By place Roman Republic •
Cato the Elder, along with his colleague,
Lucius Valerius Flaccus, are elected
censors in Rome. Already the champion of the ancient, austere
Roman way of life, Cato inaugurates a puritanical campaign. He aims at preserving the
mos maiorum ("ancestral custom") and combating all Greek influences, which he believes are undermining the older Roman standards of morality. He passes measures taxing luxury and strictly revises the list of persons eligible for the Senate. Abuses by tax gatherers are brought under control, and public building is promoted as a worthy cause. • With concerns rising in Rome over whether
Philip V of Macedon is preparing for a new war with the Romans,
Appius Claudius Pulcher is sent at the head of an embassy into
Macedonia and
Greece to observe Philip's activities. • The town of
Pisaurum is established by the Romans as a colony in the territory of the
Picentes, a tribe living in the
Marche on the
Adriatic. • The oldest known
basilica, the
Basilica Porcia, is completed in Rome by
Cato the Elder during the time he is censor. The building is used by the Romans for transacting business and disposing of legal matters.
China •
Empress Lü has
Emperor Qianshao of Han deposed and executed. Qianshao had vowed to kill his enemies after learning that his mother was a concubine and that she had been put to death by Empress Lü.
Emperor Houshao of Han, a half-brother of Qianshao, ascends to the throne. • Around this time, Empress Lü outlaws the trade of iron and horses with the vassal state of
Nanyue in present-day Vietnam and southern China, being concerned by its military strength. In response, Nanyue's king
Zhao Tuo ends his vassal status, declares himself emperor and attacks the neighbouring vassal kingdom of
Changsha, seizing a few border towns. == Births ==