187 BC

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Events

By place

Seleucid Empire

• The Seleucid king, Antiochus III, mounts a fresh expedition to the east of his kingdom in Luristan, where he is killed during an attempt to collect tribute from a temple at Elymais, Persia. He is succeeded by his son, Seleucus IV, who inherits an empire consisting of Syria (including Cilicia and Palestine), Mesopotamia, Babylonia, Media and Persia.

Roman Republic

• Tiberius Gracchus Major is elected tribune of the plebs, in which capacity he is recorded as having saved Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus Major from prosecution by interposing his veto. Tiberius is no friend nor political ally of Scipio's, but feels that the general's services to Rome merit his release from the threat of trial like any common criminal. Supposedly, in gratitude for this action, Scipio betrothes his youngest daughter, Cornelia, to him.
• The construction of the Via Aemilia, a trunk road in the north Italian plains, running from Ariminum (Rimini), on the Adriatic coast, to Placentia (Piacenza) on the river Padus (Po), is completed.

Egypt

• Queen Cleopatra I is appointed Vizier (Chief Minister) to the King Ptolemy V Epiphanes.

Births

Deaths

• Antiochus III the Great, Seleucid king of the Hellenistic Syrian Empire from 223 BC, who has rebuilt the empire in the East but failed in his attempt to challenge Roman ascendancy in Greece and Anatolia (b. c. 241 BC)