View source for 264 BC

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2011}}
{{Year nav|-264}}
{{BC year in topic|264}}
[[File:Roman conquest of Italy.PNG|thumb|[[Roman expansion in Italy]] from 500 BC to 218 BC through the [[Latin War]] (light red), [[Samnite Wars]] (pink/orange), [[Pyrrhic War]] (beige), and [[First Punic War|First]] and [[Second Punic War|Second]] [[Punic Wars|Punic War]] (yellow and green). The [[Roman Republic]] in 264 BC is marked with all colours except light green and white.]]
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Year '''264 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 Caudex and Flaccus''' (or, less frequently, '''year 490 ''[[Ab urbe condita]]'''''). The denomination 264 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 ===

====Greece====
* [[Abantidas]], the son of [[Paseas]], becomes [[tyrant]] of the Greek city-state of [[Sicyon]] after murdering Cleinias. He either banishes or puts to death Cleinias' friends and relations. Cleinias' young son, [[Aratus of Sicyon|Aratus]], narrowly escapes death.

==== Roman Republic ====
* Start of war between the Romans and the Carthaginians-[[First Punic War]]<ref>{{cite book | page=23 | first=John E. | last=Stambaugh | place=Baltimore | year=1988 | publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press | title=The Ancient Roman City | isbn=0-8018-3574-7}}</ref>
* The [[tyrant]] of [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]], [[Hiero II of Syracuse|Hiero II]], once more attacks the [[Mamertines]]. They ally themselves with a nearby Carthaginian fleet and hold off the Syracusans. However, when the Carthaginians do not leave, the Mamertines appeal to Rome for an alliance, hoping for more reliable protection. Although initially reluctant to assist, lest it encourage other mercenary groups to mutiny, Rome is unwilling to see Carthaginian power spread further over [[Sicily]] and encroach on [[Italy]]. Rome therefore enters into an alliance with the Mamertines. By this action, the [[First Punic War]] begins and will embroil [[Roman Republic|Rome]] in a conflict with [[Carthage]] that will continue for 23 years.
* The Roman [[consul]] [[Appius Claudius Caudex]] and his two legions are deployed to Sicily, the first time a Roman army has gone into action outside the Italian peninsula.
* Appius Claudius Caudex leads his forces to [[Messina]], and as the Mamertines have convinced the Carthaginians to withdraw, he meets with only minimal resistance. The Mamertines hand the city over to Appius Claudius, but the Carthaginians return to set up a blockade. The Syracusans, meanwhile, are also stationed outside the city.
* Appius Claudius leads his troops outside the city of Messina to defeat the Syracusans in battle forcing Hiero to retreat back to Syracuse. The next day Claudius defeats the Carthaginians.
* The temple to [[Vertumnus]] is built on the [[Aventine Hill]] in [[Rome]].
* Three pairs of [[gladiator]]s face off in the first recorded gladiatorial combat, held at the funeral games in honour of aristocrat Junius Brutus Pera in the Forum Boarium.

==== China ====
* General [[Bai Qi]] of the [[State of Qin]] attacks the [[State of Han]] and captures the city of Jing, defeating its large garrison. He then captures various other towns and cities.<ref>{{cite book|first=Sima|last= Qian|title=Records of the Grand Historian, Section: Basic Annals of Qin, Section: Bai Qi}}</ref>
* The [[Confucianism|Confucian]] philosopher [[Xun Kuang|Xunzi]] visits the State of Qin. He writes of his and others' admiration for the government officials of Qin, whom he says are serious and sincere, free from the tendency to form cliques. The Qin officials are disciplined by a [[meritocracy]] of rather harsh methods imposed by the [[Legalism (Chinese philosophy)|Legalist philosophy]].
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== Births ==
*

== Deaths ==

== References ==
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[[Category:264 BC| ]]