12 BC

12 BC in various
AG
Thai solar calendar	531–532
Tibetan calendar	阳土猴年; (male Earth-Monkey); 115 or −266 or −1038; — to —; 阴土鸡年; (female Earth-Rooster); 116 or −265 or −1037

Millennium:	1st millennium BC
Centuries:	2nd century BC; 1st century BC ; 1st century;
Decades:	30s BC; 20s BC; 10s BC ; 0s BC; 0s;
Years:	15 BC; 14 BC; 13 BC; 12 BC ; 11 BC; 10 BC; 9 BC;

Year 12 BC was either a common year starting on Saturday, Sunday or Monday or a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar (the sources differ, see 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 Messalla and Quirinius (or, less frequently, year 742 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 12 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

Marcus Valerius Messalla Appianus and Publius Sulpicius Quirinius are Roman consuls.
Delmataeians
.
Roman armies based at Xanten, Cologne and Mainz campaign beyond the Rhine.
First official mention of Argentoratum, the city known in modern times as Strasbourg.
Emperor
Pontifex Maximus
.
Approximate date – Pyramid of Cestius erected in Rome.

King Azes II dies. The rule of the Indo-Scythians crumbles as the Kushans, one of the five tribes of the Yuezhi who live in Bactria expand into India to create a Kushan Empire.