The world in 183 BC — what happened that year

11 events the sources record for this year, grouped by region.

What happened

Zhao Tuo (Emperor Wu) declared himself emperor and raised an army to attack Changsha. (Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư 外紀卷之二「戊午二十五年{{annotate」)
Wei Tuo (Zhao Tuo), King of Nanyue, proclaimed himself Nanwudi (Southern Martial Emperor). (Book of Han (Hanshu), Imperial Annals 漢書卷003 高后五年春)
Zhao Tuo of Southern Yue proclaimed himself Emperor Wu of Southern Yue, sent troops to attack Changsha, broke several counties and withdrew. (Zizhi Tongjian (Comprehensive Mirror) 資治通鑑卷013 (원문 단락 #937, -183년))

Messene fell during the war, and criminals were surrendered at the Achaeans' demand (Livy, History of Rome (Ab Urbe Condita) 39.50)
The Roman citizen colony of Saturnia is founded (Livy, History of Rome (Ab Urbe Condita) 39.55)
Philopoemen, nearly eighty, is captured while heading into Messenian territory (Plutarch's Parallel Lives Plut. Philopoemen 18)
The Messenians receive the captive Philopoemen at their gates (Plutarch's Parallel Lives Plut. Philopoemen 19)
At night Deinocrates has Philopoemen drink poison in prison (Plutarch's Parallel Lives Plut. Philopoemen 20)
Hannibal secretly escapes from Carthage and stays at Antiochus's court (Plutarch's Parallel Lives Plut. Flamininus 20.2)
Messene secedes from Achaea, and Rome helps neither side (Polybius, Histories 23.9)
Philopoemen meets his end at Messene (Polybius, Histories 23.12)