243 BC

Millennium:	1st millennium BC
Centuries:	4th century BC 3rd century BC 2nd century BC
Decades:	260s BC 250s BC 240s BC 230s BC 220s BC
Years:	246 BC 245 BC 244 BC 243 BC 242 BC 241 BC 240 BC

243 BC in various calendars

Gregorian calendar	243 BC CCXLIII BC
Ab urbe condita	511
Ancient Egypt era	XXXIII dynasty, 81
- Pharaoh	Ptolemy III Euergetes, 4
Ancient Greek era	134th Olympiad, year 2
Assyrian calendar	4508
Balinese saka calendar	N/A
Bengali calendar	−835
Berber calendar	708
Buddhist calendar	302
Burmese calendar	−880
Byzantine calendar	5266–5267
Chinese calendar	丁巳年 (Fire Snake) 2455 or 2248     — to — 戊午年 (Earth Horse) 2456 or 2249
Coptic calendar	−526 – −525
Discordian calendar	924
Ethiopian calendar	−250 – −249
Hebrew calendar	3518–3519
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat	−186 – −185
- Shaka Samvat	N/A
- Kali Yuga	2858–2859
Holocene calendar	9758
Iranian calendar	864 BP – 863 BP
Islamic calendar	891 BH – 890 BH
Javanese calendar	N/A
Julian calendar	N/A
Korean calendar	2091
Minguo calendar	2154 before ROC 民前2154年
Nanakshahi calendar	−1710
Seleucid era	69/70 AG
Thai solar calendar	300–301
Tibetan calendar	阴火蛇年 (female Fire-Snake) −116 or −497 or −1269     — to — 阳土马年 (male Earth-Horse) −115 or −496 or −1268

Year 243 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Fundulus and Galus (or, less frequently, year 511 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 243 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

Egypt

• Ptolemy III returns from Syria due to a revolt in Egypt. As a result, Seleucus II is able to regain control of his kingdom with the Egyptians being pushed out of Mesopotamia and part of Northern Syria.
• Ptolemy III returns from his conquests of Seleucid territory with a large amount of treasure and works of art, including many statues of Egyptian gods carried off to Persia by Cambyses. He restores the statues to the Egyptian temples and earns the title of Euergetes ("Benefactor").

Greece

• Without a declaration of hostilities, Greek statesman, Aratus of Sicyon, who has gradually built up the Achaean League into a major power in Greece, makes a surprise attack on Corinth and forces the withdrawal of the Macedonian occupation troops. Megara, Troezen, and Epidaurus also desert the Macedonian King Antigonus II.
• Drawing upon the tradition of the Spartan lawgiver, Lycurgus, the young Eurypontid king of Sparta, Agis IV, seeks to reform a system that distributes the land and wealth unequally and burden the poor with debt. He proposes the cancellation of debts and the division of the Spartan homeland into separate lots for each of its citizens. Full citizenship is to be extended to many perioeci (voteless freemen) and foreigners. In addition to pursuing these reforms, Agis seeks the restoration of the Lycurgan system of military training. Agis is supported by his wealthy mother and grandmother (who surrender their property), by his uncle Agesilaus, and by Lysander, who is an ephor (magistrate with the duty of limiting the power of the king).

China

• The Qin general Meng Ao sacks the Wei cities of Shizhang and Yougui.
• The Zhao general Li Mu takes the cities of Wusui and Fancheng from the State of Yan.

Births

• Mago Barca, Carthaginian general and brother of Hannibal (d. 203 BC)
• Prusias I Cholus (the Lame), king of Bithynia (approximate date)
• Seleucus III Ceraunus, king of the Seleucid Kingdom (d. 223 BC)

Deaths

• Persaeus, Greek Stoic philosopher and friend of Zeno of Citium
• Xinling, Chinese statesman and general (Warring States Period)