186 BC explained

Year 186 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Albinus and Philippus (or, less frequently, year 568 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 186 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

Roman Republic

• The rapid spread of the Bacchanalia cult throughout the Roman Republic, which, it is claimed, indulges in all kinds of crimes and political conspiracies at its nocturnal meetings, leads to the Roman Senate issuing a decree, the Senatus consultum de Bacchanalibus, by which the Bacchanalia are prohibited throughout all Italy except in certain special cases which must be approved specifically by the Senate.

Asia Minor

• Eumenes II of Pergamum defeats Prusias I of Bithynia.

China

• The first burial at the famous archaeological site of Mawangdui is made during the Western Han dynasty of China.

Births

• Ptolemy VI Philometor, king of Egypt, who will reign from 180 BC (d. 145 BC)

Deaths

• Li Cang, Marquis of Dai, buried in one of the Mawangdui