View source for 246 BC

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2011}}
{{Year nav|-246}}
{{BC year in topic|246}}
__NOTOC__
Year '''246 BC''' was a year of the [[Roman calendar|pre-Julian Roman calendar]]. At the time it was known as the '''Year of the Consulship of Crassus and Licinus''' (or, less frequently, '''year 508 ''[[Ab urbe condita]]'''''). The denomination 246 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 ==
<onlyinclude>
=== By place ===
==== Egypt ====
* [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt's]] [[Ptolemy II Philadelphus|Ptolemy II]] dies and is succeeded by his son, [[Ptolemy III Euergetes|Ptolemy III]]. At the time of Ptolemy II's death, Egypt comprises the ancient kingdom of Egypt in the [[Nile Valley]], [[Cyrene, Libya|Cyrene]], [[Judea]] and the coast of southern [[Syria]], [[Cyprus]] and a number of cities on the shores and islands of the [[Aegean Sea]]. The [[Macedon]]ian Ptolemies maintain their authority over their territories with a small [[mercenary]] army made up of Macedonians and other Greeks.

==== India ====
* The Ashokan pillar in [[Lauriya]], [[Nandangarh]] (from the [[Maurya period]]) is made.

==== Seleucid Empire ====
* [[Antiochus II Theos|Antiochus II]] leaves [[Berenice (Seleucid queen)|Berenice]] in order to live again with his former wife [[Laodice I|Laodice]] and his son [[Seleucus II Callinicus|Seleucus]]. However, Laodice poisons him and proclaims her son as King Seleucus II Callinicus, while her supporters in [[Antioch]] kill Berenice and her children who have taken refuge at Daphne, near Antioch, in [[Syria]].
* Berenice's brother, [[Ptolemy III Euergetes|Ptolemy III]], sets about to avenge his sister's murder by invading Syria which begins the [[Third Syrian War]] (also known as the [[Laodicean War]]). Ptolemy III's navy, perhaps with the aid of rebels in the cities, advances against Seleucus II's forces as far as [[Thrace]], across the [[Hellespont]], and also captures some islands off the [[Anatolia]]n coast.
* Ptolemy III wins major victories over Seleucus II in Syria and Anatolia and briefly occupies Antioch. These victories are marred by the loss of the [[Cyclades]] to [[Antigonus II Gonatas]] in the [[Battle of Andros (246 BC)|Battle of Andros]].
* Seleucus II Callinicus' mother, Laodice attempts to take control over the Seleucid Empire by insisting that Seleucus II make his younger brother, [[Antiochus Hierax]], co-regent and give him all the Seleucid territory in [[Anatolia]]. Antiochus promptly declares independence and begins fighting a war with his brother.
* In order to secure the [[Bactria]]n King [[Diodotus I|Diodotus']] friendship, Seleucus II Callinicus arranges the marriage of one of his sisters to King Diodotus.

==== Roman Republic ====
* With [[Hamilcar Barca]] wearing the [[Roman Republic|Romans]] down in [[Sicily]], the Romans, by private subscription, build another fleet with the aim of regaining command of the sea.
* In Rome, the number of [[praetor]]s is increased from one to two. The second praetor is appointed to relieve the backlog of judicial business and to give the Republic a magistrate with Imperium who can field an army in an emergency when both consuls are away fighting a war.

==== China ====
* The [[Zhengguo Canal]], approximately one hundred miles long, is built across the current-day province of [[Shaanxi]] in [[China]], greatly adding to the agricultural productivity of the area and to the military potency of the [[Qin dynasty]].
* The Qin general Meng Ao crushes a revolt in Jinyang.<ref>{{cite book|first=Sima|last= Qian|title=Records of the Grand Historian, Section: The First Emperor}}</ref>
</onlyinclude>

== Births==
* [[Arsinoe III of Egypt|Arsinoe III]], queen of [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]] from [[220 BC]], daughter of [[Ptolemy III Euergetes|Ptolemy III]] and [[Berenice II of Egypt|Berenice II]] (d. [[204 BC]])

== Deaths ==
* [[Ptolemy II Philadelphus]], king of [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]] from 285 BC, second king of the Ptolemaic dynasty, who has extended his power by skillful diplomacy, developed agriculture and commerce, and made [[Alexandria]] a leading centre of the arts and sciences (b. [[308 BC]])
* [[Antiochus II Theos]], king of the [[Seleucid]] dominions in the [[Middle East]] from [[261 BC]]. He has spent much of his reign at war with [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]], recovering much of the territory in [[Anatolia]] lost in earlier wars between the Ptolemaic and Seleucid dynasties (b. c. [[287 BC]])
* [[Berenice (Seleucid queen)|Berenice]], daughter of [[Ptolemy II Philadelphus]] and [[Arsinoe I of Egypt|Arsinoe]], wife of the [[Seleucid]] ruler [[Antiochus II Theos]], supplanting his first wife, [[Laodice I|Laodice]], whose children she has persuaded him to bar from the succession to the throne in favour of her own.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:246 Bc}}
[[Category:246 BC| ]]