The world in 221 BC — what happened that year

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

What happened

China (3)

• Qin attacked Qi from the land of Yan to the south, captured King Jian of Qi, and unified the world. (Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), Annals 史記卷006 秦始皇本紀)
• He divided the world into thirty-six commanderies, gathered the weapons of the world in Xianyang to melt them, and moved 120,000 households of the wealthy to Xianyang. (Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), Annals 史記卷006 秦始皇本紀)
• Wang Ben went south from Yan to attack Qi and entered Linzi, and no one stopped him; Qin lured the King of Qi with a fief of five hundred li to surrender and confined him at Gong, where he starved to death. (Zizhi Tongjian (Comprehensive Mirror) 資治通鑑 卷007 (원문 단락 #518, -221년))

Southern Europe (4)

• Hasdrubal dies (after 8 years in command) and Hannibal succeeds him (221 BC) (Polybius, Histories 2.36)
• Hannibal takes over the command in Iberia (Polybius, Histories 3.13)
• While he stays in Messene, pirates raid Chiron's villa outside the walls (Polybius, Histories 4.4)
• Xenoetas' army is wiped out by Molon (Polybius, Histories 5.48)

Same events recorded in this year

• Linzi (221 BC) — the same event in Records of the Grand Historian and Zizhi Tongjian

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Show on the map — 221 BC