333 BC

Millennium:	1st millennium BC
Centuries:	5th century BC 4th century BC 3rd century BC
Decades:	350s BC 340s BC 330s BC 320s BC 310s BC
Years:	336 BC 335 BC 334 BC 333 BC 332 BC 331 BC 330 BC

333 BC in various calendars

Gregorian calendar	333 BC CCCXXXIII BC
Ab urbe condita	421
Ancient Egypt era	XXXI dynasty, 11
- Pharaoh	Darius III of Persia, 4
Ancient Greek era	111th Olympiad, year 4
Assyrian calendar	4418
Balinese saka calendar	N/A
Bengali calendar	−925
Berber calendar	618
Buddhist calendar	212
Burmese calendar	−970
Byzantine calendar	5176–5177
Chinese calendar	丁亥年 (Fire Pig) 2365 or 2158     — to — 戊子年 (Earth Rat) 2366 or 2159
Coptic calendar	−616 – −615
Discordian calendar	834
Ethiopian calendar	−340 – −339
Hebrew calendar	3428–3429
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat	−276 – −275
- Shaka Samvat	N/A
- Kali Yuga	2768–2769
Holocene calendar	9668
Iranian calendar	954 BP – 953 BP
Islamic calendar	983 BH – 982 BH
Javanese calendar	N/A
Julian calendar	N/A
Korean calendar	2001
Minguo calendar	2244 before ROC 民前2244年
Nanakshahi calendar	−1800
Thai solar calendar	210–211
Tibetan calendar	阴火猪年 (female Fire-Pig) −206 or −587 or −1359     — to — 阳土鼠年 (male Earth-Rat) −205 or −586 or −1358

The Battle of Issus

Year 333 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Dictatorship of Rufinus (or, less frequently, year 421 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 333 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

By place

Macedonia

• King Alexander of Macedonia conquers western Asia Minor, subduing the hill tribes of Lycia and Pisidia.
• King Darius III of Persia executes Charidemus, a Greek mercenary leader living in exile in Persia, for criticising preparations taken for the Battle of Issus.
• Alexander has a great victory over the Persians in the Battle of the Issus River in Cilicia, but the Persian Emperor Darius III escapes. Darius leaves behind his wife, his two daughters, his mother Sisygambis.
• Alexander makes one of his officers, Nearchus, satrap of the newly conquered Lycia and Pamphylia in Anatolia and he appoints his general, Antigonus, satrap of Phrygia.
• From Issus, Alexander marches south into Syria and Phoenicia, his object being to isolate the Persian fleet from its bases and so to destroy it as an effective fighting force. The Phoenician cities of Marathus and Aradus do not resist Alexander's armies. Parmenion is sent ahead to try to secure Damascus and its rich booty, including Darius' war chest.
• After taking Byblos and Sidon, Alexander lays siege to Tyre.
• In reply to a letter from Darius offering peace, Alexander demands Darius' unconditional surrender.

Deaths

• Charidemus, Greek mercenary leader
• Memnon of Rhodes, Greek mercenary leader (b. 380 BC)