3rd century BC

Significant persons

• Mencius, Chinese philosopher and sage (371 - 289 BC).
• Euclid, geometer (c. 365 - 275 BC).
• Ashoka, Mauryan ruler of India 273 BC - 232 BC.
• Archimedes of Syracuse, mathematician, physicist, and engineer (c. 287 - 212 BC).
• The Ptolemaic dynasty rules Egypt
• Ptolemy I Soter (305 BC-282 BC) and his wives Eurydice and
• Ptolemy II Philadelphos (284 BC-246 BC) and his wives Arsinoe I and Arsinoe II Philadelphos.
• Ptolemy III Euergetes I (246 BC-222 BC) and his wife Berenice II.
• Ptolemy IV Philopater (222 BC-204 BC) and his wife Arsinoe III.
• Ptolemy V Epiphanes (204 BC-180 BC) and his wife Cleopatra I.
• Apollonius of Perga, mathematician (c. 262 - 190 BC).
• Qin Shi Huang, Chinese Emperor (259 - 210 BC, reigned 246 - 210 BC).
• Hannibal, military leader of Carthage (247 - 182 BC).
• the "second" Brennus, Gaulish chieftain, invades Macedonia in 279 BC