218

Year 218 (CCXVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Severus and Adventus (or, less frequently, year 971 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 218 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

Roman Empire

• May 16 – Julia Maesa, an aunt of the assassinated Caracalla, is banished to her home in Syria by the self-proclaimed emperor Macrinus and declares her grandson Elagabalus, age 14, emperor of Rome.
• June 8 – Battle of Antioch: Elagabalus defeats with support of the Syrian legions the forces of Macrinus. Macrinus flees, but is captured near Chalcedon and later executed in Cappadocia.
• Diadumenianus, son of Macrinus, escapes to the Parthian court, but is captured at Zeugma and also put to death.

By topic

Commerce

• The silver content of the Roman denarius falls to 43 percent under emperor Elagabalus, down from 50 percent under Septimius Severus, as he empties the treasury with his excesses while his grandmother, Julia Maesa, rules the Empire.

Births

• Gallienus, later Roman emperor (d. 268)

Deaths

• June
  • Macrinus, Roman emperor (b. 165)
  • Diadumenian, son of Macrinus (b. 208)
• Gan Ning (approximate date) (b. 175)
• Han Hao, general under Cao Cao
• Jin Yi, minister of Han Dynasty
• Lei Tong
• Yue Jin, commander under Cao Cao

References