140th
OLYMPIAD
[=220-217 B.
Roman Translations
] Seleucus conquered Babylon.
120th OLYMPIAD [=300-297 B. C. ]:
120. 1 * [1717] Demetrius Poliorcetes [became king] of Asia, for 17 years.
[1716 in Ar. ] Simon the son of Onias, the high priest of the Jews, was in his prime. He was called the Just, because of his great piety towards God and the concern which he showed for his countrymen.
120. 3 * [1719] Antigonus and Alexander the sons of Cassander [became kings] of Macedonia, for 4 years.
121st OLYMPIAD [=296-293 B. C. ]
121. 1 [1721] [1720 in Ar. ] Demetrius Poliorcetes, the king of Asia, destroyed the city of the Samaritans, which Perdiccas had previously built.
121. 3 * [1723] Demetrius [became king] of Macedonia, for 6 years [or "5 years" - Ar. ].
A census was held at Rome, and 270,000 [or "220,000" - Ar. ] Roman citizens were counted.
121. 4 [1724] [not in Ar. ] Envoys were sent from Alexandria to Rome for the first time by Ptolemy, and they arranged an alliance.
122nd OLYMPIAD [=292-289 B. C. ]
122. 1 [1725] [1724 in Ar. ] The death of Menander, the writer of comedies.
122. 2 [1726] The Romans defeated the Gauls and Etruscans [or "Gauls and Sabines" - Ar. ] and split up the territory of the Sabines into allotments.
122. 3 [1727] [1726 in Ar. ] Seleucus moved Jewish settlers into the cities which he had built. He gave them the right of citizenship, and an equal rank to the local Greeks.
123rd OLYMPIAD [=288-285 B. C]
123. 1 * [1729] [1728 in Ar. ] Pyrrhus [became king] of Macedonia, for 7 months.
Eleazar the brother of Simon took over the supervision of the temple as high priest of the Jews, because Onias the son of Simon was still a young boy.
123. 2 * [1730] [1729 in Ar. ] Then Lysimachus [became king of Macedonia], for 5 years.
[not in Ar. ] Seleucus captured Demetrius, and gained control of both Syria and Asia.
123. 3 [1731] [1738 in Ar. ] The entry of Sarapis ["called Sorapis or Sirapis by some" - Ar. ] into Alexandria.
123. 4 [1732] [not in Ar. ] The Romans founded Ariminum and Beneventum.
124th OLYMPIAD [=284-281 B. C. ]
124. 1 * [1733] Ptolemy Philadelphus [became] the 2nd [king] of Egypt, for 38 years.
[1734 in Ar. ] Sostratus of Cnidus ["the son of Dexiphanes" - Ar. ] built the Pharus ["a lighthouse of great height" - Ar. ] at Alexandria.
124. 2 [1734] [not in Ar. ] Demetrius the king of Asia surrendered himself to Seleucus.
[1732 in Ar. ] The Romans captured Croton.
124. 3 * [1735] [1734 in Ar. ] Ptolemy Ceraunus [became king] of Macedonia, for 1 year [or "2 years" - Ar. ].
[1731 in Ar. ] Antigonus Gonatas captured Sparta.
124. 4 * [1736] Meleager [became king of Macedonia] for 2 months. Then Antipater, for 45 days. Then Sosthenes, for 2 years.
Ptolemy granted freedom to the Jews who were in Egypt, and sent votive vessels to Eleazar the high priest at Jerusalem. He ordered 70 interpreters to translate the Holy Scripture from Hebrew into Greek, and kept the translation in the library at Alexandria, which he had filled with every kind of literature.
125th OLYMPIAD [=280-277 B. C. ]
125. 1 * [1737] After Seleucus, Antiochus Soter became king of Syria and Asia, for 19 years.
125. 2 * [1738] Antigonus Gonatas [became king of Macedonia], for 36 years.
125. 3 [1739] [1742 in Ar. ] A [Vestal] Virgin at Rome was found to have been defiled, and was executed.
126th OLYMPIAD [=276-273 B. C. ]
126. 2 [1742] [1737 in Ar. ] Milon handed over Tarentum to the Romans.
126. 4 [1744] [1749 in Ar. ] The Romans conquered Calabria and captured Messana.
127th OLYMPIAD [=272-269 B. C. ]
127. 1 [1745] [not in Ar. ] Aratus was in his prime.
127. 3 [1747] [not in Ar. ] Silver coins were minted at Rome for the first time.
128th OLYMPIAD [=268-265 B. C. ]
128. 1 [1749] [1743 in Ar. ] Polemon the philosopher died, and then Arcesilaus and Crates were in their prime.
128. 4 [1752] [1750 in Ar. ] The Romans founded some colonies, and many cities in Sicily entered into alliance with them.
A Vestal Virgin at Rome was condemned for fornication, and killed herself by hanging.
