View source for 284 BC

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{{BC year in topic|284}}
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Year '''284 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 Tucca and Denter/Dentatus''' (or, less frequently, '''year 470 ''[[Ab urbe condita]]'''''). The denomination 284 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 ===

==== Roman Republic ====
* The [[Gaul|Gallic]] tribe called the [[Senones]], who have settled on the [[Adriatic]] coast north of [[Picenum]], attack [[Arretium]] in [[Etruria]]. While attempting to relieve this allied city, the [[Roman Republic|Romans]] under the command of [[Lucius Caecilius Metellus Denter]] suffer a costly defeat in the [[Battle of Arretium]]. Aroused by this disaster, a Roman army under [[Manius Curius Dentatus]] invades the Senones' territory, defeating them and driving them out of the Italian peninsula.

==== Asia Minor ====
* [[Ptolemy I Soter|Ptolemy I's]] eldest (legitimate) son, [[Ptolemy Keraunos]], whose mother, [[Eurydice of Egypt|Eurydice]], the daughter of [[Antipater]], had been repudiated by the new King [[Ptolemy II Philadelphus|Ptolemy II]], flees [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]] to the court of [[Lysimachus]], the king of [[Thrace]], [[Macedon]] and [[Asia Minor]].
* Lysimachus' wife, [[Arsinoe II of Egypt|Arsinoe]], being keen to gain the succession to the kingdom of [[Thrace]] for her sons in preference to [[Agathocles (son of Lysimachus)|Agathocles]] (the eldest son of Lysimachus), intrigues against him with the help of her brother [[Ptolemy Keraunos]]. They accuse him of conspiring with [[Seleucus I Nicator|Seleucus]] to seize the throne, and Agathocles is put to death. This atrocious deed by Lysimachus and his family arouses great indignation. Many of the cities in Asia Minor revolt and some of his most trusted friends desert him.
* Agathocles' widow [[Lysandra]] flees with their children and with Alexander, Agathocles' brother, to the court of Seleucus, who at once invades Lysimachus' territory in Asia Minor.

=== By subject ===

==== Culture ====
*  The Ptolemaic court appoints [[Zenodotus]] of Ephesus as first Director of the [[Library of Alexandria]].</onlyinclude>

== Births ==
*

== Deaths ==
* [[Agathocles (son of Lysimachus)|Agathocles]], son of King Lysimachus of Thrace
* [[Ardvates]], governor and later ruler of [[Armenia]] who founds a dynasty that will rule until [[211 BC]]
* [[Lucius Caecilius Metellus Denter]], Roman consul and general (killed in the [[Battle of Arretium]]) (b. c. [[320 BC]])

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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[[Category:284 BC| ]]