239 BC

Millennium:	1st millennium BC
Centuries:	4th century BC – 3rd century BC – 2nd century BC
Decades:	260s BC 250s BC 240s BC – 230s BC – 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC
Years:	242 BC 241 BC 240 BC – 239 BC – 238 BC 237 BC 236 BC

Politics
239 BC by topic
State leaders Sovereign states
Categories
Births Deaths Establishments Disestablishments

239 BC in other calendars
Gregorian calendar	239 BC
Ab urbe condita	515
Ancient Egypt era	XXXIII dynasty, 85
- Pharaoh	Ptolemy III Euergetes, 8
Ancient Greek era	135th Olympiad, year 2
Assyrian calendar	4512
Bengali calendar	−831
Berber calendar	712
Buddhist calendar	306
Burmese calendar	−876
Byzantine calendar	5270–5271
Chinese calendar	辛酉年 (Metal Rooster) 2458 or 2398 — to — 壬戌年 (Water Dog) 2459 or 2399
Coptic calendar	−522 – −521
Discordian calendar	928
Ethiopian calendar	−246 – −245
Hebrew calendar	3522–3523
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat	−182 – −181
- Shaka Samvat	N/A
- Kali Yuga	2863–2864
Holocene calendar	9762
Iranian calendar	860 BP – 859 BP
Islamic calendar	886 BH – 885 BH
Julian calendar	N/A
Korean calendar	2095
Minguo calendar	2150 before ROC 民前2150年
Seleucid era	73/74 AG
Thai solar calendar	304–305

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Year 239 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Turrinus and Falto (or, less frequently, year 515 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 239 BC for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Events

By place

Carthage

Concerned that Hamilcar Barca's leniency in pardoning those who he has captured who have participated in the Mercenary War will encourage others to defect, Mathos and Spendius order the mutilation and execution of "about seven hundred" Carthaginian prisoners, including Gesco. With the mercenaries jointly guilty of these atrocities, defectors dare not face Carthaginian justice under Hamilcar.
Carthage is besieged by the mercenary armies, while the city of Utica revolts and attempts to secede from Carthage. Carthage appeals to Hiero II of Syracuse and to Rome for aid against the mercenaries. However, the mercenary leaders reject the efforts of Roman mediators.
Sardinia revolts against Carthage and Rome takes the opportunity to annex the island.

Greece

Antigonus II, King of Macedonia, dies and is succeeded by his son, Demetrius II.
With Aetolia now as its ally, the Achaean League under the command of Aratus of Sicyon repeatedly attack Athens and Argos.

Seleucid Empire

Seleucus II's brother Antiochus Hierax, who is governor of Seleucid Anatolia, sends an army into Syria ostensibly to assist Seleucus but actually to seize the rest of the empire. After achieving peace with Egypt, Seleucus II promptly invades Anatolia and begins the "War of the Brothers".

Persia

Diodotus of Bactria defeats an army of Parthians. He dies shortly thereafter and is succeeded by his son Diodotus II.

Korea

Haemosu, who is a descendant of the people of the empire of Gojoseon, establishes the ancient Korean kingdom of Bukbuyeo in modern-day Manchuria.

Births

Quintus Ennius, Latin poet and writer, considered the father of Roman poetry (d. 169 BC)

Deaths

Antigonus II Gonatas, King of Macedon from 277 BC who has rebuilt his kingdom's power and established its hegemony over Greece (b. c. 319 BC)
Diodotus I, King of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom (approximate date) (b. c. 285 BC)