129th OLYMPIAD [=264-261 B. C. ]
129. 1 [1753] [1748 in Ar. ] Zenon the Stoic died, and was succeeded by Cleanthes.
129. 2 [1754] The Romans captured [or "besieged" - Ar. ] Syracuse.
129. 3 [1755] [1752 in Ar. ] Nicomedes the king of Bithynia enlarged a city and called it Nicomedeia.
129. 4 * [1756] Antiochus Theos became king of Syria, for 15 years.
130th OLYMPIAD [=260-257 B. C. ]
130. 1 [1757] [1756 in Ar. ] The Romans defeated the Carthaginians in a naval battle, and captured a hundred cities in Africa.
130. 4 [1760] [1758 in Ar. ] Erasistratus the doctor was in his prime.
131st OLYMPIAD [=256-253 B. C. ]
131. 1 [1761] Antigonus restored the freedom of the Athenians.
131. 3 [1763] [1760 in Ar. ] After Eleazar, his uncle Manasses became high priest of the Jews.
132nd OLYMPIAD [=252-249 B. C. ]
132. 1 [1765] [1764 in Ar. ] The Carthaginians captured 90 Roman ships off Sicily, and forced the consul Metellus to flee [or "they trapped the consul Metellus, and forced him to flee" - Ar. ]
133rd OLYMPIAD [=248-245 B. C. ]
133. 1 [1769] [1766 in Ar. ] The Parthians rebelled against Macedonian rule. Their first king was Arsaces, the founder of the Arsacid dynasty.
133. 3 * [1771] Ptolemy Euergetes [became] the 3rd [king] of Egypt, for 26 years.
* Seleucus Callinicus [became king] of Syria, for 20 years.
Onias, the son of Simon the Just and high priest of the Jews, was in his prime. He made king Ptolemy angry by failing to pay him the usual tribute. But Josephus, one of the prominent Jews who had been sent as an envoy to Ptolemy, won the friendship of the king by the loyal service which he gave him, and was appointed leader of Judaea and the surrounding regions.
134th OLYMPIAD [=244-241 B. C. ]
134. 1 [1773] [1774 in Ar. ] A census was held at Rome, and 260,000 [or "250,000" - Ar. ] citizens were counted.
134. 2 * [1774] Demetrius [became king] of Macedonia, for 10 years.
134. 3 [1775] [not in Ar. ] The temple of Vesta at Rome was burnt down.
135th OLYMPIAD [=240-237 B. C. ]
135. 1 [1777] [not in Ar. ] The poet Quintus Ennius was born at Tarentum. Cato as quaestor brought him back to Rome, where he settled on the Aventine hill, and lived contentedly on a small income with the help of one servant woman.
136th OLYMPIAD [=236-233 B. C. ]
136. 1 [1781] [1780 in Ar. ] A Vestal Virgin at Rome was defiled by a slave, and killed herself.
136. 4 * [1784] Antigonus [became king] of Macedonia, for 15 years.
137th OLYMPIAD [=232-229 B. C. ]
137. 1 [1785] [1786 in Ar. ] Simon the son of Onias, the high priest of the Jews, was in his prime. In his time, Jesus the son of Sirach wrote the book of wisdom called the Panareton, in which he made mention of Simon.
137. 4 [1788] [1790 in Ar. ] The Romans killed about 40,000 of the Gauls.
138th OLYMPIAD [=228-225 B. C. ]
138. 3 * [1791] Seleucus Ceraunus [became king] of Syria, for 3 years.
139th OLYMPIAD [=224-221 B. C. ]
139. 1 [1793] [1792 in Ar. ] Caria and Rhodes were struck by an earthquake, which caused the collapse of the great Colossus.
139. 2 * [1794] Antiochus the Great [became king of Syria], for 36 years.
140th OLYMPIAD [=220-217 B. C. ]
140. 1 * [1797] Ptolemy Philopator [became] the 4th [king] of Egypt, for 17 years.
The events which are described in the third book of Maccabees took place under this king [Philopator].
140. 3 * [1799] Philippus [became king] of Macedonia, for 42 years.
141st OLYMPIAD [=216-213 B. C. ]
141. 1 [1801] [not in Ar. ] The Jews were defeated, and 60,000 of their soldiers were killed.
141. 2 [1802] Some Vestal Virgins were buried alive at Rome, after they were accused of fornication.
141. 3 [1803] [1802 in Ar. ] Eratosthenes was in his prime.
141. 4 [1804] [1805 in Ar. ] The Romans, with Marcellus as their consul [ or "their general" - Ar. ], captured Syracuse.
142nd OLYMPIAD [=212-209 B. C. ]
142. 1 [1805] [1806 in Ar. ] The Romans captured Capua, and conquered Sicily.
