247 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:	250 BC 249 BC 248 BC 247 BC 246 BC 245 BC 244 BC

247 BC in various calendars

Gregorian calendar	247 BC CCXLVII BC
Ab urbe condita	507
Ancient Egypt era	XXXIII dynasty, 77
- Pharaoh	Ptolemy II Philadelphus, 37
Ancient Greek era	133rd Olympiad, year 2
Assyrian calendar	4504
Balinese saka calendar	N/A
Bengali calendar	−839
Berber calendar	704
Buddhist calendar	298
Burmese calendar	−884
Byzantine calendar	5262–5263
Chinese calendar	癸丑年 (Water Ox) 2451 or 2244     — to — 甲寅年 (Wood Tiger) 2452 or 2245
Coptic calendar	−530 – −529
Discordian calendar	920
Ethiopian calendar	−254 – −253
Hebrew calendar	3514–3515
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat	−190 – −189
- Shaka Samvat	N/A
- Kali Yuga	2854–2855
Holocene calendar	9754
Iranian calendar	868 BP – 867 BP
Islamic calendar	895 BH – 894 BH
Javanese calendar	N/A
Julian calendar	N/A
Korean calendar	2087
Minguo calendar	2158 before ROC 民前2158年
Nanakshahi calendar	−1714
Seleucid era	65/66 AG
Thai solar calendar	296–297
Tibetan calendar	阴水牛年 (female Water-Ox) −120 or −501 or −1273     — to — 阳木虎年 (male Wood-Tiger) −119 or −500 or −1272

Year 247 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Metellus and Buteo (or, less frequently, year 507 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 247 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

Carthage

• By this stage in the Punic War, Carthage has lost to Rome all its Sicilian possessions except Lilybaeum (now Marsala) and Drepanum (now Trapani). In the winter of 248/7, Hamilcar Barca takes over the chief command of the Carthaginian forces in Sicily at a time when the island is almost completely in the hands of the Romans. Landing on the north-west of the island with a small mercenary force, he seizes a strong position on Mount Ercte (Monte Pellegrino, near Palermo), and not only successfully defends himself against all attacks, but also carries his raids as far as the coast of southern Italy.

China

• General Wang He of the State of Qin takes the city of Shangdang from the State of Zhao and establishes Taiyuan Commandery.
• After suffering an initial defeat to Wei general Wuji in the Battle of Hewai, the armies of Qin, led by Meng Ao and Wang He, defeat a combined attempt by the other kingdoms of China to break through the strategic Hangu Pass and invade the Qin heartland of Guanzhong.
• The 13-year-old Ying Zheng, later called Qin Shi Huang, succeeds his father Zhuangxiang of Qin (Zichu) on the throne. Prime Minister Lü Buwei becomes the regent of the king.

Births

• Hannibal Barca, Carthaginian military commander (d. c. 183 BC)

Deaths

• Alexander of Corinth, Macedonian Greek governor and tyrant
• Moggaliputta-Tissa, Indian Buddhist monk and philosopher
• Zhuangxiang of Qin, Chinese king of the Qin State (b. 281 BC)