242

This article is about the year 242. For the number, see 242 (number).

Year 242 (CCXLII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Gratus and Lepidus (or, less frequently, year 995 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 242 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.

Millennium:	1st millennium
Centuries:	2nd century 3rd century 4th century
Decades:	220s 230s 240s 250s 260s
Years:	239 240 241 242 243 244 245

242 in various calendars

Gregorian calendar	242 CCXLII
Ab urbe condita	995
Assyrian calendar	4992
Balinese saka calendar	163–164
Bengali calendar	−351
Berber calendar	1192
Buddhist calendar	786
Burmese calendar	−396
Byzantine calendar	5750–5751
Chinese calendar	辛酉年 (Metal Rooster) 2939 or 2732     — to — 壬戌年 (Water Dog) 2940 or 2733
Coptic calendar	−42 – −41
Discordian calendar	1408
Ethiopian calendar	234–235
Hebrew calendar	4002–4003
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat	298–299
- Shaka Samvat	163–164
- Kali Yuga	3342–3343
Holocene calendar	10242
Iranian calendar	380 BP – 379 BP
Islamic calendar	392 BH – 391 BH
Javanese calendar	120–121
Julian calendar	242 CCXLII
Korean calendar	2575
Minguo calendar	1670 before ROC 民前1670年
Nanakshahi calendar	−1226
Seleucid era	553/554 AG
Thai solar calendar	784–785
Tibetan calendar	阴金鸡年 (female Iron-Rooster) 368 or −13 or −785     — to — 阳水狗年 (male Water-Dog) 369 or −12 or −784

Gold dinar of Shapur I (r. 240–270)

Events

By place

Roman Empire

• Emperor Gordian III begins a campaign against King Shapur I, and leads victories at Antioch, Carrhae, Nisibis, and Resaina.
• Gordian III evacuates the Cimmerian cities in the Bosphorus (Crimea), as the territory is now controlled by the Goths.

Persia

• Shapur I makes a pre-emptive attack on Antioch to drive out the Romans. Gordian's father-in-law, Timesitheus, leads a Roman army to defeat the Sassanids at Carrhae and Nisibis.
• King Ardashir I, founder of the Sassanid Empire, dies after a 30-year reign. He is succeeded by his son and co-ruler Shapur I.

By topic

Religion

• Patriarch Titus succeeds Eugenius I as Patriarch of Constantinople (until 272).

Births

• Saloninus, Roman emperor (d. 260)

Deaths

• Ammonius Saccas, Egyptian philosopher (b. 175)
• Ardashir I, king of the Sassanid Empire (b. 180)
• Cao Hui, Chinese prince of the Cao Wei state
• Man Chong (or Boning), Chinese politician