142. 3 [1807] [1808 in Ar. ] Antiochus the king of Syria defeated Ptolemy Philopator and gained control of Judaea.
142. 4 [1808] [not in Ar. ] Laevinus made an alliance with Attalus, the king of Asia.
143rd OLYMPIAD [=208-205 B. C. ]
143. 1 [1809] Onias the son of Simon, the high priest of the Jews, was in his prime, and Areius the king of Sparta sent envoys to him.
144th OLYMPIAD [=204-201 B. C. ]
1441. [1813] [not in Ar. ] Scipio captured many cities in Spain.
144. 2 * [1814] Ptolemy Epiphanes [became] the 5th [king] of Egypt, for 24 years.
Ptolemy Epiphanes appointed Scopas to be general of his army, and conquered Judaea and many cities in Syria.
144. 4 [1816] [not in Ar. ] Naevius the writer of comedies died at Utica, after being forced to leave Rome by a group of nobles led by Metellus.
145th OLYMPIAD [=200-197 B. C. ]
145. 1 [1817] [not in Ar. ] Plautus, who was born at Sarsina in Umbria, died at Rome. Because of his poverty, he worked at a hand-mill for a baker, and in his spare time used to write and sell plays.
145. 2 [1818] [1815 in Ar. ] A new island appeared near Thera, and it was given the name Hiera.
145. 4 [1820] [1818 in Ar. ] Antiochus recovered the cities of Syria after defeating Scopas, and Judaea willingly surrendered to him.
146th OLYMPIAD [=196-193 B. C. ]
146. 1 [1821] [1823 in Ar. ] The Romans granted freedom to the Greeks, and forced all of Spain into subjugation.
146. 2 [1822] [1820 in Ar. ] Antiochus, in recognition of the Jews' goodwill towards him, sent them many gifts and frequently praised them in his official letters.
147th OLYMPIAD [=192-189 B. C. ]
147. 1 [1825] After he was defeated at the battle of Thermopylae, Antiochus made peace with the Romans on these terms: that he should give them a thousand talents each year as an indemnity.
147. 2 [1826] [1829 in Ar. ] The Romans founded many colonies.
147. 3 [1827] [1826 in Ar. ] After agreeing peace terms with Ptolemy, Antiochus sent his daughter Cleopatra to be Ptolemy's bride, and gave him Syria, Phoenicia, Samaria and Judaea as a dowry.
147. 4 [1828] [not n Ar. ] Eumenes, the brother of king Attalus, was in his prime. He founded the city of Eumenia in Phrygia.
148th OLYMPIAD [=188-185 B. C. ]
148. 1 [1829] [1830 in Ar. ] The second book of Maccabees describes events which took place in Judaea at this time.
148. 2 * [1830] Seleucus Philopator [became king] of Syria and Asia, for 12 years.
[not in Ar. ] Titus Livius, the writer of tragedies, was in his prime. Because of his excellence as a writer, he was set free by Livius Salinator, whose children he had educated.
148. 3 [1831] [not in Ar. ] Hannibal fled to Prusias, the king of Bithynia, because envoys had demanded that he should be surrendered by Antiochus, whom he had joined after being defeated by Scipio. But when Flamininus on behalf of the senate again asked Prusias to surrender Hannibal, and he was about to be handed over, Hannibal drank poison and was buried at Libyssa in Bithynia.
149th OLYMPIAD [=184-181 B. C. ]
149. 1 [1833] [1830 in Ar. ] Simon, who was in charge of the temple at Jerusalem, fled to Apollonius the governor of Phoenicia, and promised him many gifts if he was established as high priest of the Jews. When Seleucus heard about this, he sent Heliodorus to ensure that it was done. When Heliodorus arrived in Judaea, he acted unjustly and committed many crimes, but was frightened away by signs from god, and returned to Seleucus. But Onias the high priest forced Simon to go into exile ["as is related in the book of Maccabees" - Ar. ].
149. 4 [1836] Hyrcanus, the son of Josephus the leader of the Jews, went to visit Ptolemy, who received him with honour. But his brothers formed a plot against him, which caused much trouble for the Jewish people.
150th OLYMPIAD [=180-177 B. C. ]
150. 2 * [1838] Ptolemy Philometor [became] the 6th [king] of Egypt, for 35 years.
[not in Ar. ] Statius Caecilius, the writer of comedies, was in his prime. By birth he was an Insubrian Gaul (some say that he came from Mediolanum) and at first he was an associate of Ennius. He died in the year after the death of Ennius, and was buried near the Janiculum.
151st OLYMPIAD [=176-173 B. C. ]
151. 1 * [1841] Perseus [became king] of Macedonia, for 10 years.
Aristobulus, the Jewish Peripatetic philosopher, was in his prime. He wrote commentaries on the works of Moses for Ptolemy Philometor.
