150s BC

This article concerns the period 159 BC – 150 BC.

159 BC

This section is transcluded from 159 BC. (edit | history)

By place

Greece

• Attalus II Philadelphus succeeds his brother Eumenes II as king of Pergamon.^[1]

Seleucid Empire

• With the Seleucid victory in Judea over the Maccabees, Alcimus is re-established as the High Priest of Israel, and a strong force is left in Jerusalem to support him. However, he does not enjoy his triumph for long, as he dies soon after from a paralytic stroke.

Bactria

• While Eucratides I is in north west India to claim possession of the previous Bactrian King Demetrius I's territory there, the Parthians, under Mithradates I, annex two Bactrian provinces. Returning from India to reconquer them, Eucratides is murdered by his son.

Births

Transcluding articles: 159 BC, 158 BC, 157 BC, 156 BC, 155 BC, 154 BC, 153 BC, 152 BC, 151 BC, and 150 BC

159 BC

• Quintus Mucius Scaevola Augur, politician of the Roman Republic and an early authority on Roman law (d. 88 BC) (approximate date)

158 BC

• Publius Rutilius Rufus, Roman consul, statesman, orator and historian (d. c. 78 BC)

157 BC

• 30 July – Wu of Han, who will be emperor of the Chinese Han dynasty from 141 BC (d. 87 BC)
• Gaius Marius, Roman general, consul (approximate year) (d. 86 BC)^[4]
• Sanatruces (also known as Sinatruces or Sanatruk), King of Parthia who will rule the Parthian Empire from around 77 BC (approximate date) (d. c. 70 BC)

156 BC

• Emperor Wu of Han^[5]

154 BC

• Gaius Gracchus, Roman politician, younger brother of Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, who, like him, will pursue a popular political agenda that ultimately ends in his death (d. 121 BC)
• Lucius Aelius Stilo Praeconinus, Roman philologist and speechwriter (d. 74 BC)

Deaths

Transcluding articles: 159 BC, 158 BC, 157 BC, 156 BC, 155 BC, 154 BC, 153 BC, 152 BC, 151 BC, and 150 BC

159 BC

• Charops of Epirus, ruler of Epirus.
• Alcimus, high priest of Judea.
• Eucratides I, king of Bactria, who has reigned since around 170 BC.
• Eumenes II, king of Pergamon.^[6]
• Publius Terentius Afer (Terence), Roman comic dramatist, the author of six verse comedies that are long regarded as models of pure Latin (b. c. 195 BC) (approximate date).

158 BC

• Emperor Kōgen of Japan, according to legend.

157 BC

• July 6 – Wen of Han, Emperor of the Chinese Han dynasty since 180 BC (b. 200 BC)

155 BC

• Empress Dowager Bo, imperial concubine of Emperor Gao of the Han dynasty

154 BC

• Chao Cuo, Chinese advisor and official of the Han dynasty (b. c. 200 BC)
• Liu Pi, Chinese prince and general of the Han dynasty (b. 216 BC)

152 BC

• Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, Roman statesman, consul, Pontifex Maximus and censor; as a praetor, he has been governor of Sicily in 191 BC.^[7]
• Marcus Porcius Cato Licinianus, Roman jurist, son of Cato the Elder by his first wife, Licinia.
• Zhang Cang, Chinese scholar, general and prime-minister (b. 253 BC).

151 BC

• Pushyamitra Shunga,^[8] Indian emperor and founder of the Indian Shunga dynasty, who has reigned since 185 BC

150 BC

• Demetrius I Soter, Seleucid king of Syria (b. c. 187 BC)^[9]
• Mithridates IV Philopator Philadelphus, king of Pontus
• Paerisades III, king of the Bosporan Kingdom