208

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Year 208 (CCVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aurelius and Geta (or, less frequently, year 961 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 208 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

Asia

Zhao Yun fights at Changban

Map of the battle

Battle of Red Cliffs (Chi Bi)

• Spring – Sun Quan defeats Huang Zu at the Battle of Jiangxia.
• October
  • Cao Cao marches south with his army and captures the enemy fleet at Jiangling.
  • Liu Bei escapes from Cao Cao at the Battle of Changban.
• December 10 – Cao Cao writes Duǎn Ge Xíng.
• Winter – Zhou Yu and Liu Bei defeat Cao Cao at the Battle of Red Cliffs; along with the Battle of Yamen and Battle of Lake Poyang, this is one of the largest naval battles in China's history.

Roman Empire

• Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus and his brother Publius Septimius Geta Caesar become Roman Consuls.
• Emperor Septimius Severus leads an expedition (20,000 men) in Britannia, crosses Hadrian's Wall and moves through eastern Scotland. The Roman army pushes the Caledonians back to the River Tay and Severus signs a peace treaty. He repairs the Antonine Wall (his repairs are sometimes called the Severan Wall).
• Britain is divided in the north: Lower Britain (Britannia Inferior) is administered from the fortress at Eburacum (modern York), and in the south, Upper Britain (Britannia Superior) is controlled by the legions at Deva Victrix and Isca Augusta, with its capital at Londinium (London).

Parthia

• King Vologases VI succeeds his father Vologases V to the throne. His brother Artabanus V begins a rebellion against him in the Parthian Empire.
• Ardashir I, ruler of Istakhr (Persia), revolts against his brother and founds the Sassanid dynasty.

Births

• October 1 – Alexander Severus, Roman emperor (d. 235)
• Sima Shi, general of Wei (d. 255)

Deaths

• August – Liu Biao, governor of Jing Province (b. 142)
• Cao Chong, a son of Cao Cao (b. 196)
• Hua Tuo, Chinese physician
• Huang Zu, general of the Han Dynasty
• Kong Rong, Chinese scholar (executed) (b. 153)
• Vologases V, ruler of the Parthian Empire

References