151. 2 * [1842] Antiochus Epiphanes [became king] of Syria and Asia, for 11 years.
152nd OLYMPIAD [=172-169 B. C. ]
152. 1 [1845] [1841 in Ar. ] Antiochus suddenly attacked the kingdom of the Ptolemaei, but was forced to withdraw by order of the senate. On his return he arrived in Judaea, and installed Jesus, also called Jason, the brother of Onias, as high priest. Then when Jason had been forced out he installed Onias, called Menelaus, as his successor. Therefore, as the leaders of the nation vied with each other for the position of high priest, there appeared the seeds of great trouble for the Jews.
152. 4 [1848] [1851 in Ar. ] Antiochus opposed the Jewish laws, and at first forced the whole country into idolatry, killing those who refused. Then he entered Jerusalem, and after despoiling the temple and the sacred vessels which were used for the worship of God, he set up a statue of Olympian Zeus in the temple. In Samaria he built a temple of Zeus Xenios ["the god of hospitality"] at the top of Mount Garizim, at the request of the Samaritans themselves. But then Mattathias the son of Asamonaeus, who was one of the priests, took up arms against Antiochus' officers at the village of Modin, and defended his country's laws with the help of his sons, in the 153rd Olympiad.
153rd OLYMPIAD [=168-165 B. C. ]
153. 1 [1849] [not in Ar. ] The poet Ennius died of a disease of the joints, when he was over 70 years old. He was buried in the monument of Scipio on the Appian Way, less than a mile out of Rome, though some claim that his bones were taken from the Janiculum back to Rudiae.
153. 3 [1851] The kingdom of Macedonia came to an end.
153. 4 [1852] [1850 in Ar. ] The Romans killed Perseus, and granted freedom to the Macedonians, Illyrians, and Galatians.
154th OLYMPIAD [=164-161 B. C. ]
154. 1 * [1853] Antiochus Eupator [became king] of Syria and Asia, for 2 years.
[1851 in Ar. ] Judas Maccabaeus, the son of Mattathias and leader of the Jews, drove the generals of Antiochus out of Judaea. He removed the statues of idols from the temple, and after three years restored the traditional laws of the Jews, in the 154th Olympiad.
154. 3 * [1855] Demetrius Soter [became king of Macedonia], for 12 years.
155th OLYMPIAD [=160-157 B. C. ]
155. 1 * [1857] Judas [became] leader of the Jews, for 3 years.
After Menelaus the high priest of the Jews, who had previously betrayed Judaea to Antiochus Epiphanes, was put to death by the younger Antiochus, Alcimus, despite not being from one of the priestly families, procured the position of high priest. Because of this, Onias the son of the high priest Onias left for Egypt and founded a city in the Heliopolitan nome which was named after himself, where he built a temple similar to the temple in Judaea. However Alcimus quarrelled with Judas Maccabaeus and not long afterwards was struck down by the anger of God, and died. And so Judas Maccabaeus was appointed high priest, with the approval of all the Jews. After becoming high priest, Judas sent envoys to Rome and the senate decreed that the Jews should be reckoned as friends and allies of the Romans.
155. 3 [1859] [not in Ar. ] Publius Terentius of Carthage, the writer of comedies, who had been set free because of his talent and his good looks, died in Arcadia. Before he sold the first version of his "Andria" to the aediles, Terentius read the play to Caecilius who greatly admired him.
155. 4 * [1860] Jonathan [became] leader of the Jews, for 19 years.
[not in Ar. ] Judas was killed in battle against the generals of Demetrius, after he had been high priest for 3 years.
156th OLYMPIAD [=156-153 B. C. ]
156. 1 [1861] [1860 in Ar. ] The grammarian Aristarchus was in his prime.
156. 2 [1862] [1861 in Ar. ] Jonathan, the brother of Judas and leader of the Jews, drove Bacchides the general of Demetrius out of Judaea, and became high priest.
156. 3 [1863] [not in Ar. ] Pacuvius of Brundisium, the writer of tragedies, was in his prime. He was the maternal grandson of Ennius, and earned a living at Rome by painting pictures and selling his plays. Later he moved to Tarentum, and died at the age of nearly 90 years.
157th OLYMPIAD [=152-149 B. C. ]
157. 1 * [1865] [1870 in Ar. ] Pseudophilippus ["the false Philippus"] ruled in Macedonia for one year ["after there had been democracy for 19 years" - Ar. ].
157. 2 [1866] [1867 in Ar. ] Alexander, the son of Antiochus Epiphanes and king of Syria and Asia, honoured Jonathan with a precious crown and many splendid gifts.
157. 3 * [1867] Alexander [became king] of Syria and Asia, for 8 years and 10 months.
[1871 in Ar. ] The Romans killed Pseudophilippus, and reduced the Macedonians to tributary status.
