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56 B.C. Olympiad 181.1


Consuls: Cn. Cornelius P.f. Lentulus Marcellinus, L. Marcius L.f. Philippus
Athenian archon: Coïntus (Quintus)
Olympic victor in the stadion race: Lamachus of Tauromenium

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    Click on the links in the lists of references to go to the sources for each event

1 ROM << Despite pressure from Pompeius and Lentulus Spinther, the Romans do not agree to restore Ptolemy as king of Egypt.
* Read Dio's account
Cic:Pis_50; Strab_17'796;(1.11)  Seneca:Suas_6'11; ~Plut:Pomp_49'9-12; DioCass_39.12'3, +15'1-16'2, 56'4; Schol:Bob_144;L  { CAH_9'391-392; the debate about Ptolemy started in the second half of the previous year, and ended in January of this year.}
2 {17 January -R} Document: Cic:QFr_2.2, a letter from Cicero to his brother Quintus in Sardinia.
3 {28 January -R} Document: Cic:Att_4.4, a short letter from Cicero to Atticus.
4 {7 February -R} Pompeius speaks in defence of Milo, who is prosecuted by Clodius for hiring the support of gladiators.
* Read Cicero's account
#Cic:QFr_2.3'1-2, :Mil_68; +DioCass_39.18'1-20'1; Schol:Bob_122,L  151;L  { CAH_9'393.}
5 {11 February -R} Cicero defends Bestia against a charge of bribery.
* Read Cicero's account
#Cic:QFr_2.3'6, :Cael_26; Plin:HN_27'4;L  Tac:Dial_39'5.
6 Document: Cic:QFr_2.3, a letter from Cicero his his brother Quintus, describing recent events at Rome.
7 Cicero removes the tablets about his exile, which were placed on the Capitol by Clodius.
* Read Dio's account
~Plut:CatMin_40'1, :Cic_34'1-2; +DioCass_39.20'1-21'4.
8 Vatinius presents a gladiatorial show.
* Read Cicero's account
Cic:Vat_37, :Sest_133-135; Macrob:Sat_2.6'1.L 
9 ASI Ptolemy despairs of gaining Roman support, and goes away to the temple at Ephesus.
+DioCass_39.16'3; { CAH_9'392.}
10 ROM Pompeius carries out a census of freedmen, in order to assess the scope of the corn dole.
+DioCass_39.24'1-2.
11 CIS {3 March -R} Envoys from Issa meet Caesar at Aquileia.
Sherk_76.B 
11a EGY {3 Phamenoth -E = March} Document: THI_198, a grant of inviolability by queen Berenice.
12 ROM Document: Cic:Vat, Cicero's invective against Vatinius, who is appearing as a witness against Sestius.
* Read Cicero's account
~Cic:QFr_2.4'1, :Fam_1.9'7; Sen:Dial_2.17'3; Quint_6.3'77; Plut:Cic_26'2; Schol:Bob_170; { OCD³.}
13 {14 March -R} Document: Cic:Sest, Cicero's speech in defence of P.Sestius, who is accused of violence in opposing Clodius.
#Cic:QFr_2.4'1; Schol:Bob_125-144; { OCD³.}
14 Cato returns to Rome with the treasure he has collected from Cyprus.
* Read Plutarch's account
Vell_2.45'5; ValMax_8.15'10; Sen:Dial_6.20'6; Plin:HN_7'113, 34'92; ~Plut:CatMin_39'1-5; Festus:Brev_13'1; AmmMarc_14.8'15; { DPRR.}
15 Cato defends the legality of Clodius' acts as tribune, including his own appointment in Cyprus.
* Read Plutarch's account
~Plut:CatMin_40'1-4; +DioCass_39.22'1.
16 Cato declines an offer by the senate to allow him to stand as candidate for praetor before the normal time.
* Read Plutarch's account
ValMax_4.1'14; ~Plut:CatMin_39'3; +DioCass_39.23'1.
17 Document: Cic:QFr_2.4-5, two letters from Cicero to his brother Quintus.
18 EGY << Seleucus Cybiosactes is summoned to be the consort of Berenice, but Berenice puts him to death soon after his arrival.
@  (?) Strab_17'794,(1.8)  '796;(1.11)  Suet:Vesp_19'2; DioCass_39.57'1-2; { CAH_9'397; Hölbl_p227.}
19 GAL << The Veneti seize some Roman soldiers, who came to demand provisions.
* Read Caesar's account
~Caes:BGall_3.12'1-14'1; +DioCass_39.40'1; Oros_6.8'6-8.
