1st century BC

Millennium:	1st millennium BC
Centuries:	2nd century BC 1st century BC 1st century AD
Decades:	90s BC 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC 0s BC
Categories:	Births – Deaths Establishments – Disestablishments

The 1st century BC, also known as the last century BC, started on the first day of 100 BC and ended on the last day of 1 BC. The AD/BC notation does not use a year zero; however, astronomical year numbering does use a minus sign, so "2 BC" is equal to "year -1". This is the 99th century in the Holocene calendar; it spans the years 9,901 to 10,000. 1st century AD (Anno Domini) follows.

Overview

In the course of the century all the remaining independent lands surrounding the Mediterranean were steadily brought under Roman control, being ruled either directly under governors or through puppet kings appointed by Rome. The Roman state itself was plunged into civil war several times, finally resulting in the marginalization of its 500 year old republic, and the embodiment of total state power in a single man—the emperor.

The internal turbulence that plagued Rome at this time can be seen as the last death throes of the Roman Republic, as it finally gave way to the autocratic ambitions of powerful men like Julius Caesar, Mark Antony and Octavian. Octavian's ascension to total power as the emperor Augustus is considered to mark the point in history where the Roman Republic ends and the Roman Empire begins. Some scholars refer to this event as the Roman Revolution. It is believed that the birth of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity took place at the close of this century.

In the eastern mainland, the Han Dynasty began to decline and the court of China was in chaos in the latter half of this century. Trapped in a difficult situation, the Xiongnu had to begin emigration to the west or attach themselves to the Han.

Events

• 92 BC: Lucullus invades Armenia, setting off the centuries long Roman-Persian Wars.
• 81 BC: Sulla is appointed dictator of the Roman state, and brings about major reforms.
• 73 BC: A slave rebellion led by the escaped gladiator Spartacus leads to the Third Servile War.
• 63 BC: Pompey captures Jerusalem, and establishes Roman annexation of Judea as a client kingdom. He also permanently abolishes Seleucid Syria. King Judah Aristobulus II removed from power, while his brother John Hyrcanus II becomes king under Roman suzerainty.
• 57 BC: Silla is founded in southeastern Korea (traditional date according to Samguk Sagi, a 12th century historical document).
• 53 BC: The Parthians defeat the Romans under Crassus in the Battle of Carrhae.
• Mid 1st century BC – East torana of the Great Stupa at Sanchi, is made. Early Andhra period. According to an inscription, it is sculpted by ivory carvers from the nearby town of Vidisha.
• January 10, 49 BC: Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon river, precipitating war with Rome.
• 44 BC: Julius Caesar murdered.
• Second half of 1st century BC – Chaitya hall at Karli, India, Maharashtra, is made. Early Andhra period.
• 37 BC: Goguryeo is founded in southern Manchuria (traditional date according to Samguk Sagi).
• 31 BC: Roman Civil War: Battle of Actium—Off the western coast of Greece, forces of Octavian defeat troops under Mark Antony and Cleopatra.
• 27 BC: The Roman Senate votes Octavian the title of Augustus. Augustus eventually assumes all authority formerly held by the Roman senate becoming the first emperor. The Roman state is henceforth known as the Roman Empire, and the period from 27 BC to AD 305 as the Principate.
• 18 BC: Baekje is founded in midwestern Korea (traditional date according to Samguk Sagi).
• c. 6 BC – 4 BC: Birth of Jesus of Nazareth (see Chronology of Jesus' birth and death, Anno Domini, and Common Era for further details).
• Openwork box lid, from Cornalaragh County, Monaghan, Ireland, is made. La Tène period. (approximate date) It is now kept at National Museum of Ireland, Dublin.
• Late 1st century BC – Garden Scene, detail of a wall painting from the Villa of Livia at Prima Porta, is made. It is now kept at Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome.

