Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC

Decades: 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC - 240s BC - 230s BC 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC

Years: 251 BC 250 BC 249 BC 248 BC 247 BC - 246 BC - 245 BC 244 BC 243 BC 242 BC 241 BC

Events

• In Rome, the number of praetors is increased from one to two
• An irrigation canal approximately one hundred miles long was built across the current-day province of Shenxi in China, greatly adding to the agricultural productivity of the area and to the military potency of the Qin dynasty.
• Seleucus II Callinicus becomes King of the Seleucid dynasty.
• Ptolemy III becomes King of Egypt.

Births

• Queen Arsinoe III of Egypt of the Ptolemaic Dynasty (or 245 BC).

Deaths

• Ptolemy II, king of Egypt.
• Antiochus II Theos, King of the Seleucid dynasty.