Exploration & Expansion in the 2nd century BC

21 sourced entries, 190 BCE to 100 BCE, oldest first. Also see Exploration & Expansion across every century or everything else in the 2nd century BC.

• 190 BCEOne of the main highways in Roman Italy, the Via Appia, is extended to Benevento and Venosa.source
• 189 BCEThe territory of Artsakh first became known for being inhabited by Armenians-notably within the city of Tigranakert, one of four cities named after Tigranes the Great in the ancient Armenian empire.source
• 189 BCEThe city of Philadelphia (now Alaşehir, Turkey) is founded by King Eumenes II of Pergamon. Eumenes names the city after his brother, Attalus, whose loyalty earns him the nickname, "Philadelphus", literally meaning "one who loves his brother".source
• 187 BCEThe construction of the Via Aemilia, a trunk road in the north Italian plains, running from Ariminum (Rimini), on the Adriatic coast, to Placentia (Piacenza) on the river Padus (Po), is completed.source
• 184 BCEThe town of Pisaurum is established by the Romans as a colony in the territory of the Picentes, a tribe living in the Marche on the Adriatic.source
• 181 BCERome founds a colony at Aquileia, on the narrow strip of land between the mountains and the lagoons, as a frontier fortress to check the advance of the Illyrians.source
• 177 BCELuni in northern Italy is founded by the Romans with the name Luna at the mouth of the Magra River.source
• 171 BCEThe first Roman colony outside Italy is founded at Carteia in southern Hispania after Iberian-born descendants of Roman soldiers appear before the Roman Senate to request a town to live in and are given Carteia, which is named Colonia Libertinorum Carteia.source
• 154 BCEThe Lusitanians harry the inhabitants of the Roman provinces in Hispania. At the same time, the Celtiberians of Numantia on the Douro revolt against their Roman occupation.source
• 148 BCEConstruction of the Via Postumia, linking Aquileia and Genua.source
• 140 BCEScipio Aemilianus leads a group of Roman ambassadors to Alexandria, where they meet with King Ptolemy VIII.source
• 129 BCEThe Han diplomat Zhang Qian escapes Xiongnu custody and resumes his mission of forming an anti-Xiongnu alliance with the Yuezhi. He reaches the State of Dayuan in the Ferghana Valley, whose trade with the Han had been prevented by the Xiongnu and who supply Zhang with guides. Zhang then travels to the states of Kangju, Greater Yuezhi and Daxia (Bactria). He also learns of the Parthian Empire, Daqin, the Caspian Sea and the source of the Yellow River.source
• 123 BCEQuintus Caecilius Metellus conquers the Balearic Islands for Rome, for which he earns the agnomen "Balearicus." He settles 3,000 Roman and Iberian colonists on the islands and founds the cities of Palma and Pollentia.source
• 121 BCEThe finest vintage of Falernian wine, known as the Opimian vintage, is bottled from vines grown on Mt Falernus between Latium and Campania.source
• 120 BCEThe Teutons and the Cimbri migrate south and west to the Danube valley where they encounter the expanding Roman Republic (approximate date).source
• 118 BCEThe Roman colony of Narbo Martius is founded in Gallia Transalpina.source
• 114 BCESilk Road routes opened to traders and merchants, exporting goods from east to west.source
• 109 BCEEmperor Wu of Han inspects the Han Empire, traveling . He also sends diplomats to search for the legendary Penglai Island.source
• 108 BCEEmperor Wu of Han founds Jiuquan in the Hexi Corridor as a military outpost on the Silk Road to Central Asia. It serves to protect diplomats and merchants, and it cuts off the kings of the region from the Xiongnu. He also founds Xianlei in present-day Inner Mongolia, extending Han control further north than before.source
• 100 BCEWar of the Heavenly Horses: the Han expedition under Li Guangli returns victorious to China. He is followed by dynastic representatives sent by various Central Asian kings, so that they may pay tribute to Emperor Wu of Han. Emperor Wu keeps these representatives as hostages and sends soldiers to build pavilions and reclaim wasteland along the route to the west to provide food and shelter for Han envoys.source
• 100 BCEOlmec III period ends in Southeastern Mexico.source