158th OLYMPIAD [=148-145 B.
120th OLYMPIAD [=300-297 B. C. ]:
120. 1 * [1717] Demetrius Poliorcetes [became king] of Asia, for 17 years.
[1716 in Ar. ] Simon the son of Onias, the high priest of the Jews, was in his prime. He was called the Just, because of his great piety towards God and the concern which he showed for his countrymen.
120. 3 * [1719] Antigonus and Alexander the sons of Cassander [became kings] of Macedonia, for 4 years.
121st OLYMPIAD [=296-293 B. C. ]
121. 1 [1721] [1720 in Ar. ] Demetrius Poliorcetes, the king of Asia, destroyed the city of the Samaritans, which Perdiccas had previously built.
121. 3 * [1723] Demetrius [became king] of Macedonia, for 6 years [or "5 years" - Ar. ].
A census was held at Rome, and 270,000 [or "220,000" - Ar. ] Roman citizens were counted.
121. 4 [1724] [not in Ar. ] Envoys were sent from Alexandria to Rome for the first time by Ptolemy, and they arranged an alliance.
122nd OLYMPIAD [=292-289 B. C. ]
122. 1 [1725] [1724 in Ar. ] The death of Menander, the writer of comedies.
122. 2 [1726] The Romans defeated the Gauls and Etruscans [or "Gauls and Sabines" - Ar. ] and split up the territory of the Sabines into allotments.
122. 3 [1727] [1726 in Ar. ] Seleucus moved Jewish settlers into the cities which he had built. He gave them the right of citizenship, and an equal rank to the local Greeks.
123rd OLYMPIAD [=288-285 B. C]
123. 1 * [1729] [1728 in Ar. ] Pyrrhus [became king] of Macedonia, for 7 months.
Eleazar the brother of Simon took over the supervision of the temple as high priest of the Jews, because Onias the son of Simon was still a young boy.
123. 2 * [1730] [1729 in Ar. ] Then Lysimachus [became king of Macedonia], for 5 years.
[not in Ar. ] Seleucus captured Demetrius, and gained control of both Syria and Asia.
123. 3 [1731] [1738 in Ar. ] The entry of Sarapis ["called Sorapis or Sirapis by some" - Ar. ] into Alexandria.
123. 4 [1732] [not in Ar. ] The Romans founded Ariminum and Beneventum.
124th OLYMPIAD [=284-281 B. C. ]
124. 1 * [1733] Ptolemy Philadelphus [became] the 2nd [king] of Egypt, for 38 years.
[1734 in Ar. ] Sostratus of Cnidus ["the son of Dexiphanes" - Ar. ] built the Pharus ["a lighthouse of great height" - Ar. ] at Alexandria.
124. 2 [1734] [not in Ar. ] Demetrius the king of Asia surrendered himself to Seleucus.
[1732 in Ar. ] The Romans captured Croton.
124. 3 * [1735] [1734 in Ar. ] Ptolemy Ceraunus [became king] of Macedonia, for 1 year [or "2 years" - Ar. ].
[1731 in Ar. ] Antigonus Gonatas captured Sparta.
124. 4 * [1736] Meleager [became king of Macedonia] for 2 months. Then Antipater, for 45 days. Then Sosthenes, for 2 years.
Ptolemy granted freedom to the Jews who were in Egypt, and sent votive vessels to Eleazar the high priest at Jerusalem. He ordered 70 interpreters to translate the Holy Scripture from Hebrew into Greek, and kept the translation in the library at Alexandria, which he had filled with every kind of literature.
125th OLYMPIAD [=280-277 B. C. ]
125. 1 * [1737] After Seleucus, Antiochus Soter became king of Syria and Asia, for 19 years.
125. 2 * [1738] Antigonus Gonatas [became king of Macedonia], for 36 years.
125. 3 [1739] [1742 in Ar. ] A [Vestal] Virgin at Rome was found to have been defiled, and was executed.
126th OLYMPIAD [=276-273 B. C. ]
126. 2 [1742] [1737 in Ar. ] Milon handed over Tarentum to the Romans.
126. 4 [1744] [1749 in Ar. ] The Romans conquered Calabria and captured Messana.
127th OLYMPIAD [=272-269 B. C. ]
127. 1 [1745] [not in Ar. ] Aratus was in his prime.
127. 3 [1747] [not in Ar. ] Silver coins were minted at Rome for the first time.
128th OLYMPIAD [=268-265 B. C. ]
128. 1 [1749] [1743 in Ar. ] Polemon the philosopher died, and then Arcesilaus and Crates were in their prime.
128. 4 [1752] [1750 in Ar. ] The Romans founded some colonies, and many cities in Sicily entered into alliance with them.
A Vestal Virgin at Rome was condemned for fornication, and killed herself by hanging.
