278 BC

Year 278 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Luscinus and Papus (or, less frequently, year 476 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 278 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.

Millennium:	1st millennium BC
Centuries:	4th century BC 3rd century BC 2nd century BC
Decades:	290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC
Years:	281 BC 280 BC 279 BC 278 BC 277 BC 276 BC 275 BC

278 BC in various calendars

Gregorian calendar	278 BC CCLXXVIII BC
Ab urbe condita	476
Ancient Egypt era	XXXIII dynasty, 46
- Pharaoh	Ptolemy II Philadelphus, 6
Ancient Greek era	125th Olympiad, year 3
Assyrian calendar	4473
Balinese saka calendar	N/A
Bengali calendar	−870
Berber calendar	673
Buddhist calendar	267
Burmese calendar	−915
Byzantine calendar	5231–5232
Chinese calendar	壬午年 (Water Horse) 2420 or 2213     — to — 癸未年 (Water Goat) 2421 or 2214
Coptic calendar	−561 – −560
Discordian calendar	889
Ethiopian calendar	−285 – −284
Hebrew calendar	3483–3484
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat	−221 – −220
- Shaka Samvat	N/A
- Kali Yuga	2823–2824
Holocene calendar	9723
Iranian calendar	899 BP – 898 BP
Islamic calendar	927 BH – 926 BH
Javanese calendar	N/A
Julian calendar	N/A
Korean calendar	2056
Minguo calendar	2189 before ROC 民前2189年
Nanakshahi calendar	−1745
Seleucid era	34/35 AG
Thai solar calendar	265–266
Tibetan calendar	阳水马年 (male Water-Horse) −151 or −532 or −1304     — to — 阴水羊年 (female Water-Goat) −150 or −531 or −1303

Events

By place

Seleucid Empire

• After their defeats in Greece, the Gauls move into Asia Minor. The Seleucid king Antiochus wins a major battle over the Gauls leading to his being given the title of Soter (Greek for "saviour"). The Gauls settle down to become the "Galatians" and are paid 2,000 talents annually by the Seleucid kings to keep the peace.
• Antigonus concludes a peace with Antiochus who surrenders his claim to Macedonia. Thereafter Antigonus II's foreign policy is marked by friendship with the Seleucids.
• Nicomedes I becomes the first ruler of Bithynia to assume the title of king. He founds the city of Nicomedia, which soon rises to great prosperity.

Sicily

• The Carthaginians seize an opportunity to interfere in a quarrel between Syracuse and Agrigentum and besiege Syracuse. The Syracusans ask for help from Pyrrhus and Pyrrhus transfers his army there.
• On his arrival in Sicily, Pyrrhus' forces win battles against the Carthaginians across Sicily. Pyrrhus conquers almost all of Sicily except for Lilybaeum (Marsala).
• Pyrrhus is proclaimed king of Sicily. He plans for his son Helenus to inherit the kingdom of Sicily and his other son Alexander to inherit Italy.

China

• The heartland of the State of Chu in the modern Hubei province is overrun by the powerful state of Qin from the west under Bai Qi's leadership. Sailing down the Han river from Bashu, Bai Qi captures Ying - the capital of Chu - as well as Yiling, and his army reaches as far as Jingling. Bai Qi is honoured as Lord Wu'an (武安君; literally: Lord of Martial Peace). The Chu government moves to the east, occupying various temporary capitals until settling in Shouchun in 241 BC.
• Qu Yuan writes the poem "Lament for Ying" after the fall of the capital of Chu.

Deaths

• Polyaenus of Lampsacus, Greek mathematician and philosopher and friend of Epicurus (b. c. 340 BC)
• Qu Yuan, Chinese poet from southern Chu who lived during the Warring States period. His works are mostly found in an anthology of poetry known as Chu Ci (b. c. 340 BC)