120s BC

Millennium:	1st millennium BC
Centuries:	3rd century BC – 2nd century BC – 1st century BC
Decades:	150s BC 140s BC 130s BC – 120s BC – 110s BC 100s BC 90s BC
Years:	129 BC 128 BC 127 BC 126 BC 125 BC 124 BC 123 BC 122 BC 121 BC 120 BC
120s BC-related categories:	Births – Deaths Establishments

120s BC: events by year

Contents: 129 BC 128 BC 127 BC 126 BC 125 BC 124 BC 123 BC 122 BC 121 BC 120 BC

By place

Roman Republic

• The Kingdom of Pergamon becomes the Roman Province of Asia upon the defeat of Eumenes III, pretender to the Attalid throne, by M. Perperna.
• C. Sempronius Tuditanus celebrates his triumph over the Iapydes of Illyria.
• Scipio Aemilianus, victor of Carthage is assassinated by his enemies in Rome.

Syria

• Battle of Ecbatana: The Seleucid King Antiochus VII Sidetes is defeated and killed by the Parthians under Phraates II, ending Seleucid control over Media or Mesopotamia.
• Having been freed by the Parthians, Demetrius II of Syria recovers the throne of the Seleucid Empire.

Asia

• Emperor Han Wudi of China of the Han dynasty launches his first offensive into the northern steppe.

By topic

Astronomy

• Hipparchus publishes his catalog of stars.
• Total solar eclipse, used by Hipparchus to estimate distance to the moon.

By place

Roman Republic

• Cn. Octavius and T. Annius Rufus are this year's consuls

Bactria

• The Greco-Bactrian kingdom is overrun by the Tokhari.

Parthia

• Artabanus II becomes King of Parthia (approximate date)

By topic

Arts and sciences

• Limenius composes the Second Delphic Hymn.

By place

Parthia

• The Scythians defeat the Parthians in a battle around Media.

By place

Syria

• Tyre successfully revolts from the Seleucid Empire.
• Seleucus V Philometor succeeds his father Demetrius II as king of the Seleucid Empire. Due to his youth, his stepmother Cleopatra Thea acts as regent.

By place

Syria

• Cleopatra Thea succeeds to the rule of the Seleucid Empire on the death of Seleucus V. She appoints Antiochus VIII Grypus as co-ruler.

Roman Republic

• In Rome, Marcus Fulvius Flaccus proposes the extension of Roman citizenship to the northern Italians, but the Senate reacts by sending him off to deal with disturbances around Massilia. And in so doing commenced the conquest of Transalpine Gaul.

By place

Roman Republic

• Fregellae's revolt against Rome begins in Latium. Later the city is captured and destroyed by the Romans.

Parthia

• Mithridates II succeeds Artabanus II as King of Parthia.

Egypt

• Cleopatra II of Egypt and her brother Ptolemy VIII of Egypt reconcile.

By place

Roman Republic

• Gaius Gracchus elected Roman tribune for the first time. He waited until after his re-election the following year before pushing forward the various civil and agrarian reforms that his brother championed in 133 BC.
• Aix-en-Provence founded under the name of Aquae Sextiae by the Roman consul Sextius Calvinus.

By place

Roman Republic

• Marcus Fulvius Flaccus and Gaius Gracchus become tribunes and propose a number of radical reforms in Rome.
• Gracchus passes a law requiring the state to provide weapons and equipment for the soldiers in the Roman army.

By place

Roman Republic

• The Roman Senate passes the motion senatus consultum ultimum, which the consul Lucius Opimius interprets as giving him unlimited power to preserve the Republic. He gathers an armed force of Senators and their supporters to confront Gaius Gracchus. A pitched battle is fought inside Rome, resulting in the death of Gracchus and many of his followers.
• A tribunal is established in Rome that executes 3,000 followers of Gracchus.
• Consul Quintus Fabius Maximus, allied with the Aedui, defeated the Arverni and Allobroges in Transalpine Gaul, thus establishing the province for Rome.
• The finest vintage of Falernian wine, known as the Opimian vintage, was bottled from vines grown on Mt Falernus between Latium and Campania.

Asia

• Led by General Ho Chu-ping, the Chinese defeat the Xiongnu.

By place

Europe

• The Teutons and the Cimbri migrate south and west to the Danube valley where they encounter the expanding Roman Republic (approximate date).

Deaths

• 129 BC
  • Scipio Africanus the Younger, Roman conqueror (born 185 BC)
  • Antiochus VII Sidetes, king of Syria
• 127 BC – Phraates II, king of Parthia
• 124 BC – Artabanus I, king of Parthia
• 121 BC – Gaius Gracchus, Roman tribune