10s BC

Page of the Aeneid
The Aeneid is published in 19 BC, after the death of Virgil earlier that year.

This article concerns the period 19 BC – 10 BC.

Events

19 BC

By place

Roman Empire
  • The Aeneid by the Roman poet Virgil is published after his death. The Aeneid is an epic poem in 12 books that tells the story of the foundation of Rome from the ashes of Troy.
  • In Rome, Lucius Cornelius Balbus receives the honor of a triumph on the Forum Romanum, for his victories over the Garamantes in Africa.
  • Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa completes the Aqua Virgo; the aqueduct is 21 km (13 mi) in length and supplies the city of Rome with about 100,000,000 liters of water every day.
  • The Cantabrians, living on the northernmost coast of Spain, are brought under Roman control. The region is completely subdued until 16 BC.
Asia
  • King Yuri becomes ruler of the Korean kingdom of Goguryeo.[1]

18 BC

By place

Roman empire
  • Caesar Augustus introduces the Lex Julia (Julian Laws):
    • Lex Iulia de Ambitu penalised bribery when acquiring political offices.
    • Lex Iulia de maritandis ordinibus introduced penalties and incentives to promote marriage, and forbade marriage of senators, as well as of their children, to prostitutes and to freedmen.
Asia
  • Onjo becomes the first ruler of the Korean kingdom of Baekje (traditional date).[2]

17 BC

By place

Roman Empire
  • Emperor Augustus adopts Gaius and Lucius Caesar.
  • Emperor Augustus celebrates the secular games in Rome, for which Horace's hymn the "Carmen Saeculare" is commissioned.

16 BC

By place

Roman Empire
  • The Noricans having joined with the Pannonians in invading Histria, are defeated by Publius Silius Nerva, proconsul of Illyricum.
  • Braga, Portugal is founded.
  • Noricum is incorporated into the Roman Empire.
  • Caesar Augustus reorganizes the German provinces, making Trier their capital.
  • Clades Lolliana: Roman consul Marcus Lollius is defeated by a Germanic horde.
  • Construction of the Roman temple of Maison Carrée at Nîmes in Gallia Narbonensis (approximate date).

15 BC

By place

Roman Empire
  • The Raeti tribes of the Alps are subjugated by Tiberius and Nero Claudius Drusus and the new Roman province of Raetia is established with Chur (in modern-day Switzerland) as its capital. During the campaign, Roman triremes destroy the fleet of the Vindelici in the Battle of Lake Constance. Augsburg is founded as Augusta Vindelicorum; and Legio XXI Rapax is stationed at Regensburg in the new province.
  • Drusus decides to improve the passage through the Alps for military control of Noricum and Raetia and builds the Via Claudia Augusta through Italy.
  • Marcus Livius Drusus Libo and Lucius Calpurnius Piso are Roman Consuls.

14 BC

By place

Roman Empire
  • The Roman general Nero Claudius Drusus fortifies Augusta Vangionum, the modern city of Worms, Germany.
  • Caesar Augustus makes Beeroth (modern Beirut) a colonia, named Colonia Julia Augusta Felix Berytus.
  • Winter – The Roman Legio X Fretensis is stationed in Syria, and the legionaries are settled at the ancient city of Beirut.

13 BC

By place

Roman Empire

12 BC

By place

Roman Empire
  • Marcus Valerius Messalla Appianus and Publius Sulpicius Quirinius are Roman consuls.
  • Tiberius Claudius Nero summoned to Pannonia due to severe revolt by the Delmatae.
  • Roman armies based at Xanten, Cologne and Mainz campaign beyond the Rhine.
  • First official mention of Argentoratum, the city known in modern times as Strasbourg.
  • Emperor Augustus is given the title Pontifex Maximus.
  • Approximate date – Pyramid of Cestius erected in Rome.
India