129th OLYMPIAD [=264-261 B. C. ]
129. 1 [1753] [1748 in Ar. ] Zenon the Stoic died, and was succeeded by Cleanthes.
129. 2 [1754] The Romans captured [or "besieged" - Ar. ] Syracuse.
129. 3 [1755] [1752 in Ar. ] Nicomedes the king of Bithynia enlarged a city and called it Nicomedeia.
129. 4 * [1756] Antiochus Theos became king of Syria, for 15 years.
130th OLYMPIAD [=260-257 B. C. ]
130. 1 [1757] [1756 in Ar. ] The Romans defeated the Carthaginians in a naval battle, and captured a hundred cities in Africa.
130. 4 [1760] [1758 in Ar. ] Erasistratus the doctor was in his prime.
131st OLYMPIAD [=256-253 B. C. ]
131. 1 [1761] Antigonus restored the freedom of the Athenians.
131. 3 [1763] [1760 in Ar. ] After Eleazar, his uncle Manasses became high priest of the Jews.
132nd OLYMPIAD [=252-249 B. C. ]
132. 1 [1765] [1764 in Ar. ] The Carthaginians captured 90 Roman ships off Sicily, and forced the consul Metellus to flee [or "they trapped the consul Metellus, and forced him to flee" - Ar. ]
133rd OLYMPIAD [=248-245 B. C. ]
133. 1 [1769] [1766 in Ar. ] The Parthians rebelled against Macedonian rule. Their first king was Arsaces, the founder of the Arsacid dynasty.
133. 3 * [1771] Ptolemy Euergetes [became] the 3rd [king] of Egypt, for 26 years.
* Seleucus Callinicus [became king] of Syria, for 20 years.
Onias, the son of Simon the Just and high priest of the Jews, was in his prime. He made king Ptolemy angry by failing to pay him the usual tribute. But Josephus, one of the prominent Jews who had been sent as an envoy to Ptolemy, won the friendship of the king by the loyal service which he gave him, and was appointed leader of Judaea and the surrounding regions.
134th OLYMPIAD [=244-241 B. C. ]
134. 1 [1773] [1774 in Ar. ] A census was held at Rome, and 260,000 [or "250,000" - Ar. ] citizens were counted.
134. 2 * [1774] Demetrius [became king] of Macedonia, for 10 years.
134. 3 [1775] [not in Ar. ] The temple of Vesta at Rome was burnt down.
135th OLYMPIAD [=240-237 B. C. ]
135. 1 [1777] [not in Ar. ] The poet Quintus Ennius was born at Tarentum. Cato as quaestor brought him back to Rome, where he settled on the Aventine hill, and lived contentedly on a small income with the help of one servant woman.
136th OLYMPIAD [=236-233 B. C. ]
136. 1 [1781] [1780 in Ar. ] A Vestal Virgin at Rome was defiled by a slave, and killed herself.
136. 4 * [1784] Antigonus [became king] of Macedonia, for 15 years.
137th OLYMPIAD [=232-229 B. C. ]
137. 1 [1785] [1786 in Ar. ] Simon the son of Onias, the high priest of the Jews, was in his prime. In his time, Jesus the son of Sirach wrote the book of wisdom called the Panareton, in which he made mention of Simon.
137. 4 [1788] [1790 in Ar. ] The Romans killed about 40,000 of the Gauls.
138th OLYMPIAD [=228-225 B. C. ]
138. 3 * [1791] Seleucus Ceraunus [became king] of Syria, for 3 years.
139th OLYMPIAD [=224-221 B. C. ]
139. 1 [1793] [1792 in Ar. ] Caria and Rhodes were struck by an earthquake, which caused the collapse of the great Colossus.
139. 2 * [1794] Antiochus the Great [became king of Syria], for 36 years.
140th OLYMPIAD [=220-217 B. C. ]
140. 1 * [1797] Ptolemy Philopator [became] the 4th [king] of Egypt, for 17 years.
The events which are described in the third book of Maccabees took place under this king [Philopator].
140. 3 * [1799] Philippus [became king] of Macedonia, for 42 years.
141st OLYMPIAD [=216-213 B. C. ]
141. 1 [1801] [not in Ar. ] The Jews were defeated, and 60,000 of their soldiers were killed.
141. 2 [1802] Some Vestal Virgins were buried alive at Rome, after they were accused of fornication.
141. 3 [1803] [1802 in Ar. ] Eratosthenes was in his prime.
141. 4 [1804] [1805 in Ar. ] The Romans, with Marcellus as their consul [ or "their general" - Ar. ], captured Syracuse.
142nd OLYMPIAD [=212-209 B. C. ]
142. 1 [1805] [1806 in Ar. ] The Romans captured Capua, and conquered Sicily.
142. 3 [1807] [1808 in Ar. ] Antiochus the king of Syria defeated Ptolemy Philopator and gained control of Judaea.
