2nd century BC
← 3rd century BC 1st century BC →
What happened around the world
Africa
- 149 BC–146 BC Third Punic War — Rome razes Carthage and stands without a rival
Asia
- c. 138 BC–126 BC Zhang Qian's mission to the West — An envoy survives captivity and opens China's road west
Americas
- c. 100 BC Nazca Lines — Giant desert drawings whose purpose is still debated
Who ruled
- China: dynasties
- Han 202 BC – 220
- India: empires
- Maurya Empire 322 BC – 185 BC
- Rome and Byzantium
- Roman Republic 509 BC – 27 BC
Largest states
- Xiongnu
- Ptolemaic Kingdom
- Han Dynasty
- Maurya Empire
- Parthian Empire
- Seleucid Empire
- Roman Republic
- Mahameghavahana Dynasty
- Indo-Scythians
- Greco-Bactrian Kingdom
- Shunga Empire
- Yuezhi
- Later Zhou
- Satavahana Dynasty
- Indo-Greeks
- Nanyue
- Kingdom of Pontus
- Kingdom of Kush
- Kingdom of Armenia
- Minyue
- Carthage
- Mayan City-States
- Himyarite Kingdom
- Kingdom of Numidia