Significant people

• Burebista, king of Dacia
• Catiline, attempted to overthrow Roman Republic
• Cato the Younger, politician and statesman
• Caesar Augustus, Roman emperor
• Cicero, Roman politician and writer
• Cleopatra VII of Egypt, Egyptian ruler
• Herod the Great, king of Judea
• Hillel the Elder, Jewish rabbi
• Horace, Roman poet
• Jesus of Nazareth, The Son of God in various beliefs
• Jing Fang, Chinese mathematician and music theorist
• Julius Caesar, Roman general and politician
• Livy, Roman historian
• Lucius Licinius Lucullus, Roman general and politician
• Lucretius, Roman philosopher
• Marcus Antonius, Roman politician
• Marcus Licinius Crassus, Roman general and politician
• Marcus Junius Brutus, Caesar's adopted son, supposedly killed him
• Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Roman statesman and general
• Marcus Vitruvius Pollio Roman writer, architect and engineer
• Pompey Magnus, Roman general and politician
• Quintus Sertorius, Roman statesman and general
• Sextus Pompeius, Roman general and son of Pompey
• Ptolemy XIII of Egypt, drowned in Nile
• Ovid, Roman poet
• Virgil, Roman poet
• Spartacus, gladiator and insurgent leader of the Third Servile War
• Sima Qian, Chinese historian, father of Chinese historiography
• Tigranes the Great, king of Armenia

Inventions, discoveries, introductions

• Sunspots, first recorded by Chinese
• The Antikythera mechanism is made
• The first dome was built by the Romans
• Glass blowing is invented in Roman Syria
• The Chinese Ji Jiu Pian dictionary published in 40 BC during the Han Dynasty is the earliest known reference to the hydraulic-powered trip hammer device.

Decades and years

Decades and years 1st century BC 3rd century BC← 2nd century BC← ↔ →1st century→2nd century 109–100 BC 109 BC 108 BC 107 BC 106 BC 105 BC 104 BC 103 BC 102 BC 101 BC 100 BC 90s BC 99 BC 98 BC 97 BC 96 BC 95 BC 94 BC 93 BC 92 BC 91 BC 90 BC 80s BC 89 BC 88 BC 87 BC 86 BC 85 BC 84 BC 83 BC 82 BC 81 BC 80 BC 70s BC 79 BC 78 BC 77 BC 76 BC 75 BC 74 BC 73 BC 72 BC 71 BC 70 BC 60s BC 69 BC 68 BC 67 BC 66 BC 65 BC 64 BC 63 BC 62 BC 61 BC 60 BC 50s BC 59 BC 58 BC 57 BC 56 BC 55 BC 54 BC 53 BC 52 BC 51 BC 50 BC 40s BC 49 BC 48 BC 47 BC 46 BC 45 BC 44 BC 43 BC 42 BC 41 BC 40 BC 30s BC 39 BC 38 BC 37 BC 36 BC 35 BC 34 BC 33 BC 32 BC 31 BC 30 BC 20s BC 29 BC 28 BC 27 BC 26 BC 25 BC 24 BC 23 BC 22 BC 21 BC 20 BC 10s BC 19 BC 18 BC 17 BC 16 BC 15 BC 14 BC 13 BC 12 BC 11 BC 10 BC 9–0 BC 9 BC 8 BC 7 BC 6 BC 5 BC 4 BC 3 BC 2 BC 1 BC 0–9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Centuries and millennia Millennium Century BC (BCE) 4th 40th 39th 38th 37th 36th 35th 34th 33rd 32nd 31st 3rd 30th 29th 28th 27th 26th 25th 24th 23rd 22nd 21st 2nd 20th 19th 18th 17th 16th 15th 14th 13th 12th 11th 1st 10th 9th 8th 7th 6th 5th 4th 3rd 2nd 1st AD (CE) 1st 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 2nd 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th 3rd 21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th 29th 30th 4th 31st 32nd 33rd 34th 35th 36th 37th 38th 39th 40th