170

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Year 170 (CLXX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Clarus and Cornelius (or, less frequently, year 923 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 170 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 Empire

• The Suebian tribes of the Marcomanni cross the Danube and invade northern Italy. The Roman army (20,000 men) is destroyed near Carnuntum in Pannonia.
• The Marcomanni plunder Opitergium (modern Oderzo) and besiege Aquileia. This is the first time hostile forces entered Italy since 101 BC.
• Emperor Marcus Aurelius writes in Sirmium (Pannonia) his first of 12 books of the Meditations in Koine Greek.
• The Costoboci cross the Danube (Dacia) and ravage Thrace in the Balkan Peninsula. They reached Eleusina, near Athens, and destroyed the temple of the Eleusinian Mysteries.
• Marcus Aurelius orders humane treatment for Christians and slaves throughout the Roman Empire.
• An Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius is erected in Rome.

By topic

Arts and sciences

• The fundamental works of Ptolemy on cartography are published.

Births

• Guo Jia, trusted adviser to the warlord Cao Cao (d. 207)
• Julia Domna, Roman Empress (d. 217)

Deaths

• An Shigao, Buddhist missionary
• Apuleius, Latin writer (b. 124)
• Marcus Cornelius Fronto, Roman grammarian, rhetorician and advocate (approximate date) (b. c. 100)
• Ptolemy, Greek Astrologer, Astronomer, Geographer and Mathametician

References