Ancient World
Rosetta Stone: The Decree of 196 BC That Unlocked Hieroglyphs
The bilingual decree gave scholars the key to Egyptian hieroglyphs, deciphered by Champollion in 1822.
Era · c. 3000 BC – AD 500
Ancient World
The first cities, empires and written records, from the pyramids of Egypt to Greece and the Roman Empire.
Ancient World
Repeal of the Lex Oppia (195 BC): Roman Women's Protest
The Lex Oppia was repealed after a public demonstration by Roman women, over the objections of the consul Cato.
Ancient World
Battle of Magnesia (190 BC): Rome Defeats Antiochus III
Decisive Roman and Pergamene victory; the Seleucids lost Asia Minor west of the Taurus under the Treaty of Apamea (188 BC).
Ancient World
Mawangdui Han Tombs: Lady Dai and Her Treasures in Changsha
The excavations revealed one of the best-preserved ancient bodies ever found and a large body of Western Han art, textiles and texts, now mostly in the Hunan Museum.
Ancient World
Bacchanalia Affair (186 BC): Rome's Crackdown on a Cult
The Senate banned unauthorised Bacchic gatherings throughout Italy; thousands were arrested and many executed.
Ancient World
Pergamon Altar (c. 170 BC): Masterpiece of the Attalid Kingdom
The altar became the masterpiece of Hellenistic sculpture; Pergamon passed to Rome in 133 BC and the frieze was moved to Berlin in the 1870s–1880s.
Ancient World
Battle of Pydna (168 BC): Rome Ends the Kingdom of Macedon
Decisive Roman victory; the Third Macedonian War ended and the Antigonid monarchy was abolished.
Ancient World
Maccabean Revolt (167-160 BC): Judea Against the Seleucids
The rebels restored Jewish worship in the Temple and won religious freedom; within two decades the Hasmonean family ruled an independent Judea.
Ancient World
Menander I and the Indo-Greek Kingdom in Ancient India
Menander became the most powerful Indo-Greek king and was remembered in Buddhist literature as King Milinda.
Ancient World
Dutugemunu and Elara: Sri Lanka's Ancient Battle of Kings
Dutugemunu killed Elara in single combat, became king at Anuradhapura and ruled a united island until about 137 BC.
Ancient World
Rebellion of the Seven States (154 BC): Han Princes Rise Up
The revolt was crushed; the kingdoms lost most of their autonomy and power shifted decisively to the Han central government.
Ancient World
Hipparchus (c. 150 BC): Star Catalogue and Precession Found
Hipparchus laid the foundations of quantitative Greek astronomy, including precession, a star catalogue and the first known chord tables.