23 BC

Year 23 BC was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Events

By place

Rome

• Augustus becomes Roman Consul for the eleventh time. His partner is Aulus Terentius Varro Murena.
• Augustus relinquishes the position of consul, attains that of tribune of Rome and Princeps, or "First Citizen." (see Roman Empire).
• The Nubians, led by queen Candace Amanirenas, take the initiative against the Roman Empire, and attack the Roman province of Egypt moving towards Elephantine.
• Herod the Great builds a palace in Jerusalem and the fortress Herodian in Judaea. He also marries his third wife, named Mariamne, the daughter of high priest Simon.
• Following coinage reform, the as was struck in reddish pure copper, instead of bronze. The denominations of sestertius and dupondius were introduced as large bronze coins.
• In response to Meroe's incursions into Upper Egypt, the Roman legions move south and raze Napata. (Early history of Sudan).

Osroene

• Ma'nu III Saphul becomes ruler of Osroene.

By topic

Architecture

• The Roman writer, architect and engineer Vitruvius finishes writing De Architectura (known today as The Ten Books of Architecture), a treatise in Latin on architecture, and perhaps the first work about this discipline.

Births

• Dong Xian (d. 1 BC)

Deaths

• Marcus Claudius Marcellus, son of Octavia and nephew of Augustus