40
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| Millennium: | 1st millennium |
|---|---|
| Centuries: | 1st century BC – 1st century – 2nd century |
| Decades: | 10s 20s 30s – 40s – 50s 60s 70s |
| Years: | 37 38 39 – 40 – 41 42 43 |
Year 40 (XL) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Augustus without colleague.
Events
Roman Empire
- The emperor Caligula is consul without colleague.
- Caligula starts a campaign to conquer Britain. It fails miserably. He names himself the winner.
- Noricum and Mauretania are added into the Roman Empire.
- Caligula reforms the principatus into a Hellenistic Autocracy. He distributes honors carelessly, declares himself a god and orders that all the heads of the Greek deity statues be replaced by his. According to legend, this is when he appointed his horse, Incitatus, a senator.
- Approximate date of start of construction on the Pont du Gard aqueduct in Gallia Narbonensis.
- Philo teaches that all men are born free.
- An early Christian church is erected at Corinth (most probable date).
Europe
Asia
- Vardanes I becomes king of Parthia. He was opposed by his brother Gotarzes II.
- The Vietnamese Trung sisters rebel against the rule of the Chinese Emperor Guangwu of Han.
Africa
- Christianity comes to Egypt. Mark the Evangelist founds the Coptic Orthodox Church as the first pope.
Births
- July 13 – Gnaeus Julius Agricola, Roman governor of Britain (d. 93 AD)
- Pedanius Dioscorides, Greek physician (approximate date) (d. 90 AD)
- Frontinus, Roman general and military author (approximate date) (d. 103)
- Dio Chrysostom, Greek philosopher and historian (approximate date d. c. 120)
- Claudia Octavia, daughter of Claudius and Messalina (d. 62)
- Empress Ma of the Han Dynasty (d. 79)
Deaths
- January – Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus, husband of Agrippina the younger, brother-in-law of Caligula (b. 17 BC)
- Ptolemy of Mauretania (b. 1 BC)