30 BC facts for kids
The year 30 BC was a very important time in ancient history. It was known as the Year of the Consulship of Octavian and Crassus because two powerful Roman leaders, Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian and Marcus Licinius Crassus the Younger, were in charge as consuls. This year marked big changes, especially for Ancient Egypt and the Roman Republic.
Contents
Important Events
Roman Politics and Power
In 30 BC, Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian became a Roman Consul for the fourth time. A consul was one of the two highest elected officials in the Roman Republic. His partner in this important role was Marcus Licinius Crassus the Younger.
Octavian, a very powerful Roman general, led his army towards the Dardanelles and then marched into Syria. Herod the Great, the king of Judea, showed his loyalty by sending troops to help Octavian. Meanwhile, another Roman general, Gaius Cornelius Gallus, arrived in Cyrene and took control of Paraetonium.
The Fall of Mark Antony and Cleopatra
Mark Antony, a famous Roman general and rival of Octavian, retreated with his army to Egypt. He soon learned that the city of Pelusium had opened its gates to Octavian without a fight. This made Antony's situation much harder.
Octavian Caesar then captured Alexandria, the capital of Egypt. This event was a huge turning point. It officially meant that Ancient Egypt was now part of the Roman Republic.
Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt, tried to escape to Berenice on the west coast of the Red Sea. However, King Malchus of Nabatea attacked from the desert and burned her Egyptian ships, stopping her escape.
After the defeat, Octavian decided to spare Cleopatra's children. Octavia Minor, Octavian's sister, took them in. She raised Alexander Helios, Cleopatra Selene, and Ptolemy Philadelphus in her home in Rome.
Asia: New Ideas and Inventions
In Asia, 30 BC is often given as the common date for the famous poet Thiruvalluvar to write his important work, the Tirukkuṟaḷ. This year is also considered one of the earliest possible dates for the invention of the wheelbarrow, a simple but very useful tool for moving heavy things.
People Born
- Maroboduus, who would later become a king of the Marcomanni people (died in AD 37)
People Who Died
- Mark Antony, a powerful Roman general and consul (born in 83 BC)
- Marcus Antonius Antyllus, the son of Mark Antony and Fulvia (born in 47 BC)
- Hyrcanus II, who was a king and high priest of Judea until 40 BC
- August 12 – Cleopatra VII, the last queen of Ptolemaic Egypt (born in 69 BC)
- August 23 – Ptolemy Caesar, the son of Julius Caesar and a pharaoh of Egypt (born in 47 BC)
