The 3rd century BC
1,051 sourced entries across 100 documented years, grouped into 10 decades. A century here runs 1900–1999 rather than 1901–2000, so its decades sit inside it exactly; on the BC side the same rule puts 1–99 BC in the 1st century BC and 100 BC in the 2nd.
Decades
- The 290s BC — 10 years, 101 entries
- The 280s BC — 10 years, 80 entries
- The 270s BC — 10 years, 81 entries
- The 260s BC — 10 years, 83 entries
- The 250s BC — 10 years, 77 entries
- The 240s BC — 10 years, 100 entries
- The 230s BC — 10 years, 90 entries
- The 220s BC — 10 years, 130 entries
- The 210s BC — 10 years, 143 entries
- The 200s BC — 10 years, 166 entries
By subject
- Conflict & Security in the 3rd century BC — 471 entries
- Geopolitics & Diplomacy in the 3rd century BC — 91 entries
- Religion & Belief in the 3rd century BC — 34 entries
- Exploration & Expansion in the 3rd century BC — 31 entries
- Culture & Society in the 3rd century BC — 26 entries
- Crime & Justice in the 3rd century BC — 26 entries
- Technology & Infrastructure in the 3rd century BC — 14 entries
A few of the years
- 299 BCEThe State of Zhao annexes the State of Zhongshan.
- 287 BCEDemetrius besieges Athens without success. He leaves Antigonus in charge of the war in Greece, assembles all his ships and embarks with his troops to attack Caria and Lydia, provinces in Asia Minor controlled by Lysimachus.
- 275 BCEWhen Pyrrhus returns from Sicily, he finds himself vastly outnumbered by a superior Roman army under the command of consul Manius Curius Dentatus. After the inconclusive Battle of Beneventum, Roman commander and statesman, Gaius Fabricius Luscinus, negotiates a peace with Pyrrhus, after which Pyrrhus decides to end his campaign in Italy and return to Epirus, which results in the loss of all his Italian holdings.
- 263 BCEGeneral Bai Qi of the State of Qin captures the Han province of Nan, thereby cutting off Shangdang Commandery from the rest of the Han state. This commandery subsequently surrenders itself to the State of Zhao rather than transfer to Qin control, which will set up the climactic Battle of Changping in 260 BC.
- 251 BCEPaseas, the tyrant of the Greek city-state of Sicyon, is assassinated by Nicocles, with the acquiescence of the Macedonian king Antigonus II. Nicocles reigns as tyrant of Sicyon for only four months, during which period he drives into exile eighty of the city's citizens. Then the citadel of Sicyon is surprised in the night by a party of Sicyonian exiles, headed by a young nobleman, Aratus. The palace of the tyrant is set on fire, but Nicocles escapes from the city through a subterranean passage.
- 239 BCEQin Prime Minister Lü Buwei publishes the "Spring and Autumn Annals of Lü Buwei" (Lüshi Chunqiu).
- 227 BCEThe Spartan King Cleomenes III imposes reforms on his kingdom which include the cancelling of debts, providing land for 4,000 citizens, and restoring the training of youth in the martial arts. The Ephorate, five elected magistrates who, with the King, form the main executive body of the state, is abolished (four of the five ephors being executed); the powers of the Gerousia, the oligarchic council of elders, is curtailed; and the patronomoi (the board of six elders) is introduced. Cleomenes' changes are designed to make the monarchy supreme and re-create a society of aristocrats, while neglecting Sparta's helots (serfs) and perioikoi (free but non-citizen inhabitants). Eighty opponents of the reforms are exiled, while his brother Eucleidas is installed as co-ruler in the place of the murdered Archidamus V.
- 215 BCEPhilip V of Macedon and Hannibal negotiate an alliance under which they pledge mutual support and defence. Specifically, they agree to support each other against Rome, and that Hannibal shall have the right to make peace with Rome, but that any peace would include Philip and that Rome would be forced to give up control of Corcyra, Apollonia, Epidamnus, Pharos, Dimale, Parthini and Atintania and to restore to Demetrius of Pharos all his lands currently controlled by Rome.