20 ROM {5 April -R} Cicero proposes a motion to revise Caesar's allotment of Campanian land.
* Read Cicero's account
Cic:QFr_2.6'1, #:Fam_1.9'8-9.
21 Clodius, as aedile, brings slaves onto the stage during the Megalensia.
Cic:HarResp_22-29; { DPRR.}
22 ETR {April -R} Document: Cic:QFr_2.6 & Cic:Att_4.7, letters from Cicero, travelling in Latium, to his brother Quintus and to Atticus.
23 CIS {April -R} Caesar, Pompeius and Crassus meet at Luca, and agree to renew their political alliance.
* Read Plutarch's account
+Cic:Fam_1.9'9; ~Plut:CatMin_41'1-3, :Caes_21'3-9, :Crass_14'4-6, ~:Pomp_51'1-5; Suet:Caes_24'1; Appian:BCiv_2'17; (?) +DioCass_39.24'3-26'4; { CAH_9'394; OCD³.}
24 SAR Pompeius instructs Cicero (via his brother Quintus) to abandon the motion about Campanian land.
* Read Cicero's account
Cic:QFr_2.7'2, +:Fam_1.9'9-10.
25 GAL Caesar returns to Gaul, and sends out forces to stop the spread of the revolt to other tribes.
* Read Caesar's account
+Caes:BGall_3.9'1-11'5; +DioCass_39.40'2; Oros_6.8'9.
26 The senate sends out a commission of ten men to organise Gaul into a Roman province.
* Read Cicero's account
Cic:Fam_1.7'10, :ProvCon_28, :Balb_61; (?) +DioCass_39.25'1; { CAH_9'393.}
27 ROM Document: Cic:Cael_, Cicero's speech in defence of M.Caelius.
Quint_6.3'25; { OCD³.}
28 {? May -R} Document: Cic:HarResp_, Cicero's speech "On the answers of the Haruspices", rebutting religious objections to the rebuilding of his house. { See D.R.Shackleton Bailey, "Cicero: Back from Exile", p.103, for the date of this speech.}
29 {15 May -R} The senate refuses to grant a supplication for the victories of Gabinius in Syria.
* Read Cicero's account
#Cic:QFr_2.7'1-2, :Phil_14'24.
30 ?? Arcesilaus makes models and statues for L.Lucullus.
Plin:HN_35'155-156.
31 ++ Lucullus spends the last part of his life in decadence and luxury.
* Read Plutarch's account
Cic:Leg_3'30,L  :Acad_2'4, :Off_1'140; Hor:Epist_1.6'40-44; Vell_2.33'4; Plin:HN_28'56,L  36'49; Plut:Cim_3'1, :Luc_1'6, 38'1-42'8, 44'3-6, :Pomp_2'11-12, :Mor_785'F-786'A, 792'B; Athen_6.274'e-f, 12.543'a; [Vict]:VirIll_74'7-8.
32 << The death of L.Lucullus.
* Read Plutarch's account
Vell_2.48'6; Plin:HN_25'25;L  Plut:Luc_43'1-44'1, :Mor_792'C; { OCD³.}
33 {June -R} Document: Cic:ProvCon_, Cicero's speech about the allocation of provinces for the next year.
* Read Cicero's account
@  (?) Cic:Pis_88; Ascon_2;L  { CAH_9'394; OCD³.}
34 ETR {June -R} Document: Cic:Att_4.5 & 4.8, letters from Cicero to Atticus, written at Antium.
35 EGY Archelaus is installed as the consort of Berenice.
* Read Dio's account
Strab_12'558,(3.34)  17'796;(1.11)  DioCass_39.57'2-3; [Euseb]:Chron_167; { CAH_9'397; Strabo says that Archelaus reigned in Egypt for 6 months.}
36 GAL Caesar constructs ships in preparation for an attack on the Veneti.
* Read Caesar's account
+Caes:BGall_3.12'1-14'1; (?) Appian:Gall_17a; +DioCass_39.40'3-4; Oros_6.8'10.
37 PAL Aristobulus escapes from Rome and returns to Judaea.
* Read Josephus' account
Joseph:BJ_1'171, :AJ_14'92; { CAH_9'396.}
38 GAL P.Crassus conquers Aquitania.
* Read Caesar's account
+Caes:BGall_3.30'1-27'2; Athen_6.249'a-b<q" NicDam_80>; +DioCass_39.46'1-4; Oros_6.8'19-22.