142. 4 [1808] [not in Ar. ] Laevinus made an alliance with Attalus, the king of Asia.
143rd OLYMPIAD [=208-205 B. C. ]
143. 1 [1809] Onias the son of Simon, the high priest of the Jews, was in his prime, and Areius the king of Sparta sent envoys to him.
144th OLYMPIAD [=204-201 B. C. ]
1441. [1813] [not in Ar. ] Scipio captured many cities in Spain.
144. 2 * [1814] Ptolemy Epiphanes [became] the 5th [king] of Egypt, for 24 years.
Ptolemy Epiphanes appointed Scopas to be general of his army, and conquered Judaea and many cities in Syria.
144. 4 [1816] [not in Ar. ] Naevius the writer of comedies died at Utica, after being forced to leave Rome by a group of nobles led by Metellus.
145th OLYMPIAD [=200-197 B. C. ]
145. 1 [1817] [not in Ar. ] Plautus, who was born at Sarsina in Umbria, died at Rome. Because of his poverty, he worked at a hand-mill for a baker, and in his spare time used to write and sell plays.
145. 2 [1818] [1815 in Ar. ] A new island appeared near Thera, and it was given the name Hiera.
145. 4 [1820] [1818 in Ar. ] Antiochus recovered the cities of Syria after defeating Scopas, and Judaea willingly surrendered to him.
146th OLYMPIAD [=196-193 B. C. ]
146. 1 [1821] [1823 in Ar. ] The Romans granted freedom to the Greeks, and forced all of Spain into subjugation.
146. 2 [1822] [1820 in Ar. ] Antiochus, in recognition of the Jews' goodwill towards him, sent them many gifts and frequently praised them in his official letters.
147th OLYMPIAD [=192-189 B. C. ]
147. 1 [1825] After he was defeated at the battle of Thermopylae, Antiochus made peace with the Romans on these terms: that he should give them a thousand talents each year as an indemnity.
147. 2 [1826] [1829 in Ar. ] The Romans founded many colonies.
147. 3 [1827] [1826 in Ar. ] After agreeing peace terms with Ptolemy, Antiochus sent his daughter Cleopatra to be Ptolemy's bride, and gave him Syria, Phoenicia, Samaria and Judaea as a dowry.
147. 4 [1828] [not n Ar. ] Eumenes, the brother of king Attalus, was in his prime. He founded the city of Eumenia in Phrygia.
148th OLYMPIAD [=188-185 B. C. ]
148. 1 [1829] [1830 in Ar. ] The second book of Maccabees describes events which took place in Judaea at this time.
148. 2 * [1830] Seleucus Philopator [became king] of Syria and Asia, for 12 years.
[not in Ar. ] Titus Livius, the writer of tragedies, was in his prime. Because of his excellence as a writer, he was set free by Livius Salinator, whose children he had educated.
148. 3 [1831] [not in Ar. ] Hannibal fled to Prusias, the king of Bithynia, because envoys had demanded that he should be surrendered by Antiochus, whom he had joined after being defeated by Scipio. But when Flamininus on behalf of the senate again asked Prusias to surrender Hannibal, and he was about to be handed over, Hannibal drank poison and was buried at Libyssa in Bithynia.
149th OLYMPIAD [=184-181 B. C. ]
149. 1 [1833] [1830 in Ar. ] Simon, who was in charge of the temple at Jerusalem, fled to Apollonius the governor of Phoenicia, and promised him many gifts if he was established as high priest of the Jews. When Seleucus heard about this, he sent Heliodorus to ensure that it was done. When Heliodorus arrived in Judaea, he acted unjustly and committed many crimes, but was frightened away by signs from god, and returned to Seleucus. But Onias the high priest forced Simon to go into exile ["as is related in the book of Maccabees" - Ar. ].
149. 4 [1836] Hyrcanus, the son of Josephus the leader of the Jews, went to visit Ptolemy, who received him with honour. But his brothers formed a plot against him, which caused much trouble for the Jewish people.
150th OLYMPIAD [=180-177 B. C. ]
150. 2 * [1838] Ptolemy Philometor [became] the 6th [king] of Egypt, for 35 years.
[not in Ar. ] Statius Caecilius, the writer of comedies, was in his prime. By birth he was an Insubrian Gaul (some say that he came from Mediolanum) and at first he was an associate of Ennius. He died in the year after the death of Ennius, and was buried near the Janiculum.
151st OLYMPIAD [=176-173 B. C. ]
151. 1 * [1841] Perseus [became king] of Macedonia, for 10 years.
Aristobulus, the Jewish Peripatetic philosopher, was in his prime. He wrote commentaries on the works of Moses for Ptolemy Philometor.
151. 2 * [1842] Antiochus Epiphanes [became king] of Syria and Asia, for 11 years.
