255 BC

Millennium:	1st millennium BC
Centuries:	4th century BC – 3rd century BC – 2nd century BC
Decades:	280s BC  270s BC  260s BC  – 250s BC –  240s BC  230s BC  220s BC
Years:	258 BC 257 BC 256 BC – 255 BC – 254 BC 253 BC 252 BC

255 BC in other calendars

Gregorian calendar	255 BC CCLIV BC
Ab urbe condita	499
Ancient Egypt era	XXXIII dynasty, 69
- Pharaoh	Ptolemy II Philadelphus, 29
Ancient Greek era	131st Olympiad, year 2
Assyrian calendar	4496
Bengali calendar	−847
Berber calendar	696
Buddhist calendar	290
Burmese calendar	−892
Byzantine calendar	5254–5255
Chinese calendar	乙巳年 (Wood Snake) 2442 or 2382     — to — 丙午年 (Fire Horse) 2443 or 2383
Coptic calendar	−538 – −537
Discordian calendar	912
Ethiopian calendar	−262 – −261
Hebrew calendar	3506–3507
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat	−198 – −197
- Shaka Samvat	N/A
- Kali Yuga	2847–2848
Holocene calendar	9746
Iranian calendar	876 BP – 875 BP
Islamic calendar	903 BH – 902 BH
Julian calendar	N/A
Korean calendar	2079
Minguo calendar	2166 before ROC 民前2166年
Seleucid era	57/58 AG
Thai solar calendar	288–289

Year 255 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Nobilior and Paullus (or, less frequently, year 499 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 255 BC for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Events

By place

Roman Republic

• The Battle of Adis (or Adys) is fought near the city of that name, 40 miles (64 kilometres) southeast of Carthage, between Carthaginian forces and a Roman army led by Marcus Atilius Regulus. The Romans inflict a crushing defeat upon the Carthaginians, and the latter then sue for peace. The ensuing negotiations between the parties lead to Regulus demanding Carthage agree to an unconditional surrender, cede Sicily, Corsica and Sardinia to Rome, renounce the use of their navy, pay an indemnity, and sign a vassal-like treaty. These terms are so harsh that the people of Carthage resolve to keep fighting.
• The Carthaginians, angered by Regulus' demands, hire Xanthippus, a Spartan mercenary, to reorganize the army. The revitalised Carthaginian army, led by Xanthippus, decisively defeat the Romans in the Battle of Tunis and capture their commander Marcus Atilius Regulus. A Roman fleet, sent to rescue Regulus and his troops, is wrecked in a storm off Sicily.

Egypt

• In the Second Syrian War, Ptolemy II loses ground in Cilicia, Pamphylia, and Ionia, while Antiochus II regains Miletus and Ephesus. A peace is then concluded between Antiochus and Ptolemy under which Antiochus is to marry Ptolemy's daughter Berenice Syra.

Bactria

• Diodotus I, Seleucid satrap of Bactria, rebels against Antiochus II and becomes the founder of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom.

China

• Hui of Eastern Zhou becomes the last claimant King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
• Qin Shi Huang becomes the first King of the Qin Dynasty of China.

By topic

Astronomy

• Eratosthenes invents the armillary sphere, a model of the celestial sphere.