240 facts for kids

The ancient ruins of Hatra

The year 240 (written as CCXL in Roman numerals) was a special kind of year called a leap year. It began on a Wednesday in the Julian calendar. This year saw many important events happen across different parts of the world.

Major Events Around the World

Challenges for the Roman Empire

The powerful Roman Empire faced threats from many directions in 240 AD.

• In Africa, some people rebelled against Roman rule.
• Tribes from northwest Germania, who later became known as the Franks, started raiding the Roman borders along the Rhine River. This was a big problem for the Romans.

Changes in Asia

Many important things happened in Asia during this year:

• Maharaja Sri-Gupta became the new leader of the Gupta Empire in India. This empire would become very famous later on.
• Ardashir I, who was the king of the Sassanid Persians, destroyed the ancient city of Hatra.
• Shapur I, Ardashir I's son, became a co-emperor with his father. This meant they ruled together.
• The Kushan Empire, another important empire in Asia, came to an end around this time.

New Ideas and Religions

• At the court of King Ardashir I, a young and wise man named Mani from the city of Ctesiphon said he was a prophet.
• Mani began to teach his new ideas, which were called Manichaeism. This new religion spread throughout the Persian Empire.

People Born in 240 AD

• Lactantius: A Christian writer who lived until about 320 AD.
• Sporus of Nicaea: A Greek mathematician and astronomer.
• Zenobia: A queen who would later rule the Palmyrene Empire. She died in 274 AD.

People Who Died in 240 AD

• Ammonius Saccas: A famous Neoplatonic philosopher.
• Huang Quan: A general who served the Kingdom of Shu in China.
• King Midang: The king of the Qiang tribe.
• Zhou Fang: A general who served the Kingdom of Wu in China.

See also

In Spanish: 240 para niños