152nd OLYMPIAD [=172-169 B. C. ]
152. 1 [1845] [1841 in Ar. ] Antiochus suddenly attacked the kingdom of the Ptolemaei, but was forced to withdraw by order of the senate. On his return he arrived in Judaea, and installed Jesus, also called Jason, the brother of Onias, as high priest. Then when Jason had been forced out he installed Onias, called Menelaus, as his successor. Therefore, as the leaders of the nation vied with each other for the position of high priest, there appeared the seeds of great trouble for the Jews.
152. 4 [1848] [1851 in Ar. ] Antiochus opposed the Jewish laws, and at first forced the whole country into idolatry, killing those who refused. Then he entered Jerusalem, and after despoiling the temple and the sacred vessels which were used for the worship of God, he set up a statue of Olympian Zeus in the temple. In Samaria he built a temple of Zeus Xenios ["the god of hospitality"] at the top of Mount Garizim, at the request of the Samaritans themselves. But then Mattathias the son of Asamonaeus, who was one of the priests, took up arms against Antiochus' officers at the village of Modin, and defended his country's laws with the help of his sons, in the 153rd Olympiad.
153rd OLYMPIAD [=168-165 B. C. ]
153. 1 [1849] [not in Ar. ] The poet Ennius died of a disease of the joints, when he was over 70 years old. He was buried in the monument of Scipio on the Appian Way, less than a mile out of Rome, though some claim that his bones were taken from the Janiculum back to Rudiae.
153. 3 [1851] The kingdom of Macedonia came to an end.
153. 4 [1852] [1850 in Ar. ] The Romans killed Perseus, and granted freedom to the Macedonians, Illyrians, and Galatians.
154th OLYMPIAD [=164-161 B. C. ]
154. 1 * [1853] Antiochus Eupator [became king] of Syria and Asia, for 2 years.
[1851 in Ar. ] Judas Maccabaeus, the son of Mattathias and leader of the Jews, drove the generals of Antiochus out of Judaea. He removed the statues of idols from the temple, and after three years restored the traditional laws of the Jews, in the 154th Olympiad.
154. 3 * [1855] Demetrius Soter [became king of Macedonia], for 12 years.
155th OLYMPIAD [=160-157 B. C. ]
155. 1 * [1857] Judas [became] leader of the Jews, for 3 years.
After Menelaus the high priest of the Jews, who had previously betrayed Judaea to Antiochus Epiphanes, was put to death by the younger Antiochus, Alcimus, despite not being from one of the priestly families, procured the position of high priest. Because of this, Onias the son of the high priest Onias left for Egypt and founded a city in the Heliopolitan nome which was named after himself, where he built a temple similar to the temple in Judaea. However Alcimus quarrelled with Judas Maccabaeus and not long afterwards was struck down by the anger of God, and died. And so Judas Maccabaeus was appointed high priest, with the approval of all the Jews. After becoming high priest, Judas sent envoys to Rome and the senate decreed that the Jews should be reckoned as friends and allies of the Romans.
155. 3 [1859] [not in Ar. ] Publius Terentius of Carthage, the writer of comedies, who had been set free because of his talent and his good looks, died in Arcadia. Before he sold the first version of his "Andria" to the aediles, Terentius read the play to Caecilius who greatly admired him.
155. 4 * [1860] Jonathan [became] leader of the Jews, for 19 years.
[not in Ar. ] Judas was killed in battle against the generals of Demetrius, after he had been high priest for 3 years.
156th OLYMPIAD [=156-153 B. C. ]
156. 1 [1861] [1860 in Ar. ] The grammarian Aristarchus was in his prime.
156. 2 [1862] [1861 in Ar. ] Jonathan, the brother of Judas and leader of the Jews, drove Bacchides the general of Demetrius out of Judaea, and became high priest.
156. 3 [1863] [not in Ar. ] Pacuvius of Brundisium, the writer of tragedies, was in his prime. He was the maternal grandson of Ennius, and earned a living at Rome by painting pictures and selling his plays. Later he moved to Tarentum, and died at the age of nearly 90 years.
157th OLYMPIAD [=152-149 B. C. ]
157. 1 * [1865] [1870 in Ar. ] Pseudophilippus ["the false Philippus"] ruled in Macedonia for one year ["after there had been democracy for 19 years" - Ar. ].
157. 2 [1866] [1867 in Ar. ] Alexander, the son of Antiochus Epiphanes and king of Syria and Asia, honoured Jonathan with a precious crown and many splendid gifts.
157. 3 * [1867] Alexander [became king] of Syria and Asia, for 8 years and 10 months.
[1871 in Ar. ] The Romans killed Pseudophilippus, and reduced the Macedonians to tributary status.
158th OLYMPIAD [=148-145 B.
