starting on Friday]] of the [[Proleptic Julian calendar]]. At the time, it was known as the '''Year of the Consulship of Augustus and Varro''' (or, less frequently, '''year 731 ''[[Ab urbe condita]]'''''). The denomination 23 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 ==
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=== By place ===

==== Roman Empire ====
* [[Augustus|Caesar Augustus]] becomes [[Roman consul]] for the eleventh time. His co-consul is [[Aulus Terentius Varro Murena]].
* Augustus relinquishes the position of consul, retains that of [[tribune]] of Rome, and assumes that of ''[[Princeps]]'', or "First Citizen." (see [[Roman Empire]]).
* Augustus gets seriously ill: he gives [[Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa|Agrippa]] his [[seal (emblem)|signet ring]] and grants him the title ''imperium pro consule''.
* [[Marcus Claudius Marcellus (nephew of Augustus)]] falls ill from a fever shortly after his uncle recovers and dies at the age of nineteen while serving as an [[aedile]].
* The [[Nubia]]ns, led by queen [[Kandake]] [[Amanishakheto|Amanirenas]], take the initiative against the [[Roman Empire]], and attack the [[Roman province]] of [[Egypt (Roman province)|Egypt]] moving towards [[Elephantine]].
* In response to [[Meroë]]'s incursions into [[Upper Egypt]], the [[Roman legion]]s move south and raze [[Napata]]. ([[History of Sudan]]).
* [[Herod the Great]] builds a palace in [[Jerusalem]] and the fortress [[Herodium]] in [[Judea|Judaea]]. He also marries his third wife, named [[Mariamne (third wife of Herod)|Mariamne]], the daughter of high priest Simon.
* Following coinage reform, the [[As (coin)|as]] is struck in reddish pure [[copper]], instead of [[bronze]]. The denominations of [[sestertius]] and [[dupondius]] are introduced as large bronze coins.

==== Osroene ====
* [[Ma'nu III Saphul]] becomes ruler of [[Osroene]].

=== By topic ===

==== Architecture ====
* The Roman writer, architect and engineer [[Vitruvius|Marcus Vitruvius Pollio]] finishes writing ''[[De Architectura]]'' (known today as ''The Ten Books of Architecture''), a treatise in Latin on architecture, and perhaps the first work about this discipline.

==== Poetry ====
* The Roman poet [[Horace]] publishes the first three books of Odes.
==== Sports ====
* The earliest documented instance of [[Professional wrestling in Japan|wrestling]] in Japan
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== Births ==
* [[Dong Xian]], Chinese politician and general (d. [[1 BC]])
* [[Herod Archelaus]], [[ethnarch]] of [[Samaria]] ([[Judea]]) (d. [[AD 18]])

== Deaths ==
* [[Marcus Claudius Marcellus (Julio-Claudian dynasty)|Marcus Claudius Marcellus]], son of [[Octavia the Younger|Octavia]] and nephew of [[Augustus]] (b. [[42 BC]])

== References ==
{{Commons category}}
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[[Category:23 BC| ]]