308 BC

Events

By place

Mesopotamia/Babylonia

• Antigonus marches his main army east to confront Seleucus. The Antigonid and Seleucid armies meet somewhere in southern Mesopotamia or northern Babylonia and a battle is fought to a draw. The next morning Seleucus launches a surprise attack on Antigonus' camp and wins a simple victory. After his defeat Antigonus gives up on his ambitions to reconquer the eastern provinces.
• Seleucus marches east and continues his conquest of the eastern provinces of the Macedonian Empire; the so called Upper Satrapies.

Greece

• Ptolemy crosses from Asia Minor into Greece, where he takes possession of Corinth, Sicyon and Megara.
• Ptolemy makes peace with Cassander
• Cleopatra of Macedon is assassinated by the order of Antigonus

Italy

• The Second Samnite War escalates when the tribes of the central Apennines, the Umbrians, Picentes, and Marsians join the war against Rome. However, Rome is able to control the uprising.
• The Etruscans sue for peace with Rome, which is granted by the Romans on severe terms.

North Africa

• The Carthaginians send out an army to coerce the Zuphones, a Numidian tribe, back into their alliance with Carthage; they are successful in their endeavour.
• Agathocles leaves his main army under the command of his son Archagathus encamped before Tunis while he, with a strikeforce of 8,000 infantry, 800 cavalry and 50 chariots, marches after the Carthaginian army.
• The Carthaginians send the Numidians to harass Agathocles' strike force, the skirmishing draws in more and more troops until it eventually leads to a battle which is won by Agathocles.
• While Agathocles was in pursuit of the defeated Carthaginian army, the Numidians (who had retreated from the battle earlier on) attack his camp and ride off with a part of his army's booty. Agathocles returns to his camp, divides what is left of the booty (so no one can complain) and sets up a victory trophy.
• Agathocles sends Orthon the Syracusan to Cyrene to request aid in subduing Carthage from Ophellas (Ptolemy's governor of Cyrenaica).
• Ophellas recruits an army of 10,000 infantry, 600 cavalry and 100 chariots for his campaign in support of Agathocles.
• After a arduous march from Cyrenaica to Carthaginian Libya Ophellas' forces link up with Agathocles' army.
• Agathocles lures Ophellas into a false sense of security and launches a surprise attack on his camp. Ophellas is killed in the fighting and Agathocles takes over Ophellas' army, adding its numbers to his own.
• While the Carthaginian army is away from the city, Bomilcar tries to make himself tyrant of Carthage. He fails and is executed.

Births

• Hiero II, Greek Sicilian tyrant and king of Syracuse (approximate date)
• Zhao Sheng, Chinese chancellor of the Zhao State (approximate date)

Deaths

• Cleopatra of Macedon, sister of Alexander the Great and daughter of King Philip II of Macedon and Olympias (b. c. 356 BC)
• Ophellas, ruler of Cyrenaica (governor for Ptolemy).

References

References

1. [[Polyaenus]], ''Stratagems'', Vol. IV 9,1.
2. Siculus, Diodorus. "Library".
3. Siculus, Diodorus. "Library".
4. Siculus, Diodorus. "Library".
5. Siculus, Diodorus. "Library".
6. Siculus, Diodorus. "Library".
7. Siculus, Diodorus. "Library".
8. Siculus, Diodorus. "Library".
9. Siculus, Diodorus. "Library".