1st century BC

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Millennium: 1st millennium BC
Centuries: 2nd century BC · 1st century BC · 1st century
Decades: 90s BC 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC
40s BC 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC 0s BC
Categories: BirthsDeaths
EstablishmentsDisestablishments
Eastern Hemisphere at the beginning of the 1st century BC.
Eastern Hemisphere at the beginning of the 1st century BC.
Eastern Hemisphere at the end of the 1st century BC.
Eastern Hemisphere at the end of the 1st century BC.

The 1st century BC started the first day of 100 BC and ended the last day of 1 BC. It is considered part of the Classical era, epoch, or historical period. An alternative name for this century is the last century 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'.

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 which 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 generally concluded that the birth of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity took place at the close of this century.

Contents

[edit] Events

Bust of Julius Caesar
Bust of Julius Caesar

[edit] Significant persons

Cicero Denouncing Catiline by Cesare Maccari.One of several political conflicts in the Roman Republic during this century
Cicero Denouncing Catiline by Cesare Maccari.One of several political conflicts in the Roman Republic during this century
An ancient stone tablet depicting Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XV Philopator Philometor Caesar, Alexandria, Egypt. These two rulers were the last Pharaohs
An ancient stone tablet depicting Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XV Philopator Philometor Caesar, Alexandria, Egypt. These two rulers were the last Pharaohs

[edit] Inventions, discoveries, introductions

[edit] Decades and years