200 BC facts for kids

The eastern hemisphere in 200 BC

The year 200 BC was a time over 2,200 years ago! It was a busy year with many important events happening around the world, from big battles and new cities being built to amazing discoveries in science. This year is part of the pre-Julian Roman calendar.

What Happened in 200 BC?

Events Around the World

In the Middle East

• Antiochus III, a powerful king, continued his army's movement into areas called Coele Syria and Palestine.

In Ancient Greece

• Philip V of Macedon was a king who fought many battles. His ships defeated the people of Rhodes in a sea battle near Lade.
• After this victory, Philip's armies moved into Pergamum. They took valuable things from the land and attacked cities in Caria.
• People from Acarnania, with help from Macedon, entered the area of Attica.
• A Roman ambassador named Marcus Aemilius Lepidus traveled to Greece, Syria, and Egypt. He gave a strong warning to Philip V.
• The warning told Philip not to start wars with any Greek states. Philip decided not to listen to Rome.
• Because Philip ignored their warning, the Romans officially declared war on Macedon. This started a big conflict known as the Second Macedonian War.
• The Roman leader, Publius Sulpicius Galba Maximus, asked Attalus I and his ships to join the Roman fleet. Together, they sailed along the Greek Aegean coast.
• They caused trouble for Philip V's lands and possessions near the Aegean Sea.

In the Roman Republic

• Roman armies fought and defeated the Gauls from Cisalpine Gaul in a battle near Cremona. This was called the Battle of Cremona.
• Around this time, special festivals for the Roman god Bacchus were brought to Rome. These festivals were known as the bacchanalia.

In Central Asia

• Euthydemus I, who was the king of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, passed away. His son, Demetrius I of Bactria, became the new king.

In South America

• The city of Tiwanaku began as a small village near Lake Titicaca. This area is in what we now call Bolivia.
• The time period known as the Early Horizon in the Andes came to an end. The Chavin culture disappeared, and the Nazca culture began to rise.

In China

• Construction started on the Wei-Yang Palace in Chang'an. This was the capital city of the Han Dynasty.
• The Hsiung-nu, a group of people from the north, appeared near the western borders of China.
• The Han emperor, Gaozu, was defeated by the Xiongnu in a battle called the Battle of Baideng.
• The famous Great Wall of China was completed around this time.

Discoveries and Art

Art and Culture

• A head statue of Alexander the Great was made. It was a copy of an older statue from the 4th century BC. This artwork is now in a museum in Istanbul, Turkey.
• The method of Lost-wax casting was known and used in both China and Mesopotamia. This is a way to create metal sculptures.
• Roman artists started to make their house walls look like they were covered in thin, colorful marble. They used real architectural designs to make these illusions. This style of art continued for about 120 years.

Astronomy

• The Greek scientist Eratosthenes made a very good measurement of the distance between Earth and the Sun.
• By studying how lunar eclipses happen, he estimated the distance to be about 150,000,000 kilometers. Today, we know the distance is very close to his estimate!

In Fiction

• This year is used as the fourth time world (the Amazon Jungle) in the video game The Lost Vikings II.
• The Tribunal in Marianne Curley's Guardians of Time Trilogy is set up near Athens.

Births

• Jia Yi, a Chinese statesman and poet (died in 169 BC)

Deaths

• Euthydemus I, who was the King of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom from 223 BC (around this time)

See also

In Spanish: 200 a. C. para niños