37 BC
A year in the late Roman Republic marked by renewed triumviral authority, ongoing naval conflict in the west, and administrative practice under the early Julian calendar.
Overview
37 BC was a year in the late Roman Republic, conventionally named the Year of the Consulship of Publicola and Nerva. In contemporary chronology it is 37 years before the traditional start of the Common Era (there is no year zero). It fell within the first decades after Julius Caesar's reforms and during the period of the Second Triumvirate.
Calendar and dating
Historians record 37 BC under the Julian calendar introduced in 45 BC, but early application produced some irregularities. Modern reconstructions note it could be treated as a common year beginning on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, or as a leap year starting on Monday or Tuesday. The broader system is referred to as the Julian calendar.
Political and military events
The year occurred during ongoing rivalry among the triumviral leaders—Octavian, Mark Antony and Lepidus—and against rivals who continued to contest control of the Italian grain routes and sea lanes. Naval power in the western Mediterranean, especially the threat posed by Sextus Pompeius in Sicily, remained a crucial strategic concern. In the east, Antony consolidated influence among client kings and prepared forces for future eastern campaigns.
Key figures
- Octavian (later Augustus) — rising leader within the triumvirate
- Mark Antony — dominant in eastern affairs and allied with Egypt
- Lepidus — junior triumvir, holder of important offices
- Sextus Pompeius — naval commander controlling Sicily and sea lanes
- Publicola and Nerva — consuls whose names provided the year's Roman designation
Administration and legacy
Romans dated years by the names of serving consuls, so official documents and later annalists refer to 37 BC by the consulship of Publicola and Nerva. The year sits amid the Republic's transformation: military commanders exercised wide authority, provincial organization and client relationships were reshaped, and the events of this period set the stage for the eventual emergence of the principate under Augustus.
Sources and interpretation
Surviving evidence for 37 BC comes from later Roman historians, inscriptions, and numismatic material; gaps and partisan accounts mean scholars reconstruct political sequences cautiously. The year is notable less for a single defining battle than for its place in the larger sequence of political negotiations, military preparations and administrative change that marked the end of the Roman Republic.
Questions and answers
Q: What year was 37 BC a part of?
A: 37 BC was a year in the Julian calendar.
Q: What type of year was 37 BC?
A: 37 BC was either a common year or a leap year.
Q: What days of the week could 37 BC have started on?
A: 37 BC could have started on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday if it was a common year, or on Monday or Tuesday if it was a leap year.
Q: What was the Year of the Consulship of Publicola and Nerva?
A: At the time, 37 BC was known as the Year of the Consulship of Publicola and Nerva.
Q: What is the Julian calendar?
A: The Julian calendar is a calendar system created by Julius Caesar and used in ancient Rome.
Q: What is a common year?
A: A common year is a year in which there are 365 days.
Q: What is a leap year?
A: A leap year is a year in which there are 366 days, with an extra day added to February to keep the calendar in alignment with Earth's orbit around the sun.
Author
AlegsaOnline.com 37 BC Leandro Alegsa
URL: https://en.alegsaonline.com/art/133889