39 ROM Clodius denounces Cato's conduct in Cyprus.
* Read Dio's account
Seneca:Contr_10.1'8;L  ~Plut:CatMin_45'2-3; +DioCass_39.23'1-4.
40 GAL D.Brutus defeats the Veneti in a naval battle.
* Read Caesar's account
+Caes:BGall_3.14'1-16'4; [Liv]:Per_104; Strab_4'194-195;(4.1)  Flor_1.45'5; +DioCass_39.40'5-43'5; Oros_6.8'11-16; { OCD³.}
41 Caesar punishes the Veneti and puts their leaders to death.
* Read Caesar's account
+Caes:BGall_3.16'4; +DioCass_39.43'5; Oros_6.8'17.
42 Titurius Sabinus defeats the Venelli.
* Read Caesar's account
+Caes:BGall_3.17'1-19'6; Frontin:Str_3.17'7; +DioCass_39.45'1-7; Oros_6.8'18.
43 PAL The Romans defeat and capture Aristobulus at Machaerus.
* Read Josephus' account
~Joseph:BJ_1'171-174, :AJ_14'92-97; !DioCass_39.56'6.
44 GAL Caesar attacks the Morini and Menapii, but they avoid battle until the onset of winter.
* Read Caesar's account
+Caes:BGall_3.28'1-29'3; Flor_1.45'6; +DioCass_39.44'1-2.
44a EGY Document: AET_9.16.A, a 'book of transformations' dated to the reign of Ptolemy and Berenice.
45 ROM Pompeius and Crassus seek to be elected as consuls, although they have not formally declared themselves as candidates.
* Read Plutarch's account
Cic:Att_4.8a'2; [Liv]:Per_105; Vell_2.46'1; Plut:Crass_15'1-2, ~:Pomp_51'6-8, :Mor_204'C; +DioCass_39.27'1-3; { CAH_9'396.}
46 The senate vote to put on mourning clothes in protest at delays in the holding of elections.
* Read Dio's account
[Liv]:Per_105; ValMax_6.2'6; +DioCass_39.28'1-30'4.
47 {November -R} The senators refuse to participate in the Latin Festival.
DioCass_39.30'4; { At the same time as the "epula Iovis" which was regularly held in November.}
48 ETR {November -R} Document: Cic:Att_4.8a, a letter from Cicero to Atticus.
49 ROM Domitius ceases to canvas for votes, after he is violently attacked by supporters of Pompeius and Crassus.
* Read Plutarch's account
~Plut:CatMin_41'3-42'1, :Crass_15'2-4, 35'1, ~:Pomp_52'1-2; Appian:BCiv_2'17;(↓)  ~DioCass_39.31'1.
50 MAC Piso commits further outrages in Macedonia, after hearing that he is about to be replaced as governor.
Cic:Pis_88-91; { DPRR.}
51 ROM Pompeius successfully restores Rome's corn supply.
* Read Plutarch's account
Cic:Scaur_3; ~Plut:Pomp_50'1-3, :Mor_204'C.
52 Document: Cic:Balb, Cicero's speech in defence of L.Balbus' claim to Roman citizenship.
Plin:HN_7'136; { OCD³.}
53 Document: Cic:Fam_13.6 & 13.6a, two letters from Cicero to Q.Valerius Orca, the governor of Africa.
54 SPA Document: Cic:Fam_5.3, a letter from Metellus Nepos to Cicero.
55 ETR Cicero attempts to buy a property at Lanuvium, because of the expense of rebuilding his existing houses.
+Cic:Att_9.9'4.
56 ROM The senate passes a decree to safeguard a loan given by M.Scaptius to the town of Salamis in Cyprus.
+Cic:Att_5.21'11.
56a == Cicero writes a speech for the tribune L.Racilius, a vigorous opponent of P.Clodius.
Cic:Planc_77; Schol:Bob_166;L  { DPRR.}
56b == The tribune Antistius attempts to prosecute Caesar, but is not allowed to proceed while Caesar is absent from Rome.
Suet:Caes_23'1; { DPRR.}
57 == Cn.Plancius behaves with moderation in his year as tribune.
* Read Cicero's account
Cic:Planc_28, 77; Schol:Bob_157,L  165;L  { DPRR.}
58 == Lentulus Marcellinus is an eloquent consul.
Cic:Brut_247.

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