By topic

Astronomy
  • Halley's Comet makes an appearance, as recorded by Chinese Astronomers for about 56 days. Written in the Annal of Han as "In the first year of Yuan Yen (12 B.C.), in the Autumn the seventh month, on the day Sing Wei, a comet swept in Gemini, went through Pollux and Castor, and passed over Leo and Virgo. It was then behind the sun about six degrees, and appeared in the east earlier in the morning. After thirteen days the comet became an evening star shining in the west, whence it swept over Arcturus, moved slowly to Serpens, and reached Ophiuchus. After 56 days it disappeared in Scorpio."[3]

11 BC

By place

Roman Empire

10 BC

By place

Roman Empire
  • The Obelisk of Montecitorio is brought from Egypt to Rome by Emperor Augustus to be erected as a sundial gnomon of the Solarium Augusti. It is now in the Piazza Montecitorio.
  • The Romans build a bridge across the Rhine near Bonn (approximate date).
  • A Roman military camp is established at Speyer (Germany).

Significant people

Births

19 BC

18 BC

  • Arminius, Chieftain of the Germanic Cherusci and a former officer (d. AD 21)

17 BC

15 BC

14 BC

13 BC

  • Artaxias III, Roman client king of Armenia (d. AD 34)
  • Livilla, daughter of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia Minor (d. AD 31)[10]

12 BC

11 BC

10 BC

  • August 1 – Claudius, Roman emperor (d. AD 54)[11]
  • Antonia Tryphaena, Thracian princess
  • Thusnelda, Germanic noblewoman (approximate date)

Deaths

19 BC

18 BC

  • Cornelia, daughter of Scribonia (second wife of Augustus)[12]

17 BC

  • Asander, Roman client king of the Bosporan Kingdom (b. 110 BC)

16 BC

  • Aemilius Macer, Roman didactic poet and writer[13]
  • Scribonius, Roman client king of the Bosporan Kingdom
  • Wang, Chinese empress of the Western Han dynasty

15 BC

14 BC

  • Lucius Varius Rufus, Roman Latin poet and writer
  • Sulpicia, wife of Lucius Cornelius Lentulus

13 BC

12 BC

11 BC

10 BC

  • Amanirenas, queen regnant of the Kingdom of Kush (approximate date).
  • Tryphon, Greek grammarian (b. c. 60 BC)

References

  1. ^ a b "List of Rulers of Korea". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  2. ^ "List of Rulers of Korea". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  3. ^ "1934PA.....42..191T Page 193". articles.adsabs.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  4. ^ Alison E. Cooley, The Cambridge Manual of Latin Epigraphy (Cambridge: University Press, 2012), p. 457.
  5. ^ Cassius Dio, Roman History LIV.33
  6. ^ Powell, Lindsay (2013). Eager for glory : the untold story of Drusus the Elder, Conqueror of Germania (1 ed.). Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. pp. Chapter 5: “Drusus the commander”, Section “Ambush at Arbalo”. ISBN 978-1-78303-003-3. OCLC 835973451.
  7. ^ Hurley, Donna (28 November 2004). "Roman Emperors - DIR Germanicus". Archived from the original on July 7, 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
  8. ^ Burns, Jasper (2007). Great women of Imperial Rome: mothers and wives of the Caesars. Taylor & Francis. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-415-40897-4.
  9. ^ Wadley, Stephen (2006). Proceedings of the First North American Conference on Manchu Studies. Portland, Oregon: Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 133. ISBN 978-3-447-05226-9.
  10. ^ Vagi, David (2016). Coinage and History of the Roman Empire. Routledge. p. 107. ISBN 978-1-135-97125-0.
  11. ^ "BBC - History - Claudius". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  12. ^ John Scheid, "Scribonia Caesaris et les Cornelii Lentuli", Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique, 100 (1976), pp. 485-491
  13. ^ Poliziano, Angelo (30 July 2004). Silvae. Harvard University Press. p. 191. ISBN 978-0-674-01480-0. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  14. ^ Suet. Div. Aug. 61. A Roman child is 1 year old until its 365th day, when it becomes 2. Thus Augustus' 54th year = 10 BC, since he was born in 63. Note that Dio 54.35.4-5 is not datable.
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