290 BC
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2011}}
{{Year nav|-290}}
{{BC year in topic|290}}
File:Roman conquest of Italy.PNG from 500 BC to 218 BC through the Latin War (light red), Samnite Wars (pink/orange), Pyrrhic War (beige), and First and Second Punic War (yellow and green). The Roman Republic in 290 BC is marked with dark and light red, pink and orange.]]
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Year 290 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Rufinus and Dentatus (or, less frequently, year 464 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 290 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 =
== Roman Republic ==
:* Lucius Postumius Megellus, a consul from the previous year, is publicly tried for having used his office to have 2000 of his soldiers work on his farm. He is condemned by all the tribes and fined 50,000 denarii.
:* The consuls Manius Curius Dentatus and Publius Cornelius Rufinus invade Samnium and defeat the Samnites in several engagements. The Samnites sue for peace, thus ending the Third Samnite War. The Samnites are recognised by the Romans as autonomous allies but are subordinate to Rome and must give up land as compensation.
:* Curius subjugates the Sabines, possibly for their actions or inaction during the Third Samnite War. Their territory is annexed, securing direct Roman access to the Adriatic. The Sabines are granted civitas sine suffragio ("citizenship without the right to vote").
:* Rome founds the colonies of Castrum, Sena and Adria.{{cite book|first= Titus|last= Livius|title=Ab Urbe Condita, Epitome of Book 11}}{{cite book|first= Dionysius|last= of Halicarnassus|title=Roman Antiquities 16.15-18}}{{cite book|first= Cassius|last= Dio|title=Roman History 8.37}}{{cite book|first= Aurelius|last= Victor|title=De Viris Illustribus, on Curius Dentatus}}{{cite book|first= Flavius|last= Eutropius|title=Breviarium 2.9}}{{cite book|first= Paulus|last= Orosius|title=History against the Pagans 3.22.11}}{{cite book|first= S. P.|last= Oakley|title=Commentary on Livy, Books VI-X, 4 : Book X}}
== Egypt ==
== China ==
- The city of Yuan is returned by the State of Qin to the State of Wei in exchange for the cities of Puban and Pishi.{{cite book|first=Sima|last= Qian|title=Records of the Grand Historian, Section: Basic Annals of Qin}}
Births
- Lucius Caecilius Metellus, Roman consul and Pontifex Maximus (approximate date) (d. 221 BC)
Deaths
- Megasthenes, Greek historian, diplomat and Indian ethnographer (approximate date) (b. c. 350 BC)