40 BC — Roman politics, calendar ambiguity, and key events
A summary of the year 40 BC: its uncertain Julian-calendar status, Roman power struggles (Treaty of Brundisium, Perusine aftermath), Herod and Judaea, and notable persons and consequences.
Overview
40 BC was a year marked by political realignment in the late Roman Republic and by an uncertain place in the early Julian calendar. Ancient and modern sources record it as the Year of the Consulship of Calvinus and Pollio, while chronological reconstructions differ about whether it was a common or leap year and which weekday it began on. Contemporary calendar errors left historians unsure whether the year began on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday, or whether it should be treated as a leap year starting on Thursday or Friday in the Julian calendar.
Political events and realignments
The dominant story of 40 BC is the rearrangement of power among the Second Triumvirate. After civil conflict and the brief Perusine War, leaders moved to negotiate rather than continue widespread fighting. A settlement commonly called the Treaty of Brundisium roughly partitioned spheres of influence between Octavian (the future Augustus) and Mark Antony and sought to stabilize Rome through dynastic marriage: Octavia, Octavian's sister, was given in marriage to Antony to seal the agreement. Meanwhile Sextus Pompey maintained control of Sicily and its navy, posing a continuing strategic challenge to Rome's grain supply.
Judaea and the East
In the eastern Mediterranean the Parthian intervention and local rivalries reshaped client kingships. Parthian forces and their allies captured parts of Judaea and installed Antigonus as a claimant to the throne; in response, the Roman Senate declared Herod king of Judaea, a title he would secure militarily in the following years. These shifts reflected Rome's growing influence in client states and the instability that accompanied the Republic's transformation into imperial rule.
Notable persons and consequences
- Fulvia, the influential wife of Mark Antony whose activities helped spark the Perusine conflict, died in 40 BC while accompanying Antony's allies in the east.
- Gaius Asinius Pollio and Gaius Calvisius Sabinus held the consulship, the year’s official magistracies.
- The ongoing rivalry among the triumvirs and the naval dominance of Sextus Pompey set the stage for later agreements and wars that would complete Rome's shift to a single ruler.
Though not a year famed for sweeping cultural milestones, 40 BC is important for how it recorded the end of one phase of Roman civil war and the beginning of diplomatic and dynastic arrangements that would culminate in the imperial order. Calendar uncertainty from early Julian practice is a reminder that even basic chronological details can be ambiguous when ancient reforms were newly implemented.
Questions and answers
Q: In which year did the consulship of Calvinus and Pollio occur?
A: The consulship of Calvinus and Pollio occurred in the year 40 BC.
Q: Was the year 40 BC a leap year?
A: Yes, the year 40 BC was either a common year starting on Thursday, Friday or Saturday or a leap year starting on Thursday or Friday of the Julian calendar.
Q: Which days of the week could the year 40 BC have possibly started on?
A: The year 40 BC could have possibly started on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday.
Q: What does BC stand for?
A: BC stands for "Before Christ."
Q: Which calendar was in use during the year 40 BC?
A: The Julian calendar was in use during the year 40 BC.
Q: What were the names of the consuls in the year 40 BC?
A: The consuls in the year 40 BC were Calvinus and Pollio.
Q: What was the significance of the year 40 BC?
A: There is no significant historical event associated with the year 40 BC mentioned in the given text, but it is notable for being the year of the consulship of Calvinus and Pollio.
Author
AlegsaOnline.com 40 BC — Roman politics, calendar ambiguity, and key events Leandro Alegsa
URL: https://en.alegsaonline.com/art/133896