View source for 55 BC

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2011}}
{{Year nav|-55}}
{{BC year in topic|55}}
__NOTOC__
Year '''55 BC''' was a year of the [[Roman calendar|pre-Julian Roman calendar]]. At the time, it was known as the '''Year of the Consulship of Crassus and Pompey''' (or, less frequently, '''year 699 ''[[Ab urbe condita]]'''''). The denomination 55 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 ==
<onlyinclude>

=== By place ===

==== Roman Republic ====
* [[Consul]]s: [[Marcus Licinius Crassus]] and [[Pompey|Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus]].
* Consuls [[Marcus Licinius Crassus]] and [[Pompey|Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus]] pass the [[Lex Trebonia]].
* [[Theatre of Pompey|Pompey's Theater]], the first permanent (non-wooden) theatre in [[Rome]] is built. Built of stone on the [[Campus Martius|Field of Mars]], it included a temple to [[Venus (mythology)|Venus Victorious]], a public courtyard, and a meeting hall or ''[[curia]]'' in the far end near the "Sacred Area".
* Fourth year of [[Julius Caesar]]'s [[Gallic Wars]]:
** Spring &ndash; Julius Caesar starts the season campaigning in [[Illyricum (Roman province)|Illyricum]] (in the [[Balkans|Balkan]] region) against the [[List of ancient tribes in Illyria#Pirustae|Pirustae]], who have been raiding Roman territory.<ref>Nic Field (2014). Osprey: ''Alesia 52 BC – The final struggle for Gaul'', p. 14. {{ISBN|978-1-78200-922-1}}.</ref>
** Summer &ndash; Julius Caesar defeats the [[Usipetes]] and the [[Tencteri]], two Germanic tribes who have been driven across the [[Rhine]] River by the [[Suebi]]. He spreads [[Roman law]] and order, and makes the whole country as far as the [[English Channel|Channel]] accessible to [[trade]].
** May &ndash; Julius Caesar defeats a Germanic army then massacres the women and children, totalling 430,000 people, near the [[Meuse]] and Rhine Rivers (now known as the city of [[Kessel,_Limburg|Kessel]] in the [[Netherlands]]).
** June &ndash; Julius Caesar crosses the Rhine River near modern-day [[Koblenz]]. He constructs a wooden [[Caesar's Rhine bridges|bridge]] between [[Andernach]] and [[Neuwied]] ([[Germany]]).

==== Britain ====
* [[August 22]] or [[August 26]] &ndash; Julius Caesar commands his first [[Caesar's invasions of Britain|invasions of Britain]], likely a reconnaissance-in-force expedition, in response to the [[Britons (historical)|Britons]] giving military aid to his Gallic enemies. Caesar retreats back to [[Gaul]] when the majority of his force is prevented from landing by storms.

==== Parthia ====
* [[Mithridates IV of Parthia|Mithridates IV]], claimant to the throne of [[Parthia]], supported by [[Aulus Gabinius]], [[Roman Republic|Roman]] [[governor]] of [[Syria]], is defeated by [[Surena]], [[general]] under [[Orodes II of Parthia|Orodes]], in the Battle of [[Seleucia]].
</onlyinclude>
== Births ==
* [[Tibullus]], Roman Latin [[poet]] (approximate date)

== Deaths ==
* [[Archelaus (high priest of Comana Cappadocia)|Archelaus]], high priest of [[Comana (Cappadocia)|Comana]] ([[Cappadocia]])
* [[Berenice IV of Egypt|Berenice IV Epiphaneia]], queen of [[Ptolemaic Kingdom|Egypt]] (b. [[77 BC]])
* [[Lucretius]], Roman philosopher (b. c. [[99 BC]])
* [[Quintus Caecilius Metellus Nepos (consul 98 BC)|Quintus Caecilius Metellus Nepos]], Roman consul
* [[Quintus Caecilius Metellus Nepos Iunior]], Roman consul
* [[Tigranes the Great]], Armenian Emperor (b. c. [[140 BC]])

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:55 Bc}}
[[Category:55 BC| ]]