2nd century BC

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Map of the Eastern Hemisphere in 200 BC, the beginning of the second century BC.
Map of the world in 100 BC, the end of the second century BC.

The 2nd century BC started the first day of 200 BC and ended the last day of 101 BC. It is considered part of the Classical era, although depending on the region being studied, other terms may be more suitable. It is also considered to be the end of the Axial Age.[1] In the context of the Eastern Mediterranean, it is the mid-point of the Hellenistic period.

Fresh from its victories in the

Marian Reforms
).

In the Near East, the other major Hellenistic kingdom, the

Judaea
.

In

extended its boundaries from Korea in the east to Vietnam in the South to the borders of modern-day Kazakhstan in the west. The nomadic Xiongnu were at the height of their power at the beginning of the century, collecting tribute from the Han. Their victories over the Yuezhi set off a chain of westward migrations in Central Asia. Han efforts to find allies against the Xiongnu by exploring the lands to their west would ultimately lead to the opening of the Silk Road.[2]

In

Sakas
, themselves under pressure from the Yuezhi.

Events

Ptolemy V at Memphis
in Egypt.

190s BC

180s BC

Tomb of Empress Lü in Changling, Xianyang, Shaanxi
Shunga dynasty
.

170s BC

Bust of Antiochus IV at the Altes Museum in Berlin.

160s BC

VIII
for most of the century.

150s BC

Mural from the tomb of Liu Wu whose principality was at the heart of the Rebellion of the Seven States

140s BC

130s BC

Emperor Wu of Han was probably the most powerful man in the world at the end of the century

120s BC

Mithridates II of Parthia, wearing a bejeweled tiara
.

110s BC

100s BC

Significant people

Scipio Aemilianus
Antiochus the Great
A bust purported to be of Gaius Marius
Polybius
Terence
Greek king who ruled most of Northern India (c. 150-130) and converted to Buddhism
.
Posidonius was acclaimed as the greatest polymath of his age.

Politics

Military

  • Huo Qubing, Chinese general
  • Hasmonean
    rebellion and its first successful general
  • Li Guang, Chinese general
  • Lucius Caecilius Metellus Calvus, Roman general
  • Lucius Caecilius Metellus Dalmaticus
    , Roman general
  • Quintus Lutatius Catulus
    , Roman general
  • Scipio Aemilianus Africanus, Roman general that conquered Carthage
  • Wei Qing, Chinese general

Literature

Science and philosophy

Inventions, discoveries, introductions

Hipparchus' equatorial ring.
  • According to legend, Liu An invents tofu.
  • The
    Fibonacci numbers and their sequence first appear in Indian mathematics as mātrāmeru, mentioned by Pingala in connection with the Sanskrit tradition of prosody.[30]
  • Pingala was the first who accidentally discovered binary numbers in which he used laghu(light) and guru(heavy) rather than 0 and 1.
  • Tube drawn technology: Indians used tube drawn technology for glass bead manufacturing which was first developed in the 2nd century BCE
  • The Roman concrete (pozzolana) first used.
  • A system for sending signs to communicate quickly over a long distance is described by
    Polybios.[31]
  • The earliest known
    Chinese tomb model.[32]

See also

  • List of sovereign states in the 2nd century BC
    .

References

  1. ISBN 978-0-203-88002-9
    .
  2. ^ "Silk Road, North China". The Megalithic Portal.
  3. ISBN 0-00-686104-0
    .
  4. ^ "Barangay States". History Learning.
  5. ISBN 978-0-520-08349-3
    .
  6. ^ Willy Clarysse, Dorothy J. Thompson, Ulrich Luft, Counting the People in Hellenistic Egypt, Volume 2, Historical Studies (Cambridge University Press, 2006) p263
  7. ^ Bernard Mineo, A Companion to Livy (Wiley, 2014) p412 (drawn by author from Polybius and Livy
  8. ISBN 0-00-686104-0
    .
  9. ^ a b Alan K. Bowman, Egypt After the Pharaohs, 332 BC-AD 642: From Alexander to the Arab Conquest (University of California Press, 1989), p30
  10. ISBN 978-0-521-23448-1
    .
  11. ISBN 0-415-26277-1
    .
  12. ^ Eckart Kèohne, Gladiators and Caesars: The Power of Spectacle in Ancient Rome (University of California Press, 2000) p10
  13. ISBN 978-0-253-00024-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )
  14. ^ T. Boiy, Late Achaemenid and Hellenistic Babylon (Peeters Publishers, 2004) p157
  15. ISBN 978-0-7456-3371-8
    .
  16. ISBN 0-00-686104-0
    .
  17. ISBN 978-90-04-12840-8
    .
  18. ISBN 978-90-04-12840-8
    .
  19. ISBN 978-90-04-12840-8
    .
  20. ISBN 978-0-415-97334-2
    .
  21. ISBN 978-1-135-11983-6
    .
  22. ISBN 978-0-674-72651-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )
  23. ISBN 978-0-521-24327-8
    .
  24. ISBN 978-0-7456-3371-8
    .
  25. ISBN 978-0-521-23448-1
    .
  26. ISBN 978-1-4008-2994-1
    .
  27. ^ M. Zambelli, "L'ascesa al trono di Antioco IV Epifane di Siria," Rivista di Filologia e di Istruzione Classica 38 (1960) 363–389
  28. ISBN 978-0-7456-3371-8
    .
  29. ^ O'Connor, J.J.; Robertson, E F (April 1999). "Hipparchus". Maths History. St Andrews University. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  30. ^ "15 Significant Science and Tech Discoveries Ancient India Gave the World – Arise Arjuna Foundation". Retrieved 2021-06-12.
  31. ^ "Polybius • Histories — Book 10". penelope.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  32. ^ Joseph Needham, Science and Civilization in China: Volume 4, Physics and Physical Technology, Part 2, Mechanical Engineering (Cambridge University Press